Red Fort, the Hayat Baksh Bagh These Semi-Private Royal Baths Have Richly Inlaid and Carved fl Oors (`Bestower of Life’ Garden) Was Laid out by Shahjahan
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9. HAMMAM 13. HAYAT BAKSH BAGH a walk around Though out of bounds for visitors, and plain-looking on the outside, The largest of the gardens in the Red Fort, the Hayat Baksh Bagh these semi-private royal baths have richly inlaid and carved fl oors (`bestower of life’ garden) was laid out by Shahjahan. Very little of the and ceilings within. The hammam was traditionally a place where the original layout survives. Barracks built for the use of British troops The emperor not just had his bath, but also often discussed important after 1857 still occupy half of the garden. matters of state with the courtiers who attended him. This building The Hayat Baksh Bagh is divided into squares, with causeways, Red Fort comprises three main chambers, intersected by corridors, with a water channels, and star-shaped parterres rimmed in red sandstone. central basin for hot and cold baths. Old records reveal that the fl owers planted here were in shades of blue, white and purple. 10. HIRA MAHAL Sawan and Bhadon Pavilions This four-sided pavilion of white marble beyond the Hammam was 14. SAWAN AND BHADON built in 1842, during the reign of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur PAV I L I O N S Shah II. It is sparingly decorated, with carving along the arches and below the chhajja (overhang). At either end of the Hayat Baksh Bagh are two almost identical open pavilions of carved white marble, facing each other across the water channel that runs from one to the other. These are named Sawan and Bhadon after the two rainy months in the Hindu calendar. A notable feature is a section of wall carved with niches. Lit lamps at night and vases of golden fl owers during the day were placed here, and water from the channel would fl ow like a fi ne curtain in front. Shah Burj 15. ZAFAR MAHAL Midway between the Sawan and Bhadon pavilions stands a red 11. SHAH BURJ sandstone pavilion known as Zafar Mahal. This was built in 1842 by At the far end of the line of buildings along the wall, north of Hira Bahadur Shah Zafar, in the middle of a pre-existing tank. The use of Mahal, stands Shah Burj. In this tower was installed the hydraulic red sandstone in its construction is an indication of the straitened system that drew up water from the river below into the channel fi nancial circumstances of the last Mughal emperor who was emperor known as the Nahar-i-Bihisht, the `Stream of Paradise’, which fl owed only in name. After the occupation of the fort in 1857, British troops through much of the fort. Shah Burj consists of two distinct sections: in the Red Fort used the tank as a swimming bath for many years. the main section is a fi ve-arched pavilion of white marble supported on fl uted columns and with low whaleback roofs. Attached to this, Nearest metro station: Chawri Bazaar, Chandni Chowk Red Fort: Timings: 8.00 am – 6.00 pm, Monday closed. Tickets: Indian on the river-facing side, is the actual burj, the tower. The latter was Nearest bus stop: Red Fort Citizens – Rs. 15.00, Foreigners – Rs. 150.00. Amenities: small canteen, seriously damaged in an earthquake in 1904, as a result of which it Bus route nos.: 012, 021, 034, 044, 082, 104, 118, 164, 171, 172, 185, toilets, wheelchair access, parking, guides. had to be rebuilt almost from scratch. 189, 216, 245, 246, 255, 258, 260, 266, 270, 271, 302, 312, 402, 403, Museums within Red Fort: Entry included in cost of entry to Red Fort. 404, 405, 419, 425, 429, 436, 489, 602, 622, 729, 751, 753, 760, 901, 936 Timings: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Other places of interest: Jama Masjid, Salimgarh Fort, Sunehri Masjid, 12. MOTI MASJID • Red Fort Archaeological Museum, within Mumtaz Mahal, no Chandni Chowk, Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Kinari Bazaar, Gurudwara Sis Next to the Hammam, and also like it off wheelchair access, Museum catalogue available. Ganj, Central Baptist Church. limits to visitors, the `Pearl mosque’ was • Indian War Memorial Museum within Naubat Khana, no wheelchair built by Shahjahan’s son and successor access, Museum catalogue available for Rs. 50.00, Photography Aurangzeb in 1659-60. It is a small allowed, Video Cameras allowed on payment of three-domed mosque of elaborately Rs. 25.00. carved white marble and was used as a • Swatantrata Sangram Sangrahalaya Museum within Red Fort, INTACH This publication has been made possible by the Created by private chapel by the Mughal emperors wheelchair access available, Photography not allowed, Video Cameras World