Qila Rai Pithora

The Chauhan prince of Sakambhari, Vigraharaja IV captured Delhi from the Tomar Rajputs in the latter half of the 12th century. The grandson of Vigraharaja IV, Prithviraja Chauhan III, built Qila Rai Pithora, the first city of Delhi, by extending the  Lal Kot.


The city derived its name from the title of Prithviraja Chauhan and thus came to be known as Qila Rai Pithora, with Lal Kot as its southwestern base.



At present the ruins of Qila Rai Pithora have been conserved in a 20-acre DDA Conservation Park at Mehrauli.

The ruins of Qila Rai Pithora can be reached by taking the IIT-Mehrauli road just past the Adhchini village. The ruins of the ramparts of the extended city are rubble-built and are 5 to 6 meters in thickness, with a height of 18 meters on some sides and are surrounded by a wide moat from the outside.

Out of the 13 gates, 3 gates remain. The Badaun Gate, Hauz-Rani and Barka gates.

Mehrauli Archeological Park: A Snapshot

Mehrauli, earlier known as Mihirawali means Home of Mihir, was founded by the King Mihir Bhoja of the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty.


A massive project of excavation in the year 2000 followed by restoration, and conservation was launched by   (INTACH), and the result is the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. 


A large number of monuments—tombs, mosques, stepwells, and more—have been enclosed within the park. 


Snapshot Mehrauli Archeological Park