Red Fort– the Magnifying Red Sandstone Structure in Delhi

Red Fort– The Magnifying Red Sandstone Structure in Delhi

Red Fort is also known as Lal Qila which is one of the historic monuments of Delhi. The monument gets its name from the red sandstone structure. Red Fort was the main residence of Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years till 1856. The monument was addressed by India’s first Prime Minister Hoists the national flag of India on the occasion of Independence Day and since then every year on 15th August, the prime minister hoists the tricolor flag at the main gate of Red Fort and delivers the speech from its ramparts regarding the growth and development of the country. In 2007, Red Fort was designated as a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Red Fort is always one of the major attractions of the country’s rich architecture and glory. The best part about Red Fort is that it is a part of India’s most searchable and traversed tour circuit Golden Triangle India Tour which includes Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur in its itinerary.

Who built it and when?

The most popular Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan constructed this marvelous fortress in 1639 to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi that he called Shahjahanabad. This fort was the former seat of Mughal dynasty for around 200 years. It lies on the bank of Yamuna River, whose water fed the moats surrounding the fort. The entire castle represents the architectural creativity and brilliance of Mughal empires.

Glorifying past of Red Fort

On 13th May 1638 in the month of Muharram, the construction of Red Fort was started which later took nine years to complete. The entire construction was laid under the supervision of Shahjahan, the fort was completed on 6th April 1648. It remained the seat of Imperial Mughal Rule till 1857 when the Great Revolt took place. Many structures to the architecture were later added by the former rulers and Aurangzeb was one of them. Red Fort faced several attacks, plundered, and captured between 1739 and 1857 by Ahmad Shah, Marathas, British, etc. After the revolt of 1857, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shas II was exiled to Rangoon.

Further, the fort was occupied by the British colonial rulers, who assault a lot of precious artifacts including Kohinoor diamond, the crown of Bahadur Shah II, etc.

After the Britishers left the country, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru raised the National Flag from Lahori Gate of Red Fort and since then every year on government holiday the fortress is addressed by the Prime Minister of the country.

The architectural style of Red Fort

Red Fort covers the area of about 254.67 acres which includes various palaces, courtyards, gardens, etc. The citadel is octagonal in shape and several regions of the fort are beautifully decorated with marble works. The most popular Kohinoor diamond is also a part of the decoration of Red Fort. There are mainly three gates including Lahori Gate, Delhi Gate, and Chhatta Chowk to enter the Red Fort. The Lahori and Delhi gates are opened for the general public. Chhatta Chowk has a shopping complex which is famous for its jewelry, silk, household objects, etc.

Naubat Khana is a small drum room where music was played during the time of celebration or occasion. While crossing the path of drum room, Nakkar Khana is a large guarded public audience hall which has large columns supported by decorated arches. While walking through the hall to reach the imperial apartments on raised platforms you can find canals connecting the pavilions. The southern pavilions of the fort are women’s quarters which contain Mumtaz Mahal and Rang

Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal holds an archeological museum which displays the artifacts of the bygone era like daggers, curtains, carpets, swords, inkpots, etc.

Rang Mahal was the palace of wife and mistress of Mughal emperor, the palace is brightly adorned with mosaic. Khaas Mahal is the palace of the king and one the northern part there is a small court for the audience. The hall is decorated with precious stones and silvered ceilings.

Moreover, there are step wells, Moti Masjid, Hira Mahal, imperial bath, and much other architecture. The boundaries of Red Fort also behold gardens on the westernmost side of the fortress which were previously destroyed by the British rulers.

The sound and light show at Red Fort

image source :- https://theyellowsparrow.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/09/Light-Sound-Show-at-Purana-Qila.jpg The glorifying past of Red Fort is widely seen in the sound and light show of Red Fort which is an hour fest of dazzling lights and sounds which takes place inside the premises of the fort. There is no better way to learn about the history of this fort. The shows are available in both English and Hindi at different schedule timings in the evening: Hindi – 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM English – 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Ticket price Weekdays – INR 60 for adults; INR 20 for children Weekends & government holidays – INR 80 for adults; INR 30 for children Please Note – on Mondays the fort remains closed.

Unwind the glorious past of Red Fort in the most popular Delhi Agra Jaipur Tour Packageand discover the other most highlighted architectures of Mughal era like Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Tomb of Humayun, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, etc.