Ashoka Pillar Information :

Location: Just 100 meters south of Hindu Rao Hospital along the ridge, north of Old Delhi.
Time to Visit: On all days
Preferred Timings: Sunrise to sunset
Admission Fee: Free and open to all
Photography charges: nil
How to Reach: Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach this monument or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.
Nearest Railway Station: Old Delhi Railway Station
Nearest Metro Station: Kashmiri Gate
Nearest functional Metro Station: Kashmiri Gate
Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport
Time required for sightseeing: Approx 30 minutes

Ashoka Pillar in Delhi: 

The imposing pillar which can go up to three storeys was gifted to the city of Delhi by the third sultan of Tuglaq dynasty who was not only on a building spree, he was also fond of collecting antiques and structures as is evident with the Ashoka Pillar.

The magnificent structure is some fourteen feet high and the inscriptions seem to suggest that the pillar was built by Emperor Ashok. The structure is made out of polished sand stone and it tapers towards the top and the fact that it was made by Emperor Ashok is further given credence by the Asoka Brahmic Script which is considered the fore runner of modern Hindi.

This pillar is brought from Meerut and to transport the structure from Meerut elaborate arrangements were made. The entire structure was wrapped in silk cotton and it was kept on a soft bed filled with reed and raw skins. The entire structure was then put on a forty two wheel carriage and then pulled towards its destination by some two hundred men to the Yamuna bank after which it was put onto huge boats and transported down to Firozabad and then to Kushak.

The pillar contains Bramhi script that depicts the ten commandments of Buddha and as time passed on records of pilgrims and travelers were also inscribed on the monument. The monument has undergone quite a bit of destruction and in the seventeenth century it was completely broken to small pieces. A group of enthusiasts is said to restore the structure back to its original glory, but the official apathy has had a bad impact on the Ashoka Pillar.

This might deprive the future generations from catching a glimpse of this wonderful structure, and that would a grave injustice to an emperor who was not only a great builder but also a good restorer.

Ashoka Pillar near Delhi Gate:
The Ashoka Pillar near Delhi Gate was wrapped in silk cotton when it was brought to Delhi. It was lowered on a soft bed, encased in reed and raw skins and placed on a 42-wheel carriage. It was pulled by two hundred men and placed on the Yamuna bank. The column was then transferred to large boats and carried down to Firozabad and then to Kushak. After completion of each storey, the pillar was raised on to it, till it reached the top.

Ashoka Pillar near Hindu Rao Hospital:
Just 100 meters south of Hindu Rao Hospital along the ridge is another Ashokan Pillar belonging to 3rd century BC. It was brought by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1356 A.D. The Ashoka Pillar was transported to his hunting lodge in Delhi from Meerut. Like the one in Feroz Shah Kotla, this pillar too has seven main inscriptions or edicts of Emperor Ashoka apart from some figures and many minor inscriptions.

However, the pillar was damaged by a gunpowder explosion in 1713. The Ashoka Pillar was broken into five pieces. In 1838, Hindu Rao took possession of these pieces and donated them to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta (Kolkata).