Tughlaqabad Fort

Quick Facts

Country: India

State: Delhi

Built by: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

Built in 1321

Materials used: Granite stone and lime mortar

Entry fee for Indians: Rs 20 for Indians

Tughlaqabad Fort. The founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din-Tughlaq fortified and built the fort called as Tughlaqabad fort. The fort is in Delhi, India. It is in ruins state now. It was built in the year 1321 AD. However, the Tughlaq’s lived for a very short stint in the fort. It was later abandoned in the year 1321 AD. In the year 1320 the Khiliji dynasty was illegally usurped in a coup by Khusrao Shah. At that time Ghiayas-ud-din Tughlaq became the ruler of Delhi and founded Tughlaq dynasty.

Best time to visit Delhi

Best time to visit

October to April is the best time to visit Delhi as the weather is good and is not hot.

Seasons/Climate

Seasons

Delhi is landlocked in the Northern Plains of Indian subcontinent. Its climate is greatly influenced by the mighty Himalayas and Thar Desert. It is the main factor causing extreme weather conditions in Delhi

Summer season: April to June are the summer months. The maximum temperature hovers close to 45 degrees Celsius in the months of May and June. It has been dry heat during these two months. Heat waves or the Loo are experienced in these two months.

Monsoon Season: July to September are monsoon months. The weather remains very humid with maximum temperature hovers around 40 degrees Celsius. By the end of September, the moisture in the air comes down and the weather tries to improve.

Autumn: October and the beginning of November is Autumn. The maximum temperature falls to around 35 degrees Celsius. The weather remains pleasant and is the best period for Delhi to enjoy the outdoor activities.

Winter Season: November to February is the winter season. The cold wind from the Himalayas brings down the temperature in Delhi. The minimum temperature during peak winter season would drop to around 3 degree Celsius and maximum temperature may be around 1o degree Celsius. Weather begins to improve from mid february.

Spring: March is the spring month. Slowly the days would be warmer and nights cooler. The day temperature may hover around 3

History and Architecture of Tuglaqabad Fort

At that time Tughlaq faced a huge challenge from Mongols. To keep them under control, Ghiyas-ud-din-Tughlaq built this huge, gigantic fort called as Tughlakabad fort. Tughlakabad is built strongly with red sandstone rather than giving any architectural importance.

The fort served as a defence from enemy attack and as a capital of Tughlaq dynasty. The fort surrounds the irregular ground. The fort has huge structure with walls as high as 10-15m high. Supporting the walls are the parapets and the bastions. It is believed that the fort city had nearly 52 gates and only 13 are remaining as on today.

The fort city was further divided into area with houses all around a grid in the north and citadel and palaces to the south. Today the city portion is in ruins however the citadel is intact.

To the south of the main entrance is the tomb of ghiyas-ud-din. The mausoleum is connected with a causeway. The causeway which is 6ft in length is supported by 27 arches. The original tomb is built with single square dome with sloping walls. Inside the large imposing fort is the elegant dome with an octagonal drum which is covered with white slabs of marble and slate. There are three graves inside the central one is of the Ghiyas-ud-din and the remaining two are that of his wife and son. There are number of monuments within the fort.

Even though most of the fort is in ruins and not in good condition, still the fort holds its own beauty and a visit to this place is must.

How to reach

Delhi being the capital city of India. It is easily accessible by air, rail and Road.

By Air: Delhi has very good air service for both domestic and international flights. Delhi has flights to all the major cities within and outside India.

By Rail: Delhi has a very good rail connectivity. It has four major railways namely Old Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station and Anand Vihar Railway Station

By Road: Delhi has well connected roads and national highways from all the major cities of India. The three major bus stands are Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale Khan Bus terminus and Anand Vihar Bus Terminus. Both government and private buses provide good service.