Sarai Kale Khan
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Sarai Kale Khan is a major bus termini in Delhi. It is adjacent to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. Sarai Kale Khan is the terminus for most buses heading for towns south of Delhi. It is also a DTC bus depot for many moffusil bus routes (711, Teevra mudrika).
During the rule of the Afghan Sher Shah Suri, a paved road network "Sadak - E - Azam" was created to make travel easier. It connected existing unpaved roads, connecting Sonargoan in Bengal (now Painam) to Peshawar (Attock), via Delhi. Today the road is called the Grand Trunk Road.
As part of this project, roadside inns were established every twelve miles. These inns were known as "sarais" — where travelers could find water and a place to sleep, eat and cook. They also served as post depots and were kept up by the headman of the local village. The name or a identifying source (the local landlord, a celebrity, or the local community name, e.g., Rohilla) were generally used to differentiate between sarai's.
Other sarai's in and around Delhi:
- Sarai Kale Khan
- Sarai Rohilla
- Katwaria Sarai
- Sheikh Sarai
- Yusuf Sarai
- Ber Sarai
