Red Fort in Delhi (Lal Qila)

The Red Fort, a huge sandstone fort in Delhi, is a mere shadow of itself in former years; here, more than anywhere else in Delhi, one can imagine how great the Mughal Empire once was. The fort was erected at the peak of the dynasty’s power, at a time of unprecedented pomp: eunuchs, ceremonial elephants, palanquins and jeweled buildings.

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General Information

The walls of the fort extend for 2 km, and the height of the walls are different: 18 m on the river side and 33 m on the city side. Shah Jahan built this fort from 1638 to 1648, but never had time to move the capital from Agra to the new city of Shahjahanabad, as he was overthrown and imprisoned in the Agra fort by his son Aurangazeb.

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The Mughals did not rule in Delhi for long; Aurangazeb was the first and last great Mughal emperor to live here. Subsequent rulers, exhausted by civil wars, were unable to maintain the Red Fort properly, and the slums outside the fort walls were filled with impoverished descendants of the emperors. By the nineteenth century, the fort was noticeably dilapidated. After the First War of Independence, in 1857, the British cleared everything out, but made ugly barracks and army units out of the largest buildings.

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Creaky wooden drawbridges once spanned the 10-meter ditch, which hasn’t been filled since 1857, but stone bridges replaced them in 1811.

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Since independence, many prominent politicians have addressed the nation from the walls of the fort; every year on Independence Day (August 15), the Prime Minister makes a speech here.

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Indian/foreign 10/250 rupees, video 25 rupees, combination ticket 5 rupees;9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues;Chandni Chowk metro

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Lahore Gate

The main gate of the Red Fort is so named because it faces Lahore, now in Pakistan. The gate is a powerful symbol of independent India: during the struggle for independence, nationalists aspired to raise the flag of India over the gate; this dream was realized in 1947

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Upon entering through this gate, you find yourself in a vaulted gallery known as the Chatta Chowk (covered market). It is a tourist trap where the more elegant items for the monarch’s household – silks, jewelry and gold – were formerly sold.

The gallery leads to the Naubat Khan (house of drums), where musicians perform. Here, up the steps, is the Indian War Memorial Museum, full of horrifying weapons and shells.

Diwan-i-Am

In the Hall of Public Audiences, the emperor listened to the disputes and complaints of his subjects. Many of the jewels once embedded above the emperor’s throne were stolen during the First War of Independence. The hall was restored at the behest of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1898 to 1905

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Диван-и-Хас (Diwan-i-Khas)

The white marble Private Audience Hall was a luxurious chamber where the emperor held private meetings. In the center of the hall stood a peacock-shaped throne made of pure gold and decorated with precious stones. In 1739, it was taken from India by the Persian Shah Nadir. And in 1760, the Marathas removed all the silver plating from the ceiling.

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Royal Baths

Next to the Diwan-e-Khas are the hammams – three huge rooms with vaulted ceilings and a fountain in the center, one of which worked as a sauna. The floors were once completely tiled with Florentine mosaics, and light entered the rooms through stained glass windows in the roof.

Shahi Burj

This modest, three-story, octagonal tower was once Shah Jahan’s personal study. From here begins the nahr-e-bihisht (paradise stream) that flows to the Royal Baths, Diwan-e-Khas, Khas Mahal, and Rang Mahal.

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Moti Masjid

Moti Masjid is a small enclosed marble Pearl Mosque located just behind the baths. Its outer walls are oriented perfectly symmetrical to the rest of the walls of the fort, while the inner walls are erected slightly at an incline to give the mosque an orientation towards Mecca.

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Khas Mahal

Khas Mahal south of Diwan-e-Khas was the personal palace of the emperor. It consisted of a prayer room, a bedroom and other rooms with carved walls and painted ceilings.

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Rang Mahal (Rang Mahal; Multicolored Palace)

Rang Mahal, a little further south, got its name because of its brightly painted interior, now long lost. It was the mansion of the emperor’s chief wife and the place where he dined. On the floor in the center of the hall is an exquisite lotus flower carved in marble; the water channel running from the Shahi Burj ends here.

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Other Red Fort attractions

Relics from the Mughal era are in the Museum of Archaeology at Mumtaz Mahal in the women’s quarters further south along the eastern wall. There is an interesting Museum of India’s Struggle for Freedom in a British barracks, with some dramatic full-size dioramas.

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The abandoned baoli (well with steps) is worth a look. A short walk leads to the Salimgarh (Salimgar ; 10.00-17.00), built by Salimshah Suri in 1546.Few visitors make it here to see the ruins of the mosque and the wide, largely restored walls – they are still partially occupied by the Indian Army and were opened to the public in 2008.

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The city of Shahjanabad extends westward from the Red Fort. It was once surrounded by a strong defensive wall, of which only fragments now remain. At the Kashmiri Gate to the north in 1857, a deadly battle unfolded during the first war of independence when the British retook Delhi.

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Sound and light show Every night (except Mondays), the Red Fort hosts a show (admission Rs 60; English: 7.30pm November-January, 9pm May-August and 8.30pm in other months) on its history. It’s great to see the fort at night, although the history lesson is a bit boring. Tickets can be bought at the fort’s ticket office. Bring mosquito cream with you.

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Tips

  • To avoid the crowds, arrive at Red Fort either early in the morning or in the afternoon, refrain from visiting on weekends or during official holidays.
  • A visit to the Red Fort in the evening, when the light and music show begins after sunset, is more impressive.
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