Red Fort
Red Fort is one of the most magnificent palaces in
the world. India's history is also closely linked with this fort.
It was frorth here ht the British deposed the last Mughal ruler,
Bhadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three century long
Mughal rule. It was also fromits ramparts that the first prime.
Minister of India, pandit Jawharlal Nehru, announced to the
nation that India was free form colonial rule.
The mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra for eleven
years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of
the Red Fort in 1618. For its inauguration in 1647, the main
halls of the palace were draped in rich tapestry and covered with
silk from china and velvet from Turkey. With a circumference of
almost one and a half miles, the fort is an irregular octagon and
has two entrances, the Lahore and Delhi Gates.
The largest of Old Delhi's monuments is Lal Quila or Red Fort
whose thick red sandstone walls, 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 from two
kilometers and vary in height from 18 metres on the river side to
33 metres on the city side.
Entrance to the fort is through the imposing Lahore Gate, which
takes its name from the fact that it faces Lahore, now in
Pakistan. This gate has a special significance for India since
the first war of independence and important speeches have been
made here by freedom fighters and national leaders of India.
The other attractions within this monument are the Royal Baths or
hammams, 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
Colours" housed the Emperor's wives and mistresses. This palace
was crowned with gilded turrets, delicately painted and decorated
with an intricate mosaic of mirrors, and a ceiling overlaid with
gold and silver that was 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 leaves many wonder-struck and
breathless. 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 era of time.
