Doesn’t the name Gate no-7 suggest a tale of thresholds? The Gates of Delhi are more than mere passages. They are silent witnesses to the city’s layered past. Imagine a time when Delhi was a fortress. It was encircled by imposing walls and guarded by fourteen mighty entry points. Gate no-7 may have been one of these portals. These gates weren’t just about defense. They were vital arteries for trade and royal processions.
William Finch a European merchant described Delhi as a city of seven castles. This was in 1611. He also mentioned 52 gates. More gates appeared during Mughal and British rule. Today only thirteen gates remain in good condition. The rest lie in ruins. Some have even been demolished. Each gate pointed towards its destination. The destination’s name became the gate’s name.
These gates saw emperors pass through on visits. The gates also became historic battlegrounds. The Kashmiri Gate saw intense fighting between British forces and Indian rebels in 1857. British cannon fire severely damaged the gate. This occurred as they tried to regain control of Delhi. Around the Kashmiri Gate, the Civil Lines developed and became a commercial hub.
The Delhi Gate links New Delhi with the old walled city. It stands at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road. The Ajmeri Gate was built in 1644. It leads to Ajmer in Rajasthan. A park surrounds the gate. The Turkman Gate is named after Sufi Saint Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dates back to 1240. The Lahori Gate once led to the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort.
The Nigambodh Gate is near the Yamuna Bazaar. It takes its name from the Nigambodh Ghat burial ground. Legend says Lord Brahma bathed in the Yamuna there. He regained his lost memory. The Khooni Darwaza means Bloody Gate. British Officer Captain William Hodson executed three sons of Bahadur Shah Zafar here in 1857.
These gates evoke nostalgia. They lead into the past and the present. Sultan after Sultan rode through them in pomp. They passed into history. Shah Jahan built fourteen gates around his city. This city had an eleven-mile circumference. The New Delhi of Lutyens had no wall. It had few gates except for India Gate. India Gate memorialized British Indian Army members who died in World War 1.
Nine old gates have disappeared. Only five remain. They are the Delhi, Kashmere, Turkman, Ajmeri and Lahori Gates. These were main entry points into the city. Mughal sentries guarded these doorways. They detained suspicious characters. Criminals, spies and foreigners were among them. Sentries watched from towers. Khirkis allowed supervised night exits.
The gates of Delhi saw pomp and splendour. They also saw grisly events. They saw the flowering of a unique culture. Mir, Zauq and Ghalib wrote poetry here. Today the gates are neglected corners. It is time to restore them. They can evoke interest in posterity. They must not disappear like the other gates. The gates must continue to enrich Delhi’s story. Gate no-7 stands as a testament to Delhi’s enduring spirit. It calls us to remember the stories etched within its ancient stones.