Monuments Fund’s Sustainable Tourism INTACH Delhi Chapter and the ladies of their household. Moti Masjid allowed with permission and on payment of Rs. 25.00 Initiative, sponsored by American Express. Red Fort.indd 1 1/25/10 12:47:23 PM he Red Fort is the modern name for the Qila e Moalla (the ‘Exalted Fort’) built as a focal 5. MUMTAZ MAHAL Tpoint of the new capital city of Shahjahanabad, established by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan This is a much altered, plain building Rang Mahal Red Fort, in the mid-17th century. The fort was designed by the architect Ustad Ahmed; construction began that was originally a part of the Lahore Gate in 1639 and ended in 1648, though signifi cant additions continued through the 19th century. imperial seraglio. Today, it houses the An oblong, irregular octagon in shape, the Red Fort has a perimeter of 2.41 km and has two Archaeological Museum, an interesting main gates, the Lahore Gate and the Delhi Gate. In Shahjahan’s time the Yamuna fl owed beside the collection of artefacts from different fort and water was channeled from it into the surrounding moat. The main palaces – those occupied periods of the Mughal era. by the royal family – were situated along what was then the river front. Today only a small proportion of the Red Fort’s original buildings remain; the rest were 6. RANG MAHAL destroyed after 1857 when British troops occupied the fort. The name of this chief building of the 1. LAHORE GATE 2. CHHATTA CHOWK Railway imperial haram or seraglio (rang – ‘colour’, The original main entrance to the fort looked down the Just beyond the Lahore Gate lies the Colony and mahal -‘palace’) refers both to the 8. DIWAN -E-KHAAS main street of Chandni Chowk. It is a three-storeyed market that is today known as Chhatta paint work that decorated its walls, and The Diwan-e-Khaas, or the Hall of Private Audience, structure of red sandstone fl anked on either side by half- Chowk, but in Shahjahan’s time was also Sawan and Bhadon probably the colorful private life it once where the emperor met with his most select courtiers, octagonal turrets topped by open pavilions. The central known as Meena Bazaar or the Bazaar- contained. In Shahjahan’s time, the palace is made completely of white marble embellished Pavilions ⓮ Zafar Mahal portion of the gateway has a row of small chhatris, each e-Musakkaf. In the 17th century, the ⓯ was ablaze with paint and mirrorwork, with carving, gilt and fi ne pietra dura inlay. In its topped by a white marble dome, and with a minaret at shops along this covered, vaulted arcade ⓫Shah Burj its length partitioned by heavy drapes. A heyday the Diwan-e-Khaas was carpeted, replete either end of the row. This gate is now partly obscured sold relatively exotic wares: midgets, ⓭ Hayat wide, shallow water channel ran through with mirrors and gold-embroidered curtains, and by the 10.5m high barbican constructed by Aurangzeb. eunuchs, jewellery, brocades, etc. Baksh Bagh ❿ Hira Mahal it, with a central marble basin carved into with a vast canopy of red cloth stretching across the Swatantrata Lajpat ⓬ the fl oor. In one small chamber, fi ne strips front. Here, on a marble platform, sat the legendary Rai Sangram ❾ Hammam of silvery mirror are inlaid on the ceiling Takht-e-Taaus, the Peacock Throne, described by Jean- Market Sangrahalaya and upper walls, forming arabesques and Baptiste Tavernier as being surmounted by a `peacock Moti ❽ Diwan-e-khaas 3. NAUBAT KHANA Masjid geometrical patterns. Under the Rang with elevated tail made of blue sapphires and other The Naubat Khana or Naqqar Khana originally ❼ Khas Mahal Mahal was a tehkhana or basement, to which coloured stones, the body being of gold inlaid with housed the music gallery and was the main entrance Jain ❸ Naubat the ladies of the haram would move in the precious stones…’. This throne was carried off by the Mandir ❶ ❷ ❻ Rang Mahal to the Diwan-e-Aam beyond. Musicians at the Lahore Chhatta Khana hot summer days. invader Nadir Shah in 1739. Bird Naubat Khana would play drums throughout the Hospital Gate Chowk M At the northern and southern ends of the hall is ah day on special occasions like the emperor’s birthday. ❹ Diwan-e-Am a inscribed the famous verse written originally by Amir tm 7. KHAAS MAHAL On other days, drums would be played fi ve times a Khusro in praise of Delhi: `Gar fi rdaus bar ru-e-zameen G Next to the Rang Mahal are four contiguous a ast, hameen ast o hameen ast o hameen ast’ (‘If there be a a day if the emperor was in residence, thrice if he ndhi white marble structures that together form was travelling. Visitors to the fort would alight at Red Fort ❺ Mumtaz paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this’).