Red
Fort The
largest of old Delhi's monuments is the Lal Quila,
or the Red Fort, the thick red sandstone walls
of which, bulging with turrets and bastions, have
withstood the vagaries of time, and nature. The
Lal Quila rises above a wide dry moat, in the
northeast corner of the original city of Shahjahanabad.
Its walls extend upto two kilometre, and vary
in height from 18 metres on the river side to
33 metres on the city side. Mughal Emperor Shahjahan
started the construction of the massive fort in
1638, and work was completed in 1648. The fort
sports all the obvious trappings, befitting a
vital centre of Mughal government: halls of public
and private audience, domed and arched marble
palaces, plush private apartments, a mosque, and
elaborately designed gardens. Even today, the
fort remains an impressive testimony to Mughal
grandeur, despite being attacked by the Persian
Emperor Nadir Shah in 1739, and by the British
soldiers, during the war of independence in 1857.
  
Entrance
to the fort is through the imposing Lahore Gate,
which as its name suggests faces Lahore, now in
Pakistan. This gate has a special significance for
India, since the first war of independence, and
has been the venue of many an important speech,
delivered by freedom fighters and national leaders
of India.
The main entrance opens on to the Chatta Chowk,
a covered street flanked with arched cells, that
used to house Delhi's most skilful jewellers, carpet
makers, weavers and goldsmiths. This arcade was
also known as the Meena Bazaar, the shopping centre
for the ladies of the court. Just beyond the Chhata
Chowk, is the heart of the fort called Naubat Khana,
or the Drum House. Musicians used to play for the
emperor from the Naubat Khana, and the arrival of
princes and royalty was heralded from here.
The Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Hall
of Public Audiences, where the Emperor would sit
and hear complaints of the common folk. His alcove
in the wall was marble-panelled, and was set with
precious stones, many of which were looted, after
the Mutiny of 1857. 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 carried
away to Iran by Nadir Shah in 1739. Today, the Diwan-i-Khas
is only a pale shadow of its original glory, yet
the famous Persian couplet inscribed on its wall
reminds us of its former magnificence: "If
on earth be an eden on bliss, it is this, it is
this, none but this."
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. The Rang Mahal or
the 'Palace of Colors' housed the Emperor's wives
and mistresses. This palace was crowned with gilded
turrets, delicately painted and decorated with an
intricate mosaics of mirrors, and a ceiling overlaid
with gold and silver, that was wonderfully reflected
in a central pool in the marble floor.
Even today, the Lal Quila is an eloquent reminder
of the glory of the Mughal era, and its magnificence
simply leaves one awestruck. It is still a calm
haven of peace, which helps one to break away, from
the frantic pace of life outside the walls of the
Fort, and transports the visitor to another realm
of existence.
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