| Khooni Darwaza | |
|---|---|
 Khooni Darwaza | |
 Interactive map of Khooni Darwaza | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mughal-Afghan |
| Location | Delhi,India |
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Painting of the Khooni Darwaza |
28°38′10″N77°14′28″E / 28.6360°N 77.2410°E /28.6360; 77.2410Khooni Darwaza (Hindi:खूनी दरवाज़ा,Urdu:خونی دروازہ literallyBloody Gate), also referred to asLal Darwaza (Hindi:लाल दरवाज़ा,Red Gate) was initially called as Kabuli Darwaza, The gate is located nearDelhi Gate, on theBahadur Shah Zafar Marg inDelhi,India. It is one of the 13 surviving gates in Delhi. It is just south of the fortifiedOld Delhi and was constructed bySher Shah Suri.
Khooni Darwaza was situated on an open tract of land before the rise of modern buildings around it. It lies today on theBahadur Shah Zafar Marg opposite theArun Jaitley cricket ground, which lies to its east. To the west is the entrance to theMaulana Azad Medical College. It lies about half a kilometre to the south of the Delhi Gate ofOld Delhi.[1]
The Khooni Darwaza (Bloody Gate) is first found by name in history after three princes of theMughal dynasty -Bahadur Shah Zafar's sonsMirza Mughal andMirza Khizr Sultan and grandsonMirza Abu Bakht, were shot by a British officer, MajorWilliam Hodson, before the war of independence. Hodson obtained the surrender of the Emperor, and the next day asked for an unconditional surrender from the three princes atHumayun's Tomb. Hodson arrested about 16 members of the Emperor's family and was transporting them from Humayun's Tomb in a bullock cart accompanied by a detachment of 100 "sowars" (Indian cavalrymen in the British service). On reaching this gate, he was stopped and surrounded by thousands of Muslims, with white cloth tied on their foreheads (a symbol for the shroud) Jehadis or Ghazis. Hodson later recalled, "I was surrounded on all sides byGhazis as far as my eyes could see." It is said that Hodson ordered the three to get down at the spot, stripped them of their jewelled swords and shot them dead at point blank range.[3] The bodies were then taken away and put up for public display for three days in front of a Kotwali nearChandni Chowk.[1]
The Khooni Darwaza was an archway at the time of the revolt of 1857 and not a gate in the traditional sense.[4] It is often mistaken for the original Kabuli Gate of Old Delhi.[by whom?]
During theriots of 1947, more bloodshed occurred near the gate when several refugees going to the camp established in Purana Qila were killed here.[1]
Khooni Darwaza is today a protected monument under the aegis of theArchaeological Survey of India.
It gained more notoriety in November 2002 when a medical student wasraped there by three youths.[5] The incident sparked much uproar and was also discussed in theParliament of India.[6] Following the incident, the monument was sealed to the general public.
The gate is 15.5 m (50.9 ft) high and built with Delhiquartzite stone. Three staircases lead to three different levels of the gate.[1]
The three-tiered structure is believed to have been a display board used to present the heads of offenders and enemies duringSher Shah Suri's time.[7]
