|
Red
Fort (Lal Qila) is one of the most magnificent palaces in the
world. India's history is also strictly linked with this fort.
It was forth here ht the British deposed the last Mughal ruler,
Bahadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three century
long Mughal rule. It was also from its ramparts that the first
prime. Minister of India, pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
announced to the nation that India was free form majestic rule.
Emperor Shah Jahan built Delhi's most magnificent monument, the
Red Fort. In 1638 Shah Jahan shifted the Mughal Empire's capital
from Agra to Delhi. A new majestic palace known as Red Fort or
Red Fort Delhi (Lal Qila) was constructed. It was begun in 1639
and finished in 1648. The name Red Fort comes from the huge red
sandstone walls that surround it. The Red Fort has walls
extending up to 2 kms. in length with the height varying from 18
mts. on the river side to 33 mts. on the city side. The Red Fort
Delhi has two major entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori
Gate. The latter faces Chandni Chowk, the city's most
crowded but varied market.
The Red Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of Public
Audiences, where the Emperor would sit on a marbled paneled
alcove, studded with gems, and hears complaints of the common
people. The Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience, where
private audiences were granted. This hall is made of marble, and
its centre-piece used to be the Peacock Throne, which was
studded with rubies and gems. Nowadays, while the
Diwan-i-Khas is only a pale shadow of its original beauty,
yet the verse of Amir Khusro "If there is glory on the
face of earth, it is here, it is here, it is here" reminds us of
its former glory. The Rang Mahal or the 'Palace of Colors' as it
is known, holds a spectacular Lotus shaped fountain, made out of
a single piece of marble, and housed the Emperor's wives and
mistresses. The other attractions enclosed within this monument
are the hammams or the Royal Baths, the Shahi Burj, which used
to be Shahjahan's private working area, and the Moti
Masjid or the Pearl Mosque. Even nowadays, the Red Fort (Lal
Qila) is an expressive reminder of the glory of the Mughal
Empire. The Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from
this Red Fort Delhi on India's Independence Day.
|
