Teen Darwaza - (three gates) that provided access to the Royal Square - maidan (used to be called maidan Shahi in the past), was built in 1415 AD by Sultan Ahmed Shah after founding Ahmedabad with blessings from his spiritual teacher, Shaikh Ahmad Khattu Ganj Bakhsh of Sarkhej. He took four years to complete the work. It is a well decorated tall structure with 3 gateways (hence the name teen). Historical as well as legendary events are associated with this historical gateway. Ahmedabad. The city was built over Ashaval also known as Ashapalli, an early settlement in 1411 by Ahmed Shah I of Gujarat Sultanate. For safety considerations and to retard invasions from enemies, in particular, from the north and north west, he built the first Bhadra Fort.
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| Ahmedabad, India.Teen Darwaza Ahmedabad, en.wikipedia org |
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| Ahmedabad, India.Teen Darwaza Ahmedabad, researchgate.net |
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| Maratha inscription,Teen Darwaza Ahmedabad, wikipedia |
Above image: Maratha inscription on pillar of Teen Darwaza, Ahmedabad, India about inheritance of property to female members of family.................................
The roadway in the central opening is 17 feet wide, and that of each side arch is 13 feet wide. It has highly decorated buttresses on the faces of piers between the arches. The height of the arches is twenty-five feet. The two openings on the sides are 13 feet wide. Close to the gate and near the fountain (now it is gone) there used to be royal meeting or entertainment in the evening in the presence of small rulers and foreign residents
Giving due importance to women's rights, way back in 1812 Maratha governor Chimnaji Raghunath decreed and inscribed firman on Teen Darwaza in 1812 declaring equal right to women in inheritance of ancestral property. Besides, he made the request to both Hindus and Muslims . and impressed on them to respect women and their equal status with respect to inherence of ancestral properties. There is a plaque engraved in Devnagari script dated 10 October 1812 . It reads: ''Let the daughter get her due share of fathers property without any hitch. So is Lord Vishwanath's command. If you defy, the Hindu will have to answer Mahadev and the Mussalman will have to explain to Allah or Rasool.''
In 1459, Mahmud Begada, a teen aged king who ruled for a sort time, regardless of his age and lack of experience, on his side. displayed his courage and bravery by confronting the rebel nobles and their 30000 men with just 300 horsemen. Leaving the palace, the young king had the road leading to the gate closed with elephants, made the nobles and their leaders run for their safety.
There is a legend associated with this gate. Way back, Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of Goddess of Wealth, came to this gate of the Bhadra Fort to leave the city in the night. Upon identifying her, . Watchman Khwaja Siddique Kotwal asked her not to leave the fort till his return after getting permission from the king, Ahmad Shah. He went to the king's court and beheaded himself. It was done by the watchman to retain the prosperity of the city. He thought if th Goddess had left the city, it would become poor and abandoned.
there is a tomb dedicated to Kotwal Siddique. An interesting fact is an eternal oil lamp is continuously burning for more than 600 years in a small recess and is taken care of by a local Muslim family. There is a small Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Badra Kali. The gate is part of Badhra fort and served as an exit gate. Controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India, the gates form the logo of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_Darwaza
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