Where is the Red Fort?
The Red Fort is located in the city of Delhi in northern India. The fort,
an excellent piece of Mughal architecture, is the major attraction of the
city, attracting a multitude of travellers and visitors from all across the
globe.
How will you gain access?
The Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Palam Airport (Domestic)
operate daily flights connecting the city to the world and the country.
There are three railway stations - New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi
Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. Delhi has an
excellent road-network. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) lies at Kashmiri
Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar.
What are the timings and the entry charges?
The Red Fort remains open from 10-00 hours to 16-00 hours. The entry fee
for Indians is Rs 11, while for the foreign nationals it is Rs 100,
including the tickets of all the three museums inside. The fort remains
closed on Mondays.
What does the past say?
The Red Fort or the Lal Quila was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
It was erected when he shifted his capital from Agra to Shajahanabad in the
year 1638. The foundation stone was laid in 1639. It took nine years to
finish the construction of the Fort. It were the Mughal architects Ustad
Hamid and Ahmad who designed the fort. Every year, on the 15th of August
(The Independence Day), the Prime Minister of India hoists the national flag
and addresses the nation from here.
What goes behind the architecture?
The Red Fort, symbolising the unparalleled Mughal architectural opulence,
is octagonal in shape. Its ramparts cover a perimeter of 2.41 km, reaching
up to a height of 33.5 m on the town side and 18 m on the riverside. It is
said that the cost of construction of the fort, including the palaces and
other buildings that the fort houses, amounted to a huge sum of one crore
rupees in the Mughal period. During the first war of Independence in 1857,
the British Army occupied the Red Fort, demolishing 75 per cent of it. Now
wonder, now the Archaeological Survey of India looks after the fort complex.
The main entrance to the Fort is known as the Lahore Gate for the reason
that it faces Lahore, Pakistan. The ornate gate is beclouded by a sandstone
bastion, added later by the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb. In the year 1986, all the windows of Shahjahan's gateway
were blocked with red sandstone for security reasons. There is even a lift,
built in 1965, just before the Lahore Gate, used only on the Independence
Day. The Chandni Chowk, a popular market of Old Delhi, is located across the
road from the Lahore gate. Entering the Lahore Gate, one comes at the Chatta
Chowk, flanked by arcade apartments.
It is also known as the Meena Bazar, one of the first covered bazaars in the
17th century. The next structure that one comes across after the Chowk is
the Naubat or the Naqqar Khana. There is now a War Memorial Museum on the
first floor of the Naqqar Khana. The museum exhibits a fabulous collection
of arms and weaponry used by the Mughal emperors. Other attractions of the
fort include the Diwan-i-Am, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Moti Masjid, the Shahi
Burj, the Khas Mahal, the Rang Mahal, the Mumtaz Mahal etc.
What are the nearby attractions?
» Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid is yet another major attraction of the city. It is one of
the few mosques which women can enter. The courtyard has a capacity of
25,000 people. For Rs 5, you can also climb the southern minaret. There can
be had superb views of the city from here.
» Purana Quila
The Purana Quila is the inner citadel of the city Dinpanah, the
foundation of it being laid by the Mughal emperor Humayun in 1538. There are
three entrances to the fort- the Humayun Darwaza, the Talaqi Darwaza and the
Bara Darwaza. The fort remains open from 06-00 hours to 18-00 hours.
» Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk is a popular market in Old Delhi. The market is located
across the road from the Lahore gate. A large number of people can be
observed here buying their items of need. The place was once lined with
beautiful fountains.
