An Express Schools’ initiative
Quest is a project conducted by The Indian Express in schools in and around Delhi. It covers more than 50 schools in Delhi and NCR.

Quest aims at stirring awareness and opinions. Today, when all that children see are shopping malls and cineplexes, we at The Indian Express want to show a completely different picture of this city to them. Delhi has changed beyond nostalgia and recognition since Independence. How many of these kids know of the ‘Seven Cities’ of Delhi or the stories of the pigeon fliers of Old Delhi?

The idea behind such an activity is to create awareness about the various structures and monuments that the students do not know about. This is a specially designed programme, which will help the students appreciate the rich culture and background of this city. In association with INTACH and ASI, this is a small effort on our behalf to depict a phase of our national life and the decay of a whole culture, a particular mode of thought and living. The visit is followed by the students sending in articles, pictures, poems, paintings, and collages to express their experiences about the heritage walk.

We invite schools to be a part of this Express Group initiative.

For queries mail to heritagewalks@expressindia.com

Adopt A Heritage
The antiquity of Indian civilisation goes back to a period when history was fresh and time stood still. Right from the dawn of history, the country has zealously preserved thousands of historical structures and sites connected with various aspects of history. In a land like India where there is a profusion of monuments and every second stone is a monument, government agencies like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and State Archaeology Department alone cannot protect and maintain all these monuments.

Under these circumstances, the concept of ‘Adopt a Heritage’, conceived by the ASI, holds the promise of making a real impact in the field. Goa successfully experimented with the help of students of the Dhimpe College of Arts and Science in 1994 in conserving the Arch of Conception. A similar attempt to preserve unattended antiquities by housing them in the first ever village museum of the country was started by the poor villagers of Chandimow in Nalanda in Bihar, with the help of the ASI. The biggest by-product of this project will be the creation of awareness in younger minds about the precious heritage of our country. If we can conserve a number of historical structures through Adopt a Heritage, we will usher in the ‘Grey Revolution’.

Grey Revolution
Grey hair is the most visible symbol and sign for aging and, hence, the Grey Revolution stands for the protection of the old, fragile but precious heritage of the country.

Independent India has successfully implemented the schemes of Green Revolution and White Revolution. While the Green Revolution made us self-sufficient as far as agricultural and food items were concerned, the White Revolution enabled us to make record progress in production of milk and milk products. In the new millennium, the need of the hour is to prepare the country for a Grey Revolution.

A Thrilling Experience
Remember, when you support the ASI’s Adopt a Heritage and Grey Revolution initiatives, you are not simply adopting a heritage but entering into an equal partnership with illustrious personalities of history. How thrilling it is to enter into an equal partnership with personalities of history such as Ashoka, Raja Raja Chola and Akbar! If you are looking for such a privilege, help the ASI maintain the monuments of kings and emperors through the Adopt a Heritage and Grey Revolution initiatives.

Sanskriti Stambha
The biggest enemy of monuments is scribbling on the structures by students and other youngsters. It is a universal problem. In order to combat this problem, the ASI’s Bhopal Circle has set up a ‘Sanskriti Stambha’ — a scale model of the Ashokan Pillar at Sarnath, at all World Heritage Monuments. Emperor Ashoka, through ‘a new Ashokan edict’ inscribed on these model pillars, exhorts the younger generation not to scribble and deface monuments. Students, in turn, take a solemn pledge under the Sanskriti Stambha that they will neither deface nor scribble on the monuments.

NEW ASHOKAN EDICT
Thus spoke the soul of Emperor Ashoka: “I am the sinner who started the horrifying and bloody Kalinga War. When I saw thousands of human beings injured at Kalinga battlefield, I realised it my soul started crying. From a bloodthirsty tyrant, I changed into a protector of all living and non-living things and their environment. My monuments and edicts are living testimonies of it. But, today, I am more pained and grief stricken when I see people encroaching, injuring and scribbling their names on my monuments and monuments of my predecessors and successors, without realising that it is a part of their own precious heritage. Full with remorse, today I wish to propound and propagate a new religion of non - violence towards the monuments and heritage. I request all the people to adopt this new religion by pledging the following:
* I will not scribble, deface or encroach upon any monuments.
* I will respect the monuments and heritage like my parents and teachers.
* I will render all possible help to conserve and preserve our heritage.”
— Courtesy ASI

Did you know?
* The Kharagpur Railway Station has the longest platform in the world. The length of the platform is 1072.5 meters.
* The world’s first metre-gauge line ran from Garhi Harsaru near Gurgaon to Farukhnagar. It was opened for traffic on February 14, 1873.
* The Frontier Mail was once nominated by The Times, London, as the most famous train of the British Empire.
* The first train from Boribunder to Thane that ran on April 16, 1853, was hauled by three steam locomotives called Sahib, Sind and Sultan.
* Kirandul-Kottavalasa in Andhra Pradesh is the highest broad-gauge line in India. Simliguda station on this line is the highest broad-gauge station of the Indian Railway (996.3 meters above mean sea level).
— By Vikas Singh & S Partha sarthy, Retired Railway Officers

Forgotten Heritage
Most of us have visited Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, the venue of international cricket matches in Delhi. But how many of us have seen the Feroz Shah Kotla ruins? Perhaps only 20 per cent? These are the remains of the royal buildings of the capital city built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi between 1351 and 1388 AD. He was the successor of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq. Feroz Shah Kotla was the ‘fifth city of Delhi’, built in 1354, and is located just off the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between Old and New Delhi.

