Where history holds fort

On June 28, this year the Red Fort was declared a World Heritage Site. This magnificent monument in red sandstone bears testimony to another era, another world. N.L. Batra captures the grandeur of the fort in his book

This citadel symbolised the seat of power for the Mughal rulers as well as the British Empire in India. The British occupied the Red Fort till August 1947, after which the Indian Army took it over as a military garrison. In December 2003, the Army handed it over to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to facilitate work to restore the Fort to its former glory. For, it is here that the kings lived and the knights fought valiantly. Here is where history was made, time and again.

The palaces, pavilions and towers of the Red Fort are a tribute to the grand vision and magnificent design of Emperor Shah Jahan. The edifices that stand today tell the story of the days gone by, when the royals lived here. Facing the river, on the eastern terrace, were erected beautiful palace buildings, juxtaposed with green gardens and flowing fountains.

The eastern side of the Fort was no doubt the most appropriate for the construction of royal palaces as it overlooked the River Yamuna and provided a charming river frontage with a pleasing landscape, fresh air and a constant supply of water. In `A0those days, the river touched the Fort and presented a magnificent display of imperial craft — a variety of boats, some with peacock heads, colourful and richly ornamented. There were also many birds here as well as dolphins frolicking in the river. In its place now is a broad road that connects southern Delhi with the northern.

The outer wall of the citadel on the side of the river is raised from the ground that was earlier the riverbed. The wall is built in Mughal or lakhuri bricks faced with red sandstone. All the palace buildings are constructed on the eastern ramp that is 18.0 metres high from the riverside and 1.38 metres on the western side from the ground level of the Fort.

Starting from Asad Burj on the south-eastern corner to Shah Burj on the north-eastern side, this row of royal buildings takes the visitor back to an era when kings and queens, along with their retinue, actually lived here.

The Rang Mahal and the Mumtaz Mahal, beautifully designed and ornamented as to defy description, surpass the most magnificent buildings of the world.Named after Shah Jahan’s favourite queen, the Mumtaz Mahal lies to the north of the Asad Burj and to the south of the Rang Mahal. It is an apartment that is three-aisles wide from west to east. To the east is an extended hall with two enclosed chambers. The western facade consists of five engrailed arched openings, shaded by red sandstone chhajjas (sloping cornice). To the north and south are three engrailed arched opening each of a similar design. These have been now barricaded with wooden doors and grills.

The Mumtaz Mahal is today used as an archaeological museum. The hall consists of arches supported by pillars lined with marble. The soffit of the arches was originally decorated with painted inlay work. The entire hall is partitioned to exhibit artifacts of the Mughal period. The museum exhibits documents such as the farmans (edicts) of Akbar and his predecessors; Arabic Persian inscriptions of 1578; paintings of Jahangir with Khwaja Salim Chisti and Prince Khurram; Akbar and Jahangir shooting tigers; a specimen of calligraphy in Nastaliq or Naskh character; manuscripts of Mukhtar Nama (1646) and a farman of Shah Jahan.

Sad hazaran gul—shagutab dar-o
Sabzah bedar-o ab khuftah dar-o

(A thousand varieties of flowers blossom exuberantly in this garden, the greenery is ever fresh, and the sweet murmur of water almost appears to be a rhythm of the quietude.)

The Hayat Baksh, or life-bestowing garden was the most beautiful and well-planned garden in the entire palace area. It was laid in the Charbagh Mughal pattern with causeways and channels. It had a variety of green plants and flowers of all colours. The fresh grass, the bloming roses and the tall trees created a soothing ambience. In fact, the interlocking branches of the trees provided a shady canopy that even hid the blue sky above.

To the west of the garden was the Mehtab Bagh (Garden of Moonlight); it extended up to the line of the arcaded street that once ran northwards from the square in front of the Naubat Khana. The site of the Mehtab Bagh that was occupied by military barracks, constructed after the seizure of the Red Fort by the British Army, is now known as Barrack Square. The pavilions that existed here are no more.

The gardens, though not very large, were extremely beautiful and were full of old orange and other fruit trees and rose bushes. 

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