The fourth medieval city of Delhi Jahanpanah wasestablished by Muhammad bin Tughlaq of Delhi Sultanate. Tughlaq built Jahanpanah to fight off the constant threat from the Mongols. Jahanpanah means Refuge of the world in Persian. History states that the Adilabad fort and the other monuments – Qila Rai Pithora and Siri Fort all of them did not survive and several reasons exist behind the ruins of both the fort and the city but none could be authenticated as the real reason.
On the road between Siri to Qutub minar you will be able to spot the ruins of the city’s wall, in Begumpur the Begumpuri Masjid, Khirkii Masjid near Khirki village and Satpula. The fort walls were so huge and deep that armory and equipment’s could be stored in them. It is researched that these rooms were built for storage purposes only. In the recent years the city has unveiled several buried monuments that scream out their past history. However the region where the ruins stand is under a massive grab for urban development as it falls in the South Delhi’s upscale urban expansion.
The village and the ruins are enclosed within South Delhi’s PanchshilPark, Malviyanagar, Aurobindo ashram and other housing developments. The word Jahan Panah comprises of two Persian words “Jahan means World” and “Panah means Shelter” hence the meaning “Shelter of the world.”
Historians state that Muhammad bin Tughlaq created the new city of Jahanpanah between 1326 and 1327 and it encircled the cities of Siri and lal kot with 13 gates. But only large ruins of the city remain to see. Some of the structures that survived the ruins and ravages of time are Bijai Mandal.
Bijay Mandal was said to house the Hazar Sutan palace which also remains largely in ruins today. Begumpur masjid, Baradari, SeraiShajiMahal,LalGumbad and more are some of the structures that stand in ruins today. It is understood from the chronicles of Ibn Battuta that Lal kot was the then urban area and Siri was the military area. It is also understood that Hazar Sutan palace was the residence of Tughlaq.
The Hazar sutan palace with its beautiful painted wooden canopy and columns as described in the chronicles is believed to not exist anymore. The forts served as a safe abode for people living in Quila Rai Pithora and Siri.
In and around Jahanpanah you can stroll and visit the ruins and abandoned monuments and structures that were once a glorious work of architecture. A modest size fort- Adilabad, The Begumpur mosque in Begumpur village, ruins of the Bijaymandal palace and the dome besides it with a unique design, Serai Shahji mahal, Kālu Sarai masjid ruins and more are the ruins that are worth watching in Jahanpanah.
A trip to Jahanpanah will take you back in time that made way for structures that leave modern day architects intrigued and amazed.
