Red Fort- Delhi

                                      RED FORT

Red fort or Lal Qila is a famous tourist place in Delhi,India. Its beautiful architecture and the historical significance that it carries attracts many visitors everyday.

History

The history of Red Fort Delhi cannot be summed up in words as its history is connected with centuries of Mughal rule in country. Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had varied needs of this fort and it was made according to those needs. The mammoth sized fort made a distinguished presence in the medieval time of India and is related to the time line of this country to this date.

In 1639, when Mughal ruler Shah Jahan transited his capital from Agra to Delhi, the construction of Red Fort was ordered by him in the north-eastern side of the newly founded city of Shahjahanabad. Shahjahanabad in present day is known as Old Delhi. The construction took nearly a decade to complete, and Yamuna water was used to feed the moat built all around the fort.

The construction of Red Fort by the sandstone of red color in large scale gave it the name Red Fort. The majesty of the fort is the first thing to notice but the red color became an essential feature of the aura of the fort and is easily recognized with it. The magnitude of the size of the fort can be estimated by the fact that it took ten years to complete the fort. It has almost two and half kilometer perimeter with tallest structure of 33 meters. The fort has become one of most sought after tourist destination in the modern time.  

History of Red Fort Delhi reveals that numerous sections were built in the fort according the specific functions and needs in mind. “Deewan-e-Aam” is hall built for general public to interact with the emperor. It has a string of columns made of Gold with rail that would mark the boundary between people and the king. “Deewan-e-Khas is another hall made up of natural stones which was used for privately held meetings of the emperor. Many other such marvels of architecture are present in the fort like the “Hammams” or the bath places specially built for the royal family. “Shahi Burj” is another place where the emperor’s office was built and the emperor spent time working privately. “Rang Mahal” or the Palace of Colors was a special place built for the wives of the emperor. It has a huge pool spot with beautiful crafted ceiling, having gold covered towers and a number of mirrors in arrangement.

“Naqqar Khana” is a place in the Fort where the musicians would play music specific to the particular time of the day. This place is situated at the very entry to the palace and visitors to the Place would disembark from their ride (elephants) at this place.

All the information about the history of the Red Fort Delhi is of the archeological importance or of tourist related activities. Red Fort being close to some other historical monuments also e.g., Jama Masjid and Raj Ghat gets large number of tourists every year. Also the Red Fort is used for addressing the nation on the Independence Day of India by the Prime Minister each year.

Attractions near Red Fort

Chandni Chowk Market

This market is one of the most ancient markets in the country. This was set up as early as 17th century by the great Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. The design of the market was given by his daughter, Jahan Ara. During the early days, these markets had canal separators which aggravated their beauty during moonlight, however, now these canals are not being operational. This is one of India’s biggest whole sale markets. This market is found right at the center of the walled city and runs from Lahore Gate to Fatehpuri Masjid. A canal was constructed during the early days during the middle of this area and was providing water to the surrounding areas.

Nai Sarak

This is a place that has to be visited to buy stationery items. There are lots of pencils, folders, books, scrap material, materials for decorating and many more items that one can find at Nai Sarak. The folders available here are SOLO and Shipra brand types. There are lots of textile shops in this area as this area is famous for its silk saris and lehengas.

Lal Kuan

This is a place that is famous for hardware and kitchen equipment. A place near Lal Kaun is the Tilak Market which is famous for its chemicals that are sold for industrial purposes.

Dariba

This is the market that is famous for its gold and silver jewelry shops. Hare Ram Hare Krishna and MM Jewelers are some of the most reputed names in the jewelry industry at Dariba.

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib

There are 9 Gurudwaras in Delhi and this is one of them. This was constructed during 1783 in memory of the death of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh. This Gurudwara is located right in the heart of Chandni Chowk. This has been set up on the very place where Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh was beheaded during 1675 by Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb because the Guru had refused to convert to the religion of Islam.

The one that we see today was built during 1930. This Gurudwara still protects and saves the tree beneath which the Guru was beheaded. There is also a well here from which the Guru took water for bathing during his prison life. A police station, Kotwali is found in close proximity to the Gurudwara. It was here the Guru was sent to jail and the Sikh disciples had to undergo lots of torture at the hands of Mughal rulers.

Muslim Sunehri Masjid

This mosque was constructed during 1721 when the place was ruled by Mohammed Shah. This was constructed by Roshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan. On 11th March, 1739, the notorious invader from Persia had passed a cruel order of Katl-e-Alam (shoot at sight) which resulted in the deaths of around 30,000 people. It is believed that he stood on top of this mosque to supervise the killings.

Jama Masjid

This is the largest mosque in the country and is found in Chandni Chowk. Chandni Chowk is a market that is buzzing almost continuously with different kinds of whole sale items ranging from food to textiles that have intricate mirror work, chikan and zari work. One can also find stalls that sell clothes, electronic items, household equipment, jewelry, shoes, books and everything from a pin to plane. Though this place is over-crowded most of the times, lots of people come here to do some window-shopping and to taste the lip-smacking local delicacies sold here. The original Haldiram’s shop can be found here. Jalebis are the local sweets and they are a hot favorite among tourists. Pure ghee is used for frying these sweets.

Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir

One of the most famous Indian Jain Temple Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is located in the national capital Delhi which is an oldest one in the country. Its location is nearby the historic Chandni Chowk area which directly faces the famous Red Fort landmark.

The second building located behind the main temple is an avian veterinary hospital located nearby it. This hospital is famous as the Jain Birds Hospital in the region.

Having been built originally in 1656 nearby and in the opposite direction of the huge Red Fort area at the Netaji Subhas Marg and Chandni Chowk intersection the temple known as Digambar Jain Temple has distinction of being oldest of the capital based Jain temples. This temple looks highly impressive due to the use of red sandstone in its making this temple has been modified and altered on multiple occasions besides additions in it to enlarging the temple area during early 19th century as part of the extension plan. Today Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is famously called Lal Mandir or Red Temple in the national capital.

Central Baptist Church, Delhi

Located at the main Chandni Chowk Road area in the opposite side of the Gurdwara Sisganj, famous Central Baptist Church in the national capital is a landmark prior to the Fountain Chowk or Bhai Mati Das Chowk in the Delhi city. As it is believed this church remains one of the oldest Christian missions in the entire North Indian region in the country. The Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) of London had bought a piece of land nearby historic Red Fort area in the late 18th century to build a Central Baptist Church in the year 1814 which still exists.

Light and Sound Show

Every evening there is a spectacular display of history and events related to the city of Delhi in the form of light and sound show organized at the Red Fort. This has become a major tourist attraction at this place as the show brings back the life to the history surrounding the Red Fort.

How To Reach

Along the Netaji Subhash Marg, in front of Red fort, the Red Fort Metro station is coming up. Access to the star attractions of the city like Jama Masjid, Red fort in Delhi and Delhi Gate through the Kashmere Gate Metro Station will be easily accessed by the passengers who travel using the Violet line. Presently, the nearest station is the Chandni Chowk metro station.

Entry Tickets and Timings

Visiting Hours: 9:30AM to 4:30PM daily (except Monday)

Entry Fee: Rs.10/-(For Indian Citizens) and Rs.150/- (For foreigners)

Entry Fee for Sound and Light Show: Rs.50/-