-By Purnima Anup Singh

 “Hunuz Dilli door ast”

Winters in Delhi are meant to be enjoyed outdoors and what better than a gorgeous sandstone backdrop of history to do so. Amidst the hustle and bustle of busy Delhi life nestles the folly of Tughlaqabad, now in ruins but a reminder of a glorious but flawed past. When friends get together, even mundane things take on a special meaning, like a thermos filled with hot chai that all of us shared outside the Tughlaqabad fort while Ajay and Sonam (our very own Adventureism team) bought the entry tickets. The misty morning was cold but our spirits were high as the six of us walked to the gate of the fort.

As usual, we had already been briefed by Ajay about the historical significance of this fort, and all of us chipped in with our own small inputs that we remembered of history from school. The foolish emperor Muhammad Bin Tughlak was the butt of all jokes as our laughter echoed through the beautiful sandstone structure. As usual, the fort is built on high ground and surrounded by a moat with a high fortified gate. 

As we clicked pictures of the fort and ourselves, I could imagine the old times with the emperor strolling in the landscaped fort with its beautiful baoli (step-well) and the underground bazaar which would have been so cool even in the sweltering Delhi heat. We walked slowly to the ramparts of the fort and marveled at the view from high points. The beauty of the arches and the fortified walls mingled with the story of how the fort was always cursed -first by Nizam Al-Din, a Sufi saint that it will never be inhabited-“Ya base Gujjar, Ya rahe ujjar”, meaning either the vagabonds shepherds will inhabit it or it will remain in ruins.

Marveling at the fort we had a picnic breakfast of sandwiches, tea, patties and other knick knacks provided mostly by Sonam for everyone. How do you explain the camaraderie between people sharing the same love for ADVENTURE? Is it the place or the people which make a simple day so extraordinary? As always Ajay and Sonam regaled us with the stories of the fort and its rulers in the past. The story of Ghiyasuddin’s arrogance at conquering Bengal and Nizamuddin Auliya’s wrath as he must have laughed at the emperor saying “Hunooz Dilli door ast” says so much about life. Life is fragile! Even an emperor is human after all!

Finally as we crossed over to the other side of the road from the fort to the beautiful red sandstone and marble tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, I could not help but think of my favorite monument in the world- Humayun’s Tomb. We took a round of the small place stopping to listen to our echoes in the pillared pentagonal sidewalks. As we looked at the pretty tomb with its sloping walls, a flock of green parakeets flew past reflecting the green of the grass below. We climbed up to one of the corner turrets of the tomb, looked upon a gorgeous Pipal tree full of the amazing yellow-footed green pigeons which I had been discussing just a few moments ago with Ajay- I telling him about how I never get to see them! And he telling me how common they are in Delhi! Talk about luck!

For me historical monuments are like pages of history waiting to be read, contemplated upon and when you are with similar kindred souls the day can turn magical. Every time hubby and I go on an adventure with Sonam and Ajay, the day takes on a life of its own and I watch it as if floating on a cloud just like in an old Raj Kapoor movie. Thank you Adventureism for your special anecdotes and special sandwiches and Chai- let’s do this again!