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Qila Rai Pithora credits itself for being the first city in Delhi. Though Delhi had been home to several settlements before, Qila Rai Pithora is recognized as the first established city state of the region. As proper documents are available to mark the birth of this city, it has been recognized as the first seat of urban life in Delhi region. Located in South Delhi, the site can be reached from the Central Secretariat Metro Station. Qila Rai Pithora owes its origins to Prithviraj Chauhan, popularly referred to as Rai Pithora, from whom the fort city gets its name. The city was established on the grounds of the Lal Kot which served as a fort of Anang Pal, a Tomar Rajput ruler. The fort had been annexed by the ancestors of Prithviraj, and after the Rajput ruler came into power, he furnished the grounds of the Lal Kot to convert it into a major fort city. Qila Pithora had been built on the relics of a city which had previously stood on those grounds. In fact, the rubbles from the previous city were used for constructing the Qila. Gigantic walls were raised to fortify the city, and even the remnants of the wall measure a few meters in breadth. The 10 to 18 meter walls were further surrounded by a ditch to ensure a complete fortification. Qila Rai Pithora had been adorned with majestic structures and gates like Badaun Gate and Hauz-Rani which led to a bustling city inside. The records trace as many as thirteen gates in the city, though none of them remain today, it is evident from the relics that the city had been the heart of political and commercial activities in the period. The Qila however, failed to survive the vicissitudes of history as the Slave rulers demolished it considerably to make way for a mosque. The fort today exists in ruins and the colossal towers and gates which once dotted the city now stand in dismal relics.
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