In 1638 Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundation of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. It is surrounded by a rubble stone wall, with bastions, gates and wickets at intervals. Important among its fourteen gates are Mori, Lahori, Ajmeri, Turkman, Kashmiri and Delhi gates, some of which have already been demolished. Their famous citadel, Lal-Qila, or Lal Qila, Red Fort is situated on the right bank or south of the Yamuna and Salimgarh at the northern end of the city, started in 1639 and completed nine years later.
The Red Fort is different from the Agra Fort and is better planned, because behind it lies the experience gained by Shah Jahan in Agra, and because it was a hand job. It is an irregular octagon, with two long arms to the east and west, and two main gates, one to the west and the other to the south, which are called the Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. Walls, doors and some other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, while marble has been used extensively in palaces.
After passing through the arched arches called Chhatta-Chowk from the western entrance, one reaches Naubat- or Nakkar-Khana (‘drum-house’), where ceremonial music was played and which also served as the entrance to the Diwan-i. used to do. – ‘I am. Its upper storey is now occupied by the Indian War Memorial Museum.
The Diwan-i-Aam (‘public audience hall’) is a rectangular hall, deep in three corridors, with nine arches. At the back of the hall is an alcove, where the royal throne stood under a marble umbrella, beneath which was an inlaid marble diameter for the Prime Minister. The wall behind the throne is embellished with beautiful panels of Pietra Dura work, which is said to have been executed by Florentine artist Austin de Bordeaux. Orpheus is represented here in a panel with his lute. Originally there were six marble palaces along the eastern water front.
Behind the Diwan-i-Aam but separate from a court is the Rang-Mahal (‘Painted Palace’), which is said to have colored decorations on its interior. It consists of a main hall, with arched chambers on either side, with arched chambers on either side. A water-channel called Nahr-e-Bihisht (‘stream of heaven’) went down through it, with a central marble basin equipped with an ivory fountain. Mumtaz-Mahal, originally an important apartment in the royal seraglio, is now the Delhi Fort Museum.
The Diwan-i-Khas (‘Private Audience Hall’) is a highly ornate pillared hall, with a flat roof supported by engraved arches. The lower part of its piers is embellished with floral Pietra dura panels, while the upper part was originally gilded and painted. Its marble dias are said to have supported the famous Mayur throne, which was taken over by the Persian invader Nadir Shah.
The tasbeeh-khana (‘room for counting beads for private prayer’) consists of three rooms, behind which are the Khwabgah (‘Sleeping-Chamber’). On the northern screen of the east is a representation of the scales of justice, suspended on a crescent between stars and clouds. Adjacent to the eastern wall of the Khwabgah is the octagonal Muthamman-Burj, from where the emperor used to appear to his subjects every morning. A small balcony, projecting from the turret, was added here in 1807 by Akbar Shah II, and from this balcony, King George V and Queen Mary appeared to the people of Delhi in December 1911.
Hammam (‘Bath’) has three main apartments divided by corridors. The entire interior including the floor is made of marble and is studded with colored stones. ‘Hot and cold water’ was arranged in the bathhouse, and it is said that rose water came out of a fountain in the eastern apartment. To the west of Hammam is the Moti-Masjid (‘Pearl Mosque’), which was later added by Aurangzeb. The Hayat-Bakhsh-Bagh (‘life-giving garden’), with its pavilions, lies to the north of the mosque, and was later substantially altered and rebuilt. The red stone pavilion in the center of the tank in the center of Hayat-Baksh-Bagh is called Zafar-Mahal and was built in about 1842 by Bahadur Shah II.
In 16, Shah Jahan launched his great mosque, Jami-Masjid, the largest mosque in India, in Delhi, and completed it in 1750. It has square quadrangle with arched monasteries on the sides and a tank 100 m in the center. Wide. Built on a raised platform, it has three grand entrances that come with long flights of stairs. Its prayer hall, with a façade of eleven arches with a four-storeyed tower on either side, is covered with three large domes, ornamented by alternating stripes of ‘black and white marble’.
