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Red Fort - Delhi |
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Stand in isolation from the frantic city life just on the other side of a majestic wall of red sandstone, is the architectural masterpiece of the Mughals - the Red Fort. This erstwhile princely settlement is the biggest living monument in the capital city of Delhi. So vast is the complex that it is used to be a mini city in itself during the good old days of the Mughal Empire. Within the fort complex there were all sorts of workshops, offices, bazaars, mosques, beautiful palaces, halls and gardens. The Chatta Chowk, Lahore Gate, Naqqar Khana, Diwan-I-Am and Diwan-I-Khas are some of the important attractions inside the Fort. Another special attraction of the place is the vibrant and colorful sound and light show held every evening depicting the history of the great Mughals.
The Fort recalls a period when the Mughal's were at the height of their power in India. It was the time when the Emperor used to visit the town of Old Delhi with all the pomp and glory. The fortress was built by none other than the great Emperor Shah Jahan, who incidentally was also the ruler who built the world famous Taj Mahal. The city was then known as Shahjahanabad and at present Old Delhi. Lahore Gate forms the main entrance to the fort, which takes its name from the fact that it faces Lahore, today a part of Pakistan. Several great freedom fighters and leaders in the past had made important speeches at the site of this Gate since the first war of independence.
The Chatta Chowk, within the fort complex, is a significant place that used to house Delhi's most potent jewelers, carpet makers, weavers and goldsmiths. It is in the shape of a covered street with arched cells. The site was also known as Mina Bazaar, which is used to be the shopping center for the ladies of the court. Beyond the Chhata Chowk lies the nerve center of the fort - Naubat Khana or the Drum House, where the court musicians used to play for the emperor and the arrival of princes and royalty was heralded from here.
Conceived as a part of his new capital while shifting from Agra to Delhi, he started construction of the fort in 1638 by the bank of the River Yamuna. In 1648 the fort got its final touch and eventually served as the nerve center of Mughal Empire in India for more than 200 years. Today it is from here that the Prime Minister of India addresses the whole nation on the occasion of the Independence Day, which is held on August 15 every year.
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