Red Fort

Red Fort in India’s capital Delhi has an inseparable link with India’s independence from the British. Every year on August 15, the Independence Day, the Prime Minister of India hoists the Indian flag on the ramparts of the historical site.
Red Fort or Lal Quila as it is popularly known in Delhi is a marvel of Indo- Islamic architecture. Made of red stone this very fort was the center of power for more than two centuries. Completed in a span of ten years, according to conservative estimates at least 10 million rupees were spend on it.

Of these around 5 million was spent on palaces and the rest on gardens, fountains and pathways. The fort is typical of Indo-Islamic architecture and has eight facets. The fort has been connected to Salimghad Fort. This beautiful but small fort lies on the Northern side of the main architecture.

The Red Fort is an intimidating red-stone monument and dominates the skyline of the walled city. Although the fort is octagonal and doesn’t have demarked length and breadth but broadly it is 900 meters long and 550 meters wide. The most intimidating part is its high raised wall which is nearly three kilometers in perimeter. The height of the wall reaches 33.5 meters at some places. On the outside, you can still see the pathway that was originally connected with the Yamuna River.

These walls are purely vertical and are very plain in architecture. They are lashed with very heavy courses on the top. There are two major gateways to the fort though there are few minor gateways too. The two major gates are Lahori Gate and Delhi Gate. Among the two the Lahori Gate was the chief entrance in those days. The road from Lahori Gate goes to a covered bazaar, built on the model of Meena Bazaar. This is known as the Chatta Chowk. The whole alley is lined up with shops selling miniatures and mementos.

The pathway leads to a large open space. This space was a four-way crossing once which was a meeting point of East-West street from Lahori Gate and North-South street. The North-South street was very important in that era as it divided Garrision from the residential blocks, situated respectively on the west and east side of the Fort.

To the southern end of this street is the Delhi Gate. To the left side of the gate is a courtyard. It was attached with Diwan-e-Aam, a place reserved for the daily public audience of Emperor. A decorated throne-balcony for the emperor stands at the eastern side of the Diwan-e-Aam. It is said to be the copy of the throne of Solomon, a prophet in Islam, Judaism and Christianity, who was known for his justice.

The two southern pedestals of the palace are Zenana Khana, or women's quarters and a Rang Mahal. The Rang Mahal is famous for its Qasida works on the roof and a marble pool. This pool was the bathing place for the emperor and was fed with the water by the Nahr-i-Behisht, a subsidiary canal of Faiz Nahar. The third pavilion, the Khas Mahal, contains the Royal apartments. Among others it contains bedrooms, prayer rooms, Nagar Khana, Jharokha and the Mussaman Burj. The last one is a tower built close to the walls in order to make it easy for the subjects to see the king during daily communion.

The next pavilion is the Diwan-i-Khas, the lavishly decorated hall for private audience to foreign dignitaries and nobles. It was also used for administrative and court gatherings. To its north lies a large garden, the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh, which is cut through, in a typical mogul style, by two bisecting channels of water.

Location: Old Delhi near Jama Masjid
How to Reach: Take an auto or cab or disembark at Chandini Chowk Metro station
Attractions: Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e- Aam, Lahore Gate etc
Timing: 9 am to 5 pm