User:Sanjeevbatraone/The Kila - Musafirkhana Extraordaniore

The Kila is a part of a cluster of a few Heritage Buildings located around the Qutub Minar in   Mehrauli which are unique in their use & character. The view of the Qutab Minar – a UNESCO declared World Heritage Site Monument is unmatchable.

Mehrauli, as a Village has been in regular inhabited continuous existence for over a thousand years. It has been an important center of trade for centuries. In the time long before the world was mapped, a whisper stirred the restive spirits of adventurers, explorers & traders who came from far across the seas to a land of mystical intrigue & untold wonder. A land of Kings, saints, spices & elixirs. The Qutub Minar-the magnificent Tower of Victory built in the 10th Century and was an important landmark, standing tall, ethereal & exotic which could be seen from miles around in this opening of a new world. The trade route from Agra to Kandhar Afganistan made Mehrauli an important trading center & stopover. It was the first route to join the Mid-east with the exotic East. The journey took months & the traders re-stocked at Mehrauli. The weary & tired traders & travelers traveling in Caravan (travellers) stopped for rest & refreshing themselves before continuing their arduous journey ahead. Several Musafirkhanas’s  ( local Inn’s or Serai ) sprung around Mehrauli that served the trader travelers & even entire villages were so named -Lado Serai, Ber Serai, Ladha Serai, Neb Serai, Katwaria Serai etc. Thereafter, as Dilli transformed into Delhi, centuries passed & trade became more refined but the commercial uses continued.

These superb Musafirkhana’s were large in nature and unique & singularly identifiable from any other properties in Mehrauli, New Delhi. Wrapped around the Qutub Minar, they served the well-to-do travelers passing through the old city of Mehrauli, New Delhi, through the centuries. Built with high walls around them, they gave the traders & travelers a place to sleep in a safe place away from thugs,bandits or robbers. Mehrauli has always been important stop for the travelers and traders who with their ever expanding vistas & interests travelled the `Spice Route’ in search of rare spices & condiments that fetched enormous prices from Kings & Rulers. The origins of The Kila  could also probably be traced back to the early traders  who made arduous, though profitable,  journeys from Persia  to India  and back. As is common in the area around the Qutab Minar this Musafirkhana was earlier built earlier in the 1400 - 1800’s or so, used over the years & survived. It was then renovated substantially in the year 1920 and again in 1951.