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| Main entrance of "RED FORT" |
Every time my perennial strive for Indian history leads me to numerous historical monuments and this time my friends and I decided to visit this red beauty which is situated in the heart of Old Delhi. This stop-off to Lal Qila took place last year in September when one of our commonly odd and random conversations proposed us this idea. Do you know "Red Fort has already earned the distinction of being the UNESCO World Heritage Site"!
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| Red Fort |
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| Lahori Gate |
First,
when we arrive there, we needed to queue for tickets (scroll down for ticket
price and more details) because you are not permitted to enter without
buying them. Finally, we got the tickets and started to walk towards the Lal
Qila. I had been bewitched by this Red-stone charmer. I was a first-timer,
though I heard about this place a lot. One giant gate was in my way and that
was Lahori Gate, which has a rich history. This gate is the main gate to the
Red Fort; furthermore, it got the name "Lahori" for its orientation
towards the city of Lahore. The moment I started to admire this gigantic gate,
I came across Chatta Bazar which is just adjacent to Lahori Gate. This is
basically a covered bazaar or market where you can get artefacts, accessories,
pieces of jewellery, silk and souvenirs. During the Mughal period, these
items were sold for the imperial household.
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| A poem by a freedom fighter |
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| Some heart-wrenching lines by the last Mughal emperor in India |
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| An agonizing poem |
We headed towards the famous museums, which are Archaeological and Indian War Memorial Museum. But we were already late so we decided to visit the latter one, where all the belongings of freedom fighters like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Ram Prasad Bismil, Bhagat Singh and other anonymous warriors are displayed. I was numb and thrilled at the same time while I encountered the poems of Ram Prasad Bismil and Bahadur Shah Zafar. I was witnessing a King which was not a ruler anymore. He had turned into a helpless jailbird. It gave me goosebumps. What a tragic end of the Mughal Empire in India.
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| The Diwan-i-am audience hall |
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| Diwan-i-Am |
Soon we realized that timings for Red Fort were about to end and we had left with only one hour. So we tromped across the audience hall and reached Diwan-i-Am. What a magical place! I was in my own world where I could see a king and his nobility in this royal court. Wow! I can already feel like a queen😁😁. Where is my king😍😍?
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| Red Zafar Mahal |
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| Sawan/Bhadon pavilions |
Much to
my surprise, this fort was so prodigious and spacious. I was exuberant to see
Red Zafar Mahal and couldn't hold myself so long from being photographed. The Hayat Bakhsh Bagh is life bestowing
garden which consists of a reservoir (which is dry now) and in the middle
of this reservoir, one red-sandstone Mahal (Red Zafar Mahal) is situated. This
was added by Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1842 and named after him. At each end of
this mahal, there are two white pavilions which are named as Sawan and Bhadon.
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| Imperial House: from left "Hammam, Diwan-i-Khas and Khas Mahal" |
Our last stop was the Imperial House. I was dead-tired and decided to sit on some benches which are placed for Light and Sound show. This show (scroll down for ticket price) starts at 6 pm and showcases the main highlights of the Mughal History in both, English and Hindi. It felt like a panoramic view which was comprised of (from left) "Hammam, Diwan-i-Khas and Khas Mahal". Hammam was the location of the baths of the Mughal emperor, on the other hand, Khas Mahal was the emperor's apartment and Diwan-i-Khas was a hall of private audience.
After a weary day, we all were starving like hell. At this moment, we felt like "paranthe wali gali" was waiting for us and eventually we had the mouth-watering 'paranthas and kachoris'. I can't describe that orgasmic taste of them in words. It was just wow! After finishing our lavish dinner in chandni chowk we headed back to our homes via metro. That was a fab tiny-tour of emotions and stimulation. While tossing and turning in my bed, I was feeling bad for Bahadur Shah Zafar. A ruler like him doesn't deserve such a tragic and painful death.
RED FORT NEAREST METRO STATION:
Recently, the violet line of Delhi Metro has extended up to Kashmiri Gate, so, it has made comfortable for us to reach up to there. If you are new to this city and want to visit this place, you need to take the metro and get down at Lal Qila metro station which is on the violet line.
RED FORT TIMINGS AND TICKETS:
TIMINGS: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm for all days of the week except Monday (closed on Monday)
TICKET: Rs. 10 (Children), Rs. 35 (Adult) ,Rs. 550 (Foreign nationals)
Buy Tickets online at https://asi.payumoney.com
TICKET FOR LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW:
On weekends: Rs. 80 (Adults), Rs. 30 (Children)
On weekdays: Rs. 60 (Adults), Rs. 20 (Children)
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