Also Known As · Firoz Shah Kotla · Firozabad citadel
New Delhi, Delhi · fort
A rugged Tughlaq citadel crowned by a glowing 3rd-century-BC Ashokan pillar, with a ruined great mosque and a rare circular stepwell — Mauryan and medieval Delhi in one.
Feroz Shah Kotla is one of medieval Delhi's most fascinating citadels — the fortified core of Firozabad, the new capital founded around 1354 by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq, whose rugged grey-quartzite ruins spread along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in central Delhi. What makes it extraordinary is a single object: a polished sandstone Ashokan pillar, around 13 metres tall, that the Mauryan emperor Ashoka had erected in the 3rd century BC and that Feroz Shah had transported here and re-installed atop a three-storeyed pyramidal structure in 1356, physically stacking eight centuries of Mauryan and Sultanate history in one place.
Pure-vegetarian North and South Indian meals
Pure-vegetarian dosas, uttapam and chole bhature
Pure-vegetarian South Indian dosas and thalis
Feroz Shah Kotla is one of medieval Delhi's most fascinating citadels — the fortified core of Firozabad, the new capital founded around 1354 by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq, whose rugged grey-quartzite ruins spread along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in central Delhi.
this is an ASI-ticketed monument, inexpensive for Indians and more for foreign nationals, open every day from morning to evening (do not confuse it with the adjacent Arun Jaitley cricket stadium). The ruins are uneven with steep steps and dark chambers beneath the pillar, so wear sturdy shoes and carry water; the baoli is often locked. Nearest metro: Delhi Gate. Allow about ninety minutes.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: ASI ticket — approx ₹25 on-site (₹20 online) for Indians and ₹300 (₹250 online) for foreign nationals; children under 15 free.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, near ITO, New Delhi, Delhi, 110002
On Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, beside the Arun Jaitley (Kotla) cricket stadium
🚇 Nearest Metro: Delhi Gate (Violet Line) — about 0.7–1 km; ITO
🚶 Walking from Metro: From Delhi Gate metro it is about a 10-minute walk (0.7–1 km) to the monument.
Distance from
Parking
on-site · ₹20–₹50 (paid)
Parking near the gate on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Uber and Ola drop at the monument gate; do not confuse it with the neighbouring Arun Jaitley cricket stadium.
How to Reach: Feroz Shah Kotla is on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in central Delhi, near the Arun Jaitley (Kotla) cricket stadium. Nearest metro: Delhi Gate (Violet Line), about 0.7–1 km, and ITO. Autos, Uber and Ola reach the gate; DTC buses run along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.
History
Feroz Shah Kotla was the citadel of Firozabad, the capital founded around 1354 by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
🏛️ Architect: Rugged Tughlaq architecture in grey Delhi quartzite rubble with tapering, battered walls — austere and fortress-like. Highlights are the pyramidal structure crowned by the polished Ashokan pillar, the ruined Jami Masjid, and a distinctive circular stepwell, set within a walled garden.
Significance
Feroz Shah Kotla is one of medieval Delhi's most important surviving citadels and a key Delhi Sultanate monument — uniquely preserving a 3rd-century-BC Ashokan pillar atop a Tughlaq structure, and central to the decipherment of the Brahmi script.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Free for personal photography; professional shoots require permission.
📍 The Golden Spot: The Ashokan pillar glowing atop its pyramid in late-afternoon light.
🌅 Best Light Time: 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM and the last hour before sunset.
🌅 Secret View: Climb to the top platform of the pyramid for the closest view of the polished Ashokan pillar and its Brahmi edicts.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Weekday mornings are quiet; the ruins are extensive enough to feel solitary.
💎 Secret Fact: The Ashokan pillar here was carried from Topra in Haryana and re-erected in 1356; its edicts were central to James Prinsep's 1837 decipherment of the Brahmi script.
⚡ Express Tour
45 minutes — the pillar pyramid and the ruined mosque.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
2 hours — the citadel, then Old Delhi and a Daryaganj vegetarian meal.
👕 Dress Code: No dress code; sturdy walking shoes and sun protection for the open ruins.
📷 Photography Rules: Personal photography is free. Professional shoots require permission. Drones are prohibited.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and near ITO (within 1 km).
It is an ASI-ticketed monument — about ₹25 on-site (₹20 online) for Indians and ₹300 (₹250 online) for foreign nationals, with children under 15 free. It is open daily, roughly 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Delhi Gate on the Violet Line is the closest, about 0.7–1 km away (a 10-minute walk); ITO is also nearby.
It is the 14th-century citadel of Firozabad, crowned by a polished 3rd-century-BC Ashokan pillar that Feroz Shah Tughlaq re-erected here in 1356 — a rare stacking of Mauryan and Sultanate history, plus a ruined great mosque and a circular stepwell.
No — the historic Feroz Shah Kotla fort is a separate ASI monument next to the Arun Jaitley Stadium (long called Feroz Shah Kotla ground); this page is about the medieval citadel and its Ashokan pillar.
Yes — for history lovers it is one of Delhi's most rewarding ruins, quiet and atmospheric, uniquely combining an Ashokan pillar with a Tughlaq citadel.
The Daryaganj and Connaught Place areas nearby have pure-veg options — Bhaja Govindam and Zaza Box on Asaf Ali Road, and Saravana Bhavan in CP.
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