Forthcoming attractions for 1999

1. Lal Badshah Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty
2. Aap Mere Hain Sanam Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan, Sharukh Khan, Suman Rangnathan.
3. Hindustan Ki Kasam Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Manisha Koirala, Sushmita Sen
4. Khauff Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala,
5. Lawaris Jackie Shroff, Dimple Kapadia, Akshay Khanna, Manisha Koirala.
6. Pukaar Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Namrata Shirodkar
7. Arzoo Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan
8. Aa Ab Laut Chalen Akshay Khanna, Aishwerya Rai
9. Badshah Shahrukh Khan, Twinkle Khanna
10. Sarfarosh Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre, Naseerudin Shah
11. Biwi No.1 Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Sushmita Sen
12. God Mother Shabana Azmi, Milind Gunaji, Govind Namdev
13. Anari No. 1 Govinda, Raveena Tondon, Simran, Aruna Irani, Sadashiv Amrapurkar
14. Grahan Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala, Anupama Verma
15. Haseena Maan Jayeygi Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Batra
16. Hu Tu Tu Nana Patekar, Sunil Shetty, Tabbu
17. Hum Apke Dil Mein Rehte Hain Anil Kapoor, Kajol, Mink, Parmeet Sethi
18. Hum Saath Saath Hain Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabbu, Neelam
19. Jaanam Samjha Karo Salman Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Shakti Kapoor
20. Jai Hind Rishi Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Raveena Tondon, Kunal Goswami, Shilpa Shirodkar
21. Josh Shahrukh Khan, Chanderchur Singh, Aishwarya Rai, Priya Gill
22. Khubsoorat Sanjay Dutt, Urmila Matondkar, Om Puri Farida Jalal

Rajneesh Kumar Verma

 
The splendour of Red Fort

by Thakur Paramjit

THREE hundred and fifty years ago, Emperor Shahjahan, the creator of the famous Taj Mahal, dreamt of establishing a new capital city at Delhi. Its nucleus, the Red Fort, was an ambitious and expensive project in which the emperor took personal interest. In spite of the ravages of time and the abuse inflicted by raiders, the meticulous planning, fine architecture and decorative arts of the fort are visible even today.

The octagonal Red Fort is a rustic but beautiful symbol of power. Spread over two miles, the fort is 70 feet high. Its walls are 45 feet wide and its 75-foot-wide and 30-foot-deep moat was made to defend the fort. Twice the size of Akbar’s Agra Fort, Shahjahan’s Red Fort at Delhi was a city in itself.

On entering through Lahore Gate, the principal entrance, one finds oneself in a 270-foot-long arcade. This is Meena Bazaar, once the main shopping centre of nobles of Shahjahan. It leads to Jilau Khana — a large enclosed square — which has rooms meant for the guards. On the farthest end stands the Drum House or Naqqar Khana. It served the purpose of regulating the entry of visitors. Its red sandstone walls are carved with floral designs, depicting lilly, rose and poppy flowers.

Elegant Deewan-e-Aam, the open-arched pavillion, is the place where the monarch dealt with routine matters of the state and listened to the grievances of his subjects. Built on a platform measuring 185 ft x 70 ft, it has 40 pillars in three rows. These pillars are adorned with carved leaves. Shahjahan’s built-in throne in Deewan-e-Aam is a "thing of beauty". Built with white marble brought from Makrana (Rajasthan), it holds testimony to the extravagant and sophisticated decor in the fort. Its columns and canopy display exquisite art work. The back wall of the emperor’s throne exhibits beautiful pietra-dura work, depicting floral designs and birds perched on fruit trees. Although attractive as a work of art, ornithologically these do not portray the real pictures of birds. Flowers too are more decorative than realistic. Beneath the throne lies a marble platform, decorated with lovely inlay work, where the nobles stood to hand over the petitions and complaints to the king. The floral designs of piers were probably the work of craftsmen from Agra. Each marble slab was painstakingly transformed into a piece of art. Different craftsmen, each expert in his particular field, worked on a single slab.

Straight behind the Deewan-e-Aam, across the royal gardens, stands Rang Mahal, the principal apartment of the harem. It is difficult to describe the life of women of the court since it is shrouded in secrecy. The majority of their residential quarters were destroyed by the British in 1858. However, two buildings on the riverside survived — Jahanara Begum’s mansion or Mumtaz Mahal and Rang Mahal. Latticed screen windows provided privacy to the queens. Rang Mahal was a pivotal building between the harem and private apartments of the emperor. The other buildings, which speak of the luxurious style of living, are the Hamaams, Khas Mahal and Deewan-e-Khas. And Nehar-e-Bahisht, (Stream of Paradise) that ran through the garden and all the buildings, provided coolness as well as charm. It was lined with coloured tiles in different buildings.

Built with marble, the extravagant Deewan-e-Khas was one of the most beautiful buildings of the fort. Lavishly decorated with inlay work displaying floral designs, birds, and other patterns, it was the place where Emperor Shahjahan sat on his bejewelled Peacock Throne. Here he used to discuss important, sensitive and secret affairs of the state with his trusted lieutenants. Walls of this pavilion were encrusted with precious stones like agates, cornelians and lapis lazuli.

The decline of Mughal power began after the death of Aurangzeb, the successor to Shahjahan. Subsequent emperors were weak and incapable of holding the vast Mughal empire. Consequently, internal unrest and external attacks followed. Perhaps the worst assault was made by Nadir Shah in 1739. He looted the royal jewels and treasury, including the renowned Koh-i-Noor diamond and the famous Peacock Throne. Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas too did not hesitate to remove precious items from the buildings of the fort. And the British also followed suit. Apart from demolishing a number of buildings, they removed valuables, including copper-plated panels, and sent them to England. Now the Indian Government is trying to restore its past glory to some extent, but the damage caused to this architectural wonder by greedy invaders is so great that it is not possible to make it as splendid as it was in the times of Shahjahan.

Creating a deep visual impact on the viewer, the Red Fort continues to be the symbol of political and economic power for the last three-and-a-half centuries.