How to Get There
BY AIR
New Delhi Airport (18 kms) is the nearest airport from the Red Fort.
BY RAIL
Delhi Railway Station (2 kms) is the nearest railhead.
BY ROAD
Delhi is well connected with all major Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, etc.
Tag : Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site
Built In : 1648
Year of Inscription : 2007
Reasons for Inscription : Criteria number (2), (3), and (6). The Red Fort exhibits the outstanding architectural brilliance of the Mughal Era. The Red Fort has been an emblem of supremacy since the rule of Shah Jahan. It has witnessed the transformations in Indian history including the rule of the British. The Red Fort was the spot where the independence of India was first celebrated.
The Red Fort, constructed by the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, is one of the best works of art the Mughal Rulers presented to India. This magnificent edifice is also known as Lal Quila.
Category : Secular structure, Military / Fortifications.
Timing : 9 AM to 7 PM
Closed : Monday
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Frequently Asked Questions About Red Fort
Q. What is special about the Red Fort?
A – The famous Red Fort of Delhi is known by that name because it is built with red stone and is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra for eleven years, decided to relocate to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618.
Q. What is the Red Fort currently used for?
A – Red Fort, Old Delhi, India. The fort’s massive red sandstone walls, which are 75 feet (23 m) high, surround a complex of palaces and entertainment halls, with balconies, bathing and indoor canals, and geometric gardens, as well as an ornate mosque.
Q. What is inside the Red Fort?
A – The Red Fort complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan of India. Diwan-i-Khas (also known as Shah Mahal) and Rang Mahal (also known as Imtiaz Mahal or Palace of Distinction) are the two most distinctive buildings inside the Red Fort.
Q. What type of buildings are found in the Red Fort complex area?
A – The fort complex is considered “to represent the peak of Mughal creativity under Shah Jahan”, and although the palace was planned according to Islamic prototypes, each pavilion has distinctive architectural elements of Mughal buildings that are Persian, Timurid and Reflects the fusion of Indian traditions.
Q. Is the Red Fort Ever White?
A – The Red Fort of Delhi, where the Mughal emperors ruled and Nehru gave his first speech to independent India, is undergoing a change, when conservationists discovered that the World Heritage Site was in fact originally white.
Q. Why is the flag of Red Fort hoisted?
A – On the eve of Independence Day, the President of India gives “Address to the Nation”. On 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the Indian flag at the ramparts of the Red Fort landmark in Delhi. He pays tribute to the leaders of the Indian independence movement.
Q. Is Red Fort Delhi bigger than Agra Fort?
A – The main difference between the Agra Fort and the Red Fort is the architecture is similar, but the layout is less, as the Agra Fort is 2.5 times smaller than the Red Fort in Delhi, with its sprawling gardens and lawns enclosing its open marble hall.
Q. What was the original color of the Red Fort?
A – But ASI officials revealed that the original color on one side of the facade of Naubat Khana was white as it was made of lime plaster, and was actually painted red either by the British or during military rule.
Q. Is the Red Fort made of limestone?
A – Yes, it is called the Red Fort, but it was not originally built as such. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, parts of the building were made of limestone. When the white stone started peeling, the British painted the building red.
Q. What is the best time to visit Red Fort?
A – Red Fort can be visited on all days except Monday. The time of Fort is from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. The best time to visit is during October to February as it is the time when Delhi can be seen at its best.
Q. Are cameras allowed in the Red Fort?
A – You can take your camera or phone inside, but tripods are not allowed. Yes, there is no restriction on taking the phone or camera inside.
Q. How is the water facility in the Red Fort?
A – The water supply is carried through the tower from the Canal-e-Bihisht river with a hydraulic system and then transported by channels to various other buildings of the fort. To the south of the tower is a white marble pavilion which was built during the rule of Aurangzeb.
Q. How many years did it take to build the Red Fort?
A – Started in 1638, this construction took more than 8 years to complete. The structure was originally named Qila-e-Mubarak, meaning ‘Blessed Fort’.
