AGRA Red Fort
- Aug 2, 2017
- 3 min read
Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, India. The fort is also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and Red Fort of Agra .The majestic Agra fort was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1565-75. The Agra fort contains numerous impressive structures like the Jahangir Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. The Agra fort is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone. This wall is about 2 km in perimeter and is interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions. Many of the buildings inside the Taj Mahal were pulled down by Shah Jahan, who erected some new ones. The Agra fort has four gates, of which the Delhi Gate is the most impressive.
This is an absolute must-see for any tourist visiting the Taj as it is less crowded, almost as beautiful, more spacious, more complex and more historically important, having been the seat of government and home to six Mughal Emperors.
The Red Fort (also Agra Fort) offers a lot more than sturdy defensive fortifications, with as much, if not more, gloriously over-the-top embellishment as its perky white neighbour.The
1. Amar Singh Gate to the south is the sole entry point to the fort these days and where you buy your entrance ticket. Its dogleg design was meant to confuse attackers who made it past the first line of defence .
2. Jehangir’s Palace
Continuing south, the huge red-sandstone Jehangir’s Palace was probably built by Akbar for his son Jehangir. It blends Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, a reminder of the Mughals’ Afghani cultural roots. In front of the palace is Hauz-i-Jehangir, a huge bowl carved out of a single block of stone, which was used for bathing. The Jahangiri Palace is one plum in the Red Fort’s surprisingly luscious cake. Originally the Fort’s zenana (women’s quarters), Jahangiri is loaded with spectacular carving and decoration.
Musamman Burj:
Further along the eastern edge of the fort you’ll find Musamman Burj and Khas Mahal, the wonderful white-marble octagonal tower and palace where Shah Jahan was imprisoned for eight years until his death in 1666, and from where he could gaze out at the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his wife. When he died, Shah Jahan’s body was taken from here by boat to the Taj. The now closed Mina Masjid, set back slightly from the eastern edge, was his private mosque.
Diwan-i-Khas:
On the far side of the large courtyard, along the eastern wall of the fort, is Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences), which was reserved for important dignitaries or foreign representatives. The hall once housed Shah Jahan’s legendary Peacock Throne, which was inset with precious stones – including the famous Koh-i-noor diamond. The throne was taken to Delhi by Aurangzeb, then to Iran in 1739 by Nadir Shah and dismantled after his assassination in 1747. Overlooking the river and the distant Taj Mahal is Takhti-i-Jehangir, a huge slab of black rock with an inscription around the edge. The throne that stood here was made for Jehangir when he was Prince Salim.
Diwan-i-Am
which was used by Shah Jahan for domestic government business, and features a throne room where the emperor listened to petitioners. In front of it is the small and rather incongruous grave of John Colvin, a lieutenant-governor of the northwest provinces who died of an illness in the fort during the 1857 First War of Independence.The Hall is opened in three sides with multi foiled arches except the eastern side with the structure of the jharokha contained the celebrated throne Takht-i-Murassa which was occupied by the Emperor for giving public audiences in the forenoon. Few attempts have been made to integrate the information contained in literary and visual sources with what can be derived from the architecture itself. The reason given by the Court historians for the construction of the Diwan-i-Am, namely to protect the Emperor's Khassan from the vicissitudes of the weather.
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