Shah
Jahan, who shifted his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad, laid the
foundation of Lal Qila or Red Fort on 16th April 1639. It took nine
years to build this mighty citadel and was completed on 16th April 1648.
It is said that its construction took about one crore of rupees, an
astronomical sum in those days and it is said that half of this sum was
spent to build the exotic palaces within the fort. Built of red
sandstone, it is octagonal in shape with two longer sides on the east
and west. The perimeter of its strong ramparts is about 2.41 km their
height rise to a height of 33.5 m on the town side and 18 m along the
river. A wide moat surrounds the fort, which was originally connected
with the river and was always filled with water.
The two main gateways known as Lahori Gate and Delhi Gate (named so as
they face Lahore and Delhi respectively) are three storeys high and are
flanked by semi-octagonal towers. They are situated on the centre of the
western and southern sides respectively. The main entrance to the fort
is through the Lahori Gate. Beyond the gate, there is a roofed passage
flanked by arcaded apartments leading to the palaces known as Chhatta
Chowk. These apartments are now used as shops. Besides these, there were
three other gates on other sides, which are kept closed now. 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 originally had a courtyard on its
front and was richly ornamented with gilded stuccowork. Heavy curtains
graced the main hall, which was three bays in depth. The facade of nine
openings of the arches rendered it a regal and imperial look that
impresses the visitors instantly. One can easily imagine the splendor of
the court covered with carpets and adorned with heavy chandeliers that
could easily dazzle the people who visited the emperor to pay their
humble homage. It must be a really grand sight that the emperor
presented, seated on his throne in the marble canopy or baldachin, which
was covered most appropriately by the beautifully worled 'Bengal' roof.
Hammam
Accompanying the Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Selective Audience, the
bathroom set or Hammam consists of three apartments, interconnected by
corridors. The marble floors and dados are inlaid with beautiful floral
patterns of multi-colored stones. The princes and princesses used two of
these apartments to bathe while the third one with three fountain basins
that emitted rose water was used as the dressing room. The western
apartment was fixed with heating arrangement and was used mainly for the
hot bath or vapor bath.
Moti Masjid
The personal mosque of Aurungzeb, Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque lies to
the west of Hammam. Situated on a higher level than courtyards, the
prayer-hall of the mosque has inlaid black-marble outlines of 'musallas'
(small carpets for prayers) and is surmounted by three bulbous domes. It
is said that these domes were originally copper plated and even the
eastern door is plated with copper leaves. The ladies of the seraglio
also used the mosque to offer their prayers to God.
Mumtaz Mahal
One of the original six main palaces situated along the riverfront,
Mumtaz Mahal was also known as 'Chhoti Baithak'. A beautiful water
channel called 'Nahr-i-Bihisht' (meaning Stream of Paradise) flew
through these palaces. However, this palace has now disappeared,
probably because it was in ruins and has been thus removed. The emperor
used it to hear the complaints and receive the petitions of the general
public. It has a marble dais, inlaid with precious stones, below the
throne and beautiful panels inlaid with multicolored and semi-precious
stones adorn its walls. These panels were said to be designed by the
Florentine jeweler, Austin de Bordeaux. The central panel depicts the
Greek god Orpheus with his lute. These panels were shifted to the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London by the British but were restored
later in 1903 at the request of Lord Curzon.
Naubat Khana
Naubat Khana or Naqqar Khana (meaning the Drum House) is situated at
the entrance of the palace area and it was here that music was played
five times a day at the appointed hours. Also known as 'Hathi Pol'
(Elephant Gate), visitors were obliges to dismounted from their
elephants here. This three-storeyed rectangular building boasts of
carved designs on its red stone walls. It is said that these carvings
were originally painted with gold. The paintings were done on the
interiors as well. It is believed that later Mughal kings such as
Jahandar Shah (1712-13) and Farrukhsiyar (1713-19) were murdered here.
It now houses the War Memorial Museum on its upper storey.
