Sarai Kalekhan ISBT Chowk in Delhi was renamed as Birsa Munda Chowk on Friday on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
On Friday (November 15, 2024), coinciding with the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, the central government renamed Sarai Kalekhan ISBT Chowk in Delhi. Now its name has been changed to Birsa Munda Chowk. Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information. The change comes on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the great freedom fighter and tribal leader Lord Birsa Munda. Let us know who is Kale Khan, Sarai Kale Khan has been renamed as Munda Chowk?
Sarai means shelter. Salai was once known as a place where people stopped to rest during their journeys. Earlier, when people came to Delhi or passed through here, they would rest here for some time. After that, they started their further journey. Sarai Khale Khan falls in the south-eastern part of Delhi. There are areas such as Nizamuddin, Jangpura, Khizrabad, Jangpura Extension and Lajpat Nagar nearby.
Architecture during the reign of Sher Shah Suri
This was during the reign of Sher Shah Suri. He laid a network of roads throughout the country. In particular, a long road was built from Chittagong (now Bangladesh) to Lahore (Pakistan). It is known today as the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road). It was during that period that the word “Sarai” was first used because besides building roads, Sher Shah Suri also built Sarai every 12 miles for travelers to stay.
read this too
Sufi saint Kale Khan died in the 14th century.
Kale Khan was a great Sufi saint of the 14th century who lived during the era of Sher Shah Suri. Over time, his name Kale Khan became associated with Sarai, a Mughal sanctuary in Delhi, and he came to be known as Sarai Kale Khan. The tomb of Sufi saint Kale Khan is also located in the Indira Gandhi Airport area of ​​Delhi. Sarai Kale Khan, located in south-east Delhi, is also very important from a historical perspective. The culture of this place has a deep impression of Sufi tradition.
There is also a theory that the area was named after an ancient village. The name of a village here was earlier Sarai Kale Khan. It used to be mainly inhabited by people from Gurjar community. As Delhi grew, the village became part of the city but its name did not change and to this day the area is still known as Sarai Kale Khan.
Sarai Kale Khan is closely associated with many historical monuments.
Many historical and cultural places are also located around Sarai Kale Khan Chowk. Humayun’s Tomb and Nizamuddin Dargah are some distance away from here. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is also nearby. The banks of the Yamuna river are also very close to here. Cultural and religious events are organized from time to time along the Yamuna River.
Mathura Road and Ring Road Intersection
Sarai Kale Khan area is one of the famous attractions in Delhi. Sarai Kale Khan Chowk is actually located at the intersection of Mathura Road and Ring Road. This interchange connects the national capital Delhi to many parts of the National Capital Region. This is where the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) is located. This bus station always provides bus services to Delhi and nearby cities. It is believed that this has been the main transportation center of Delhi since the Mughal period and is now an inter-state bus station of great importance for travelers to other cities.
Apart from the bus station, Sarai Khale Khan also has a railway station. Many long-distance trains stop here. There is a station on the Pink Line of the Delhi Metro here and an important station on the Rapid Metro Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) line is also located here. Due to all these facilities, Sarai Kale Khan area is directly connected to different parts of Delhi and transportation is quite convenient here.
Also Read: This family became Christians, Birsa Munda laid the foundation of Birsaita religion, why did this happen?
