The iconic Red Fort or Lal Qila of Delhi amazed me much as I had not expected many things from this place. I would definitely say that it is one of the top places to visit in Delhi. To be honest, the building looks kind of boring from a distance but it surely proved me wrong on the visit.
Did you know that the Red Fort had another name in the past? Well, I did not. It was called Qila-E-Mubarak. I did not know much about the history of this fort. This was one of the major reasons I wanted to visit the fort. The architecture of the fort is magnificent and huge, obviously built to keep the invaders at bay.
Entrance Fee – 35/- INR for Indians, 500/- INR for other Nationalities. Sound and light show charges are extra 80/- for adults and 30/- for children.
Visiting Hours – 8 am to 6 pm from Tuesday to Sunday, light and sound show after 6 pm.
Duration – 1-2 hours
Best time to visit – November to February
Usually, the visit to the Red Fort is included in the tour packages of Delhi. Luckily I had time to visit this iconic monument while I was on my tour to Himachal Pradesh. The Fort has always been a Strategic monument for the Mughal rule in India.
History of the Red Fort / Lal QIla
The Lal Qila was built in the year 1638 when Shah Jahan moved to Delhi from Agra. A city that he called Shahajanabad. For over 200 years the Mughals ruled over this city before it fell into the hands of the British. Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor was coronated here in the year 1837.
The Architecture
The architecture of the Red fort and other popular monuments in Delhi such as the Purana Qila and Humayun’s Tomb are prime examples of Mughal culture in India.
Red sandstone was used to build the structure of the monument. It is said that the monument took almost a decade to complete. Yes, It’s true!
The monument depicts the mixture of art from the Hindu, Persian, and Timurid traditions. The majestic fort is spread across an area of 256 acres. Other key places in the compound are the Diwan-I-Am (Public audience hall) & Diwan-I-Khas (Private audience hall).
There are places of interest such as the Rang Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal, Khas Mahal, and Hamman. The Mughals loved their gardens, one such garden is the Hayat-Baksh-Bagh present on the premises.
The monument was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
Chatta Chowk Bazar / Meena Bazaar
The Red Fort isn’t all red after all. There is a market inside the fort under a huge arch-like structure. You could buy scarves, souvenirs, bags, perfumes, and other things.
How to Reach the Red Fort?
You can reach Delhi from most of the cities in India. You can take local transport to reach Lal Qila. Chandni Chowk is the nearest metro station to the fort on the yellow line. It will take you around 1.5km or 20 minutes walking to reach the Red Fort. You can also hire a private cab to travel.
Location – Netaji Subash Marg
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2 comments
Nice article…wish to visit thr one day😍
Thanks a lot, Pooja, hope you visit soon.