Lal Quila also called
the Red Fort is one of the most important monuments of
India. It stands on the bank of river Yamuna. The whole structure
is made of Red stone. The fort was built by Shahjahan - the Mughal
King who also built
the famous Taj Mahal - in 1648. Shahjahan called it the
Uru-Muhalla. Shahjahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and Red Fort was
the new capital. Lal Quila stands at the eastern side of Shahjahanabad and the
very name of "Lal Quila" comes from the huge wall that encloses the
whole structure. The wall is 2.5 km long and the height varies from 16 meters
on the river side to 33 meters towards the city.One of the special attraction
of the fort is the huge wall that encompasses the whole structure. The walls
have two entrances, one at the delhi gate and the other at the Lahore gate.
Lahore Gate is the main entrance point of the fort, leading to Chatta Chowk. It
is a coveres bazaar street where merchnats sold their goods to the nobles of
the court.
As you move along the
passage of Chatta Chowk, you will come across Naqqar Khana, also called drum
house. This place was used by the musicians who played thieir bands every day.
The place now is used as a war museum. There is another open space along the
main entrance path which served as the courtyard of the Diwan-i-Am. An ornate
throne balcony can be seen at the eastern wall of the Diwan-i-Am. Nobles used
to gather here facing each other depending on their ranks and hierarchy. The
emperor used to sit above with royal princes occupying the place next to the
throne and the wazirs used to sit on the marble takht below the throne. The
architectural design behind the Emperor's throne was done by French artists
which was a major attraction in alomost every Mughal architecture. You could also
see the rings that were used for curtains possibly to keep the hall off the
sunlight.
A gateway called Lal
Purdah can be seen on the left of the Diwan-i-Am which was the way out of the
court. The gate was used by Emperor's important members in the court and were
called Lal Purdaris.
On the left you will
find a royal bath. Close to the royal bath, there is a mosque or private royal
chapel. The mosque was built by Auranzeb which was used for offering prayers.
Behind the throne,
you will find the imperial apartments which consist of a row of pavilions.
These pavilions are covered by continuous water channels called the
Nahr-i-Behisht. There is a tower called Shah Burj at the north east corner of
the fort which acts as a source for water from the river Yamuna to these water
channels. The whole design within the palace is based on the theme of
"Paradise- as described in the Koran. An inscription within the palace
reads "If there be a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here".
Hindu influence of Mughal Architecturecan
be seen in all the pavilions despite the fact that the palace was built with
Islamic architectural prototypes.
Palace garden at the
Red Fort is one of the main attractions as it gives you a glimpse of the great Mughal garden. The garden is also called the Hayat Baksh
garden. Another gardens in the palace is the Moonlight Garden or the Mehtab
Bagh. It was called Moonligh Garden because the garden was full of flowers that
blossomed during the moonlight.
Another pavilion is
Diwan-i-Khas, a lavishly decorated hall that was used for mistrial and court
gatherings. It is the best among all the pavilions because of its architecture
specialty which includes designs with floral pietra patterns on the columns and
the wooden painted ceiling. There is a carving on the marbles of Baithak,
called the sitting space. The place was used by the emperor to entertain his
friends and people close to him. The balcony on the top, also called the
Jharoka, was used by the emperor to address the crowd.
As you move beyond
the private apartments, you will notice a palace called the Rang Mahal or the Palace of Colors. The palace
belonged to Padshah Begum. Beyond the Rang Mahal, there is a building which has
now been converted into a museum. The museum contains reminiscence of the great
Mughal era, the costumes and the pictures of the Mughal era.
Red Fort has a lot to
offer to the visitors. There are many things that can only be seen and
witnessed. You must visit the fort once and get to learn a lot about the great
Mughal architecture. Being among the top tourist destinations of Delhi, Red
Fort attracts thousands of visitors every year. Above all, the Red Fort has a
very important purpose in the democracy of India. It is the site that is used
for celebrating the Independence Day. The Prime Minister
of India addresses the nation on August 15 from this very historical monument.
Keyword Might be Search:- Red Fort, Tourist Attraction in Delhi, Night Sine of Red Fort
Artical Source:- delhicapital.com
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