Timings
- Summer timing : Hindi - 7 pm to 8 pm, English - 8 pm to 9 pm
- Winter timing : Hindi - 6 pm to 7 pm, English - 7 pm to 8 pm
HistoryEmperor Shah Jehan constructed the most
splendid monument, the Red Fort in 1638 A.D. This colossal built in red
sandstone is the largest of the Old Delhi’s monuments and is also
known as Lal Quila. Book a tour to Red Fort Delhi It is girdled by a
stone wall of about 2.4 Kilometers in circumference, and varies in
height from 18m on the river edge and 33m to the city corner. The fort
essentially reverberates the grandeur of the Mughals era and leaves many
a visitor in stupefaction and breathless. The Mughal King Shah Jahan
shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi, started the construction of the
fort in 1639 which was completed in 1648, nine years after the king
shifted to this city. The fort can be accessed by the two main
entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate that leads to Chandni
Chowk once the shopping hub of royal family.
Important
Monuments within the fortThe Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Am or
the Hall of Public Audiences, where the Emperor would sit on a marbled
paneled alcove, studded with gems, and hear complaints of the common
people. The Diwan-i-Khas is the hall of Private Audiences, where the
Emperor held private meetings. This hall is made of marble, and its
centre-piece used to be the Peacock Throne, which was studded with
rubies and gems and was carried away to Iran by Nadir Shah in 1739.
Today, although the Diwan-i-Khas is only a pale shadow of its original
glory, yet the verse of Amir Khusro " If there is Paradise on the
face of earth, it is here, it is here, it is here" reminds us of
its former glory.
The Rang Mahal or the 'Palace of Colours' as
it is known, holds a spectacular Lotus shaped
fountain,
made out of a single piece of marble, and housed the Emperor's wives and
mistresses. The palace was decorated with excellent paintings, gold
bordered projections, mosaics of mirrors and the ceiling was made with
gold and silver which wonderfully reflected in a central pool in the
marble floor. The other attractions enclosed within this monument are
the hammams or the Royal Baths, the Shahi Burj, which used to be
Shahjahan's private working area, and the Moti Masjid or the Pearl
Mosque, built by Aurangzeb for his personal use.
Other
AttractionsThe Royal Baths or hammams, the Moti Masjid or the
Pearl Mosque, built by Aurangzeb for his personal use, the Shahi Burj,
which used to be Shahjahan's personal working area and The Rang Mahal
retaining an amazing Lotus shaped fountain carved out of a single piece
of marble also housed the Emperor's wives.
one's
imagination. Imagine the Naqqar Khana (Drum room) also called Naubat
Khana (Welcome Room), where once drums loudly heralded the arrival
of the emperor and the Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience)
resounded with the incantations of the people. Amazing, isn't it?
