Red Fort In Delhi

Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad and laid the foundation of the Red Fort or Lal Quila, the April 16, 1639. It took nine years to build this mighty citadel and was completed on April 16, 1648. It is said that about one crore rupees, an astronomical sum in those days, was spent on its construction. Half of this sum was spent on the construction of exotic palaces within the fort. Built in red sandstone, is octagonal, with two longer sides on the east and west.

The strong perimeter walls is about 2.41 km. Red Fort stands at a height of 33.5 m on the side of the city and 18 m along the River. A wide moat surrounds the fort, which was originally connected to the river and was always full of water. The two main entrances, known as Lahori Gate and Delhi Gate (named so, as they face Lahore and Delhi, respectively) are three stories high and are flanked by semi-octagonal towers. They are located in the center of the west and south sides, respectively.

The main entrance of Lal Quila is through the Lahori Gate. Beyond the door, there is a roofed passage, flanked by arcaded apartments leading to the palace, known as Chhatta Chowk. These apartments are used as shops. Besides these, there are three doors elsewhere, which remain closed today. The master builders of the Red Fort were Hamid and Ahmad. Visitors are allowed only in a part of Red Fort, as the army occupies the rest of it. Some of the main buildings within the fort are:

Diwan-i-Am
Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience in the Red Fort in Delhi. Originally it had a patio in front and was richly decorated with gilded stucco. Heavy curtains appeared in the main hall, there were three bays in depth.

Hamam
Accompanying the Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of selective hearing, the Hamam (forum) consists of three floors connected by corridors. The marble floors are inlaid with beautiful given floral stones of various colors.

Moti Masjid
The mosque Aurungzeb staff, Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque is situated west of Hamam. Situated on a level above the courtyard, the prayer hall of the mosque is inlaid with black marble contours of 'musalla' (small carpets for prayers) and is surmounted by three bulbous domes.

Mumtaz Mahal
One of the six main palaces situated along the river front, Mumtaz Mahal was also known as' Chhoti Baithak. A beautiful water channel called Nahr-i-Bihisht '(ie, Stream of Paradise) flew through these palaces. However, this palace has been removed, probably because it was totally ruined.

Naubat Naubat Khana Khana, or Naqqar Khana (ie Drum House), is located at the entrance of the palace area. Here the music was played five times a day at fixed hours. A door is known as "Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate), where visitors dismounted from their elephants.