One of the best features of Feroz Shah Kotla is the magnificent Ashokan Pillar from the 3rd Century BC. Located north of Jama Masjid, in the citadel stands the 13 metre-high sandstone Ashokan Pillar, on a three-tier pyramidal structure built from rubble. Feroz Shah Tughlaq brought the 27 ton pillar to Delhi from Topar in Ambala, where Ashoka had erected it. The transportation of this pillar was handled with much care and precaution to avoid any damage but a few years ago, the top of the pillar was broken. The shape of the broken top looks as if it was deliberately broken. The pillar has seven main inscriptions or edicts of Emperor Ashoka, apart from some figures and many minor inscriptions, written in Brahmi script in the Pali language. James Princep first deciphered the edicts in 1837. Like all Ashokan Pillars, this pillar also served the purpose of spreading Buddhism and its doctrines among the people. Though made of sandstone, the pillar is so polished that till date it looks as if it is made of metal. The best time to see this pillar is during noon, as it glitters like gold when the sun’s rays fall on it.

Presently, nothing much survives in and around this once beautiful palace, which has now been developed as a beautiful garden. Successive rulers used most of its ruins for the construction of subsequent cities in Delhi. However, the remaining structures are still interesting and it is among the favourite tourist destinations of the Capital.

Thanks to The Indian Express for making it possible for us to learn about the beauty of Feroz Shah Kotla and for providing valuable information about its history.
— Surbhi Jain, XI F

Unexplored History
India is home to numerous monuments and every monument has a history of its own. Feroz Shah Kotla is one such masterpiece that has been unexplored in recent times. Built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in the 14 th Century, these fort ruins have an exemplary charm. The Ashokan Pillar is a piece of administration. Climbing the three-storey, uneven structure and reading the Brahmi script written on the 13 metre-high Ashokan Pillar is a pleasurable experience. The jinn mosque resembles an ancient ruined courtyard and is a peaceful place. The rock structure , excellent architectural outlook and ancient manuscripts carved on the walls make this fort a must visit. Exploring the hidden beauty of this fort was an adventure that everyone will cherish. After this visit, our perception of this monument has changed and it was a memorable experience.
— Heena Makhija, XI D

The Lost Glory
Every monument carries a story with itself and to unfold these stories, our school, in collaboration with The Indian Express, organised a heritage walk and the destination was Feroz Shah Kotla. On reaching there, we found dilapidated structures but exploring the ruins was an adventure. Lush green lawns complement the ancient site. Constructed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th Century, it has a glory of its own. Climbing up to the Ashokan Pillar was a splendid experience. Standing at that height and admiring the fort is a pleasure. The jinn mosque has a charm of its own and resembles an open courtyard; it is a calm and peaceful place. The prison and certain ruins are places to be admired. The carving on the rocks and excellent architecture and the structure leave you full of praise for the monument. It is sad that many people don’t visit this ancient structure. This fort is a masterpiece on its own and hopefully in the coming years, it will regain its lost glory.
— Shailja Sharma, xi D

An Unforgettable Visit
Delhi, a city known to be the ‘Rome of India’, is filled with countless structures of historical importance. But very few are considered to be significant. Among them is Feroz Shah Kotla. On visiting the site I had a nostalgic feeling, as if I was back to the days of the Tughlaq dynasty. Is it remembered by all the people of India? The mystic presence of so called jinns really fascinated us. Roaming around the structure I learnt that every monument of that time had space for pigeons. As Feroz Shah was a great lover of art and architecture, he carried the Ashokan Pillar from Ambala, across the Yamuna. It is great for each of us to know about the glorious facts of our country.
— Sangeeta Chakraborty, SenioR Social Science Teacher

Empire of Ferozshah Tughlaq
Feroz Shah Tughlaq reigned between 1351 and 1388. Crumbling to pieces under the watchful eyes of the Archaeological Survey Of India(ASI), Kotla Feroz Shah Mosque still attracts the faithful and tourists alike. Namaz has been offered in this historical mosque for the last 35 years. It was the largest of seven built in Delhi during the Tughlaq period. Feroz Shah was a great builder and so this ‘fifth city of Delhi’ was full of splendid palaces, mosques and gardens. The entire structure is contained within high, solidly-fortified walls made of stone. Most of the complex’s structures are in a state of ruin, offering a fragmented evidence of the original design.