Red Fort, Delhi

Accomodation

• Ashok Hotel.
• Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza.
• Hyatt Regency.
• Hotel Oberoi New Delhi.
• Hotel Le Meridien.
• Taj Mahal Hotel.
• Hotel Maurya Sheraton.

How to reach there:
Delhi is a major international gateway to India. Delhi is also a major centre for domestic travel, with extensive bus, rail and air connections.

Location
The Lal Quila lies in the northeast corner of the original city of shahjahanabad.
       Entrance to the fort is through the imposing Lahore Gate, which as its name suggests faces Lahore, now in Pakistan. This gate has a special significance for India, since the first war of independence, and has been the venue of many an important speech, delivered by freedom fighters and national leaders of India.

       The main entrance opens on to the Chatta Chowk, a covered street flanked with arched cells, that used to house Delhi's most skilful jewellers, carpet makers, weavers and goldsmiths. This arcade was also known as the Meena Bazaar, the shopping centre for the ladies of the court. Just beyond the Chhata Chowk, is the heart of the fort called Naubat Khana, or the Drum House. Musicians used to play for the emperor from the Naubat Khana, and the arrival of princes and royalty was heralded from here. The Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audiences, where the Emperor would sit and hear complaints of the common folk. His alcove in the wall was marble-panelled, and was set with precious stones, many of which were looted, after the Mutiny of 1857.

       The Diwan-i-Khas is the hall of private audiences, built with white marble, was the luxurious chamber where the Emperor held private meetings. The centre-piece of the hall used to be the magnificent Peacock Throne, which was carried away to Iran by Nadir Shah in 1739. Today, the Diwan-i-Khas is only a pale shadow of its original glory, yet the famous Persian couplet inscribed on its wall reminds us of its former magnificence: &If on earth be an eden on bliss, it is this, it is this, none but this." Among the other attractions are the hammams or the Royal Baths – three large rooms surmounted by domes, with a fountain in the centre. Then the three storeyed octagonal tower of Shahi Burj, which used to be Shahjahan's private working area, and the Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque, built by Aurangzeb for his personal use.

       The ‘Rang Mahal’or the 'Palace of Colors' housed the Emperor's wives and mistresses. This palace was crowned with gilded turrets, delicately painted and decorated with an intricate mosaics of mirrors, and a ceiling overlaid with gold and silver, that was wonderfully reflected in a central pool in the marble floor. Even today, the Lal Quila is an eloquent reminder of the glory of the Mughal era, and its magnificence simply leaves one awestruck. It is still a calm haven of peace, which helps one to break away, from the frantic pace of life outside the walls of the Fort, and transports the visitor to another realm of existence.