Red Fort – Popularly known as Lal Qila is a historic fortress in Old Delhi, which served as a residence for the Mughal Rulers. Built by Shah Jahan in the year 1939 due to the capital shift from Agra to Delhi. It was formerly known as ‘Qila-e-Mubarak’ which lies on the banks of River Yamuna to act as a moat for safeguarding the fort against the enemy attacks. All major political as well as ceremonial decisions of Mughals were taken here and thus, it had a value.
Red Fort derived its name ‘Lal Qila’ because of the massive red-sandstone walls. It is an example for architectural marvel that portrays creativity and ingenuity of Mughals. Built octagonally, it has several gates – Lahori, Ajmeri, Kashmiri, Turkman, Mori, and Delhi, where separate gates were used by public and Emperor.
Fort’s artwork is an amalgamation of different artforms – Persian, European, and Indian. It is a perfect emblem of Shahjahan’s style of architecture. The well-crafted plastered ornamentation, in addition to fine marble and floral decorations depicts the later Mughal architecture.
It set out a great platform to display precious artefacts in its museums. On the auspicious occasion of Independence Day, our honourable PM hoists the national flag, along with a mandatory speech on the ramparts.
