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Red Fort (Lal
Qila) This huge interesting fort in Old Delhi is the most visited tourist site in Delhi. Lal means “red” and qila means “fort”. Shah Jahan, the fifth great Mughal emperor, started building this red sandstone fort on April 16, 1639 and it took nine years to complete (1648), costing ten million rupees. The fort is surrounded by a wall 2km long (900m by 550m), and is 33.5m high on the side facing the town. The fort used to be surrounded by a 9m deep moat. It was constructed on the banks of the Yamuna. The river has now moved more than a kilometre to the east. Aurangzeb ruled from the Red Fort. King Yudhisthira is said to have performed a horse sacrifice here at Dasaswamedha Ghat to celebrate the Pandavas’ victory at Kurukshetra. The precious stones that once adorned the walls of the palace have been removed. The fort is impressive and is worth seeing. Open daily dawn to sunset; admission Rs 0.50. A guide should cost around Rs 50. The fort entrance is through the massive three-storey Lahore Gate, so named because it faces Lahore, now in Pakistan. Next to the gate is the place where the Prime Minister speaks to a large crowd each year on Independence Day (August 15). The emperor would exit from this gate on the back of an elephant when he went to the Jama Masjid mosque. After passing through the gate, you come to Chatta Chowk, which in the past was a market, which sold to the Royal Household precious jewelry, top quality silks, and clothing. It now sells souvenirs, often at royal prices. You then come to the three-storey Naubat Khana (Drum House). The carvings on the walls of the Naubat Khana used to be covered with gold. In the past, musicians would play shehnais, drums, and cymbals five times a day. At this place all visitors except princes had to dismount from their elephants or horses. Upstairs there is the War Memorial Museum (free). To the left before the Naubat Khana is the newly opened Svatantrata Sangrama Sangrahalaya, a museum dedicated to the Independence Movement. It is among the army buildings. You then walk past an open area to the white marble Diwan-i-am (Hall of Public Audience). This is where the Mughal emperors would sit (everyone else would stand) and receive visitors, conduct state business, and judge criminal cases. The emperor had a throne built on the white marble platform (still here). In the past there was also a beautiful canopy over the throne. At the back of the platform are carved panels believed to have come from Florence. The low marble platform in front of the main platform was the Prime Minister’s seat. In the past, the hall was hung with silk carpets and huge curtains falling from the ceiling. Past the Diwan-i-am
are the private palaces of the Mughal emperor and the Diwan-i-Khas.
Five of the palaces still remain. Each palace was connected by a small,
water-filled canal called the Nahir-i-Bihisht (Stream of Paradise).
In front of the palaces were formal charbagh gardens. The famous Peacock Throne used to sit on top of the marble platform in this hall. Nadir Shah, a Turkish conqueror, took it to Iran in 1739. The six legs of the throne were made of solid gold and inlaid with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. There was a parrot carved from a single emerald embedded in the throne behind the emperor’s head. The throne itself was inlaid with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls. It took seven years to build it. North of the Diwan-i-Khas
Hall is the Hammam (royal baths). The baths consist
of three large rooms with domes over them which have beautiful floral
patterns on the marble floors. The windows are stained glass. The eastern
room, which was once a dressing room, had a rosewater fountain. The
public is not permitted into the baths. South of the Diwan-i-Khas are the emperor’s family quarters. The Rang Mahal (Palace of Color) was the home of the emperor’s chief wife, and this is where the emperor usually took his meals. In the center of the palace there is a lotus carved from marble. Once, there was also a beautiful ivory fountain and the palace once had silver ceilings. The south and north rooms were called Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), because hundreds of mirrors were embedded into the ceilings. There are underground rooms, which the family used during the hot summer months, but they are closed to the public. North of the Rang Mahal is the marble Khas Mahal (Private Palace), which were the emperor’s private chambers. Tosh Khana (Robe Room), the southern room, has an elaborate marble filigree screen on the north wall, with a scale of justice above it. If you face with your back to the Diwan-i-Khas, you will see suns surrounding the scales; if you face with your back to the Rang Mahal, in the opposite direction, you will see moons surrounding the scales. The emperor made public appearances from the Octagonal Tower next to the Khas Mahal. When it was declared that Delhi would become the capital of India, King George V and Queen Mary sat here before the people of Delhi. Beneath the Khas Mahal is Khirzi Gate, the emperor’s private entrance. Further south is the Mumtaz Mahal (Palace of Jewels) which is said to have been used as a harem. It now houses the Museum of Archaeology, displaying weapons, old carpets, metalwork, textiles, and lavish chess sets. It is worth visiting. Open daily except Fri 9 am to 5 pm. Every evening there is an interesting Sound and Light Show (Rs 20) illustrating the history of India and the Red Fort. The English show is at 8:30 pm from February to April and September to October, and 9 pm from May to August. You will need insect repellent. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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