Sarai Kale Khan
Sarai Kale Khan is a locality and a former village in Delhi. The land area of the original Sarai Kale Khan village stretched from Purana Qila (Old Fort) in the north-west to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the west, Mayur Vihar in the east and Taimoor Nagar in the south. The village is surrounded by monuments such as Purana Qila, Humayun's Tomb, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana's Tomb, Baara Pullah and others.
It is notable for Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi Government's Transport Department zonal office and “Vishwa Shanti Stupa” or peace pagoda (unveiled by Dalai Lama) located at the Millennium Park on Ring road.
History
The area was named 'Kale khan ki sarai', a sarai, or rest house for travellers or caravans and royal route from Mughal imperial courts and Chandni Chowk to their retreat at Mehrauli some 32 km away. The sarai itself named after a Sufi saint, Kale Khan of 14th–15th century, whose resting place along with that of another Sufi saint of Delhi, resting place of Hazrat Roshan Khan is today situated inside the Delhi Airport complex.[1] Though a Lodi era structure Kale Khan ka Gumad is also situated at Kotla Mubarakpur Complex in South Delhi, the tomb is dated to 1481 AD as per an inscription on the Mihrab inside the tomb, this Kale Khan was a courtier in the Lodi period during the reign of Bahlol Lodi [2]
Nawab Faizullah Beg, son of Nawab Qasim Jan, a courtier in reign of Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II (r. 1728–1806), was a courtier in Bahadur Shah Zafar's reign, and built a complex later known as Ahata Kaley Sahab, so named a saint named Kaley Khan, who lived here for a while, after whom area was later named. The complex was later acquired by Bunyadi Begum, poet Mirza Ghalib's sister-in-law, and housed the poet after he was released from debtors' prison.[3][4]
The name Sarai derives from the time of the rule of the Afghan Sher Shah Suri, under whom a paved road network was built, with roadside inns called "Serais" every twelve miles.
Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State bus terminus
Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus is a major bus terminus complex in Delhi, India catering to bus services to Haryana and Rajasthan states.
References
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- ↑ Of Ghalib's abode, masjid and muse The Hindu, January 8, 2007.
- ↑ Retracing Ghalib's footsteps The Hindu, February 14, 2007.
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External links
