Location - Old Delhi
Best Time To Visit - November to February
The majestic Mughal marvel Red Fort, is also commonly famed as the Lal
Quila. It is said to be the largest of old Delhi's monuments. This thick red
sandstone massive structure has withstood the vagaries of time and nature.
Bulging with turrets and bastions, Red Fort is one of the centre of
attractions for the visitors from all across the globe. The walls of Red
Fort extend up to two kilometre and vary in height from 18 metres on the
river side to 33 metres on the city side. Red Fort is considered to
represent the zenith of Mughal creativity, which under emperor Shah Jahan
was brought to a new level of refinement
The palace was designed as an imitation of paradise as described in the
Koran; a couplet inscribed in the palace reads, "If there be a paradise
on earth, it is here, it is here."
History
The Red Fort was the palace for the Mughal Emperor's new capital,
Shahjahanabad. The fort lies along the Yamuna river. Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan started the construction of the fort in 1638 and got completed in
1648.
Red Fort in Detail
The fort is a massive structure and one can have a look at the halls of
public and private audience, domed and arched marble palaces, plush private
apartments, a mosque and elaborately designed gardens. The for till today
displays the grandeur of the Mughal dynasty. The fort was once attacked by
the Persian Emperor Nadir Shah in 1739 and by the British soldiers during
the war of independence in 1857 but still the charm of the fort has not lost
its touch and relevance, still antiquity reverberates here.
The entrance to the fort is through the Lahore Gate, which faces Lahore(now
in Pakistan). The gate is of special significance for India, since the first
war of Independence because it has been the venue of many important
speeches, delivered by freedom fighters and national leaders of India.
Chatta Chowk, the main entrance is covered with a number of colourful
bazaars selling items like jewellery, carpets and other items of delight.
Apart from Diwan-i-am and Diwan-i-Khas, there are other attractions within
Red Fort that needs a sneak peek. The Hammams or the Royal Baths, the Shahi
Burj, which used to be Shahjahan's private working area, the Moti Masjid or
the Pearl Mosque built by Aurangzeb are some of the attractions here.
Feather to the cap
This year has finally turned out to be golden period for this great Mughal
marvel. Red Fort recently this year has been declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO. Pitted against 45 other sites from across the globe, the Red Fort
was finally selected.
