On Friday, on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, the name of Sarai Kalekhan ISBT Chowk in Delhi was changed to Birsa Munda Chowk.
The Central Government renamed Sarai Kalekhan ISBT Chowk, located in Delhi, on Friday (November 15, 2024) on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. Now its name has changed to Birsa Munda Chowk. Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information. This change was made on the 150th birth anniversary of the great freedom fighter and tribal leader Lord Birsa Munda. Let us know who was Kale Khan, in whose name Sarai Kale Khan was renamed Munda Chowk.
Sarai means place of refuge. Sarai was once called a place where people used to stop and rest during their journey. Earlier, when people came to Delhi or passed through here, they used to rest here for some time. After this they began their journey. Sarai Khale Khan falls in the southeast district of Delhi. Nearby are areas like Nizamuddin, Jangpura, Khizrabad, Jangpura Extension and Lajpat Nagar.
Construction during the reign of Sher Shah Suri
This was during the reign of Sher Shah Suri. He had laid a network of roads throughout the country. A long road was specially built from Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) to Lahore (Pakistan). Today it is known as Grand Trunk Road (GT Road). It was during that period that the word Sarai first came into use, because apart from building roads, Sher Shah Suri also built a Sarai every 12 miles for travelers to stay.
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The Sufi saint Kale Khan died in the 14th century.
Kale Khan was a great Sufi saint of the 14th century, who lived during the time of Sher Shah Suri. Over time, his name Kale Khan became associated with this place of refuge i.e. Sarai located in Delhi during the Mughal period and with this 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, where it is located in the southeast district of Delhi, is also very important from a historical point of view. There is a deep impression of Sufi tradition in the culture of this place.
There is also a belief that this area is named after an ancient town. The name of a village here was formerly Sarai Kale Khan. Mainly people from the Gurjar community lived there. With the development of Delhi, this village became part of the city, but its name did not change and even today this area is called Sarai Kale Khan.
Sarai Kale Khan is connected with many historical places.
Many historical and cultural places are also located around Sarai Kale Khan Chowk. Humayun’s Tomb and Nizamuddin Dargah are some distance from here. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is also nearby. The banks of river Yamuna are also very close to here. Cultural and religious events are held from time to time on this bank of the Yamuna.
Junction of Mathura Road and Ring Road
Sarai Kale Khan area is one of the famous places in Delhi. Sarai Kale Khan Chowk actually falls at the junction of Mathura Road and Ring Road. This junction connects the national capital Delhi and many areas of NCR. This is where the Interstate Bus Stand (ISBT) is located. Bus services are always available from this bus stop to Delhi and nearby cities. It is believed that this would have been the main traffic hub into Delhi since the Mughal period and, now being an interstate bus stop, is very important for travelers going to other cities.
Apart from the bus stand, there is also a railway station at Sarai Khale Khan. Many long-distance trains stop here. There is a station of the Pink Line of the Delhi Metro and a major station of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) line of the Rapid Metro is also located here. Thanks to all these facilities, Sarai Kale Khan area is directly connected to different parts of Delhi and transportation here is quite easy.
Also read: The family became Christians and Birsa Munda laid the foundations of the Birsaita religion, why?
