Red Fort
Built by mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Red Fort is commonly called Lal Quila.
One of the most spectacular monuments in Delhi, this grand fort built with
red sandstone is the testimony of the unparalleled architecture of the royal
mughal era. The holy river Yamuna used to flow right by the eastern edge of
the red fort. The Red Fort has walls extending up to 2 kms. in length with
the height varying from 18 mts. on the river side to 33 mts. on the city
side. Various other interesting places inside red fort are diwan-e-khaas,
diwan-e-aam, weapon museum and the amusing sound and light show are all
worth seeing. For foreigners entry to inside the fort is Rs.100 and it
remains closed on Mondays..
*
Lake Gate ( Lahore Gate)
Lake Gate is the main entrance to the Red fort that borrows its name its
name from the fact that it faces West, towards the city of Lahore, today in
Pakistan. This beautiful gate is heavily decorated and flanked by
semi-octagonal towers. Beyond the gate, you visit to a roofed passage, the
Chatta Chowk (covered Bazaar). This arcade was the ancient type Meena Bazaar
the shopping center for ladies of the court, where the used to sell the
upmarket items as silk, jewelery, gold. Today one can find both men and
women selling antiques over here.
It is here, at the top of the fortification that the Prime Minister of
India hoists the national flag on Independence Day every year.
Inside the fort, there are various other places that are major tourist
attractions are :
Naubat Khana: Also known as Naqqar Khana or Drum House. Naubat Khana is the
place where musicians used to play for the emperor at the appointed hours.
They also used to play at the arrival of princes.
Diwan-I-Am: The Hall of Public Audiences was where the emperor would sit to
hear complaints and saught out disputes from from his countrymen, except on
Fridays. Diwan-I-Khas: Diwan - I - Khas was the luxurious chamber that
showcase the brilliant mughal architecture work. Here the emperor would hold
private meetings and received important guests seated on his priceless and
magnificent Peacock Throne which was embedded with beautiful precious
stones.
*
Royal Baths
Next to the Diwan-I- Khas are the hammams or baths-three large rooms
surmounted by domes, with a fountain in the centre. Shahi Burj: This modest,
three- storey octagonal tower at the north-eastern edge of the fort was once
Shah Jahan's private working area. Moti Masjid: Built in 1659 by Aurangzeb
for his own personal use, the small and totally enclosed Pearl Mosque, made
of marble, is next to the baths. One curious feature of the mosque is that
its outer walls are oriented exactly to be in symmetry with the rest of the
fort, while the inner walls are slightly askew, so that the mosque has the
correct orientation with Mecca.
The Rang Mahal or Palace Of Colour, further south again, took its name from
the painted interior, which is now gone was formerly the residence of the
emperor's chief wife. There is a small Museum of Archeology in the Mumtaj
Mahal, still further south along the eastern wall. It's well worth a look.
Chandni Chowk
Situated opposite the Red Fort, Chandani Chowk is a fascinating and the
largest wholesale market of northern India. Built by Mughal bulders on the
order on Mughal emperor Shah Jahan this amusing market was planned to shine
under the light of the moon, so it was given the name Chandni Chowk. The
variety of food available at Chandani Chowk are also one of the major
attractions that attracts the tourists from all over the world.
Country's best known wholesale market Chandni Chowk, has number of by lanes
that specialize in particular field and items.
Inside
the fort, the places to visit are Naubat Khana, or Drum House, where
musicians used to play for the emperor, and the arrival of princes and
royalty were heralded from here. Diwan-I-Am: The Hall of Public Audiences
was where the emperor would sit to hear complaints or disputes from his
subjects. Diwan-I-Khas: The Hall of Private Audiences, built of white
marble, was the luxurious chamber where the emperor would hold private
meetings. Centre piece of the hall was the magnificent Peacock Throne. The
solid gold throne had figures of peacocks standing behind it, their
beautiful colours resulting from countless inlaid precious stones. Between
them was the figure of a parrot carved out of a single emerald.
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is the largest and glorious mosque in India which is situated
just opposite the historic Red Fort, in Delhi. Built by emperor Shah Jahan
with red sandstone, this great architecture piece has three huge gateways,
four angle towers and two minarets, both, which are 40 meters high, all
these are constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and
white marble.
Owing
to its huge size, this grand and spacious courtyard of the Jama Masjid can
hold thousands of Muslim devotees. The austere, yet beautiful mosque stands
undeterred, reminding about the glory of the bygone era. This wonderful
monument attracts the visitors and is one of the favorite tourist
destinations of Old Delhi.
Coronation Durbar Site
In a desolate field stands a lone obelisk and it was on this site in 1877
and 1903 that the durbars were enacted. It was also here in 1911 that King
George V was declared emperor of India. If you look closely you can still
see the old boy-a statue of him rises ghost-like out of the bushes nearby,
where it was unceremoniously dumped after being removed from the canopy
midway along Rajpath, between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Feroz Shah Kotla
Capital city of Ferozshah Tughlaq, Feroz shah Kotla is the fifth city of
delhi. The ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla can be found at Feroz Shah Kotla, just
off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between the Old and New Delhi. In the
fortress-palace is 13-metre high sandstone Ashoka Pillar inscribed with
Ashoka's Pillar edicts. The remains of an old mosque and a well can also be
seen in the area.
Raj Ghat
North-east
of Feroz Shah Kotla, on the banks of the legendary Yamuna, Raj Ghat, the
cremation site of the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi. The whole edifice of
the Samadhi reflects the simple and nature-loving personality of the great
leader of India. A simple square platform of black marble is inscribed by
the words 'Hey Ram!', the last words that were spoken by Mahatma Gandhi,
marks the spot where he was cremated. A commemorative ceremony takes place
each Friday, the day he was killed. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian Prime
Minister, was cremated just to the north at Shanti Vana (Forest Of Peace) in
1964. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, who was killed in 1984, and grandsons
Sanjay (1980) and Rajiv (1991) were also cremated in this vicinity.
