About Red Fort (Lal Qila)
In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. The Red Fort or the Lal Quila as it is traditionally called is situated in old Delhi, the capital of India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Red Fort in the 17th century. It took around 9 years and approximately 10 million rupees to complete this magnificent structure. The Red Fort is a masterpiece of architecture and is one of the most visited spot in old Delhi. Tourists from India and abroad never miss the opportunity to visit this huge structure.
How to Reach
Tourists can easily take a taxi or other mode of transport to reach the place. If you are new to the city, the city map can be of great help. You can also find the right road to reach the place and check out the nearby places as well. The Red Fort, situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, remains a significant monument, offering a glimpse of past grandeur. Apart from the magnificent fort, one can also find various beautiful structures inside the fort like the halls of public, marble palaces, mosque, gardens, and plush apartments all in their rich architecture that shows you the prosperous past of the Emperor. Even today, the fort continues to mesmerize visitors with its impressive red sandstone walls, huge bastions, and intricate wall designs, which are unparalleled in other structures. 
Exploring the Red Fort (Lal Qila)
As you stroll through the fort, you can glimpse into the life of the emperor. You can imagine the activities he carried out, as well as the grandeur of everything that took place inside. The fort includes the most famous Diwan-i-Am. Which is the hall for public. Where the emperor used to listen to the complaints of the people and find solutions to their problems. There is also a Diwan-i-Khas. Diwan-i-Khas was for the private people only, where the Emperor discusses plans, strategies and secret meetings. There used to be a peacock throne for the Emperor, which had all types of precious stones build in it. It was made of gold and was quite huge. It was however, carried away by Nadir Shah to Iran in 1739.
Glimpses into the Emperor’s Life
Red Fort (Lal Qila) is an enjoyable excursion and you will love to see the various attractions that it has. The royal baths, or Hammams, were where the royals enjoyed bathing in luxury. The Shahi burj was the working place of Shahjahan that has some wonderful work done inside. Another must-see structure is the Moti Masjid, built by Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jahan. Additionally, there’s a special place within the fort for the ladies called the Ran Mahal. This place is a real treat to the eyes and you can see delicately painted walls, intricate worked mirrors, gilded turrets, ceiling complete with gold and silver designs reflects its beauty in the central pool inside the palace on the marble floor.
Important buildings and other structures inside the fort of red fort
Diwan-i-Aam
Beyond this gate is another, larger open space, which originally served as the courtyard of the Diwan-i-Aam, the large pavilion for public imperial audiences with an ornate throne-balcony (jharokha) for the emperor. They painted the columns in gold, and there was a gold and silver railing separating the throne from the public.
Diwan-i-Khas
The emperor used the Diwan-i-Khas, or “hall of private audience,” to privately meet with courtiers and state guests. The hall features engrailed arches on its sides, surrounding a rectangular central chamber with aisles of arches rising from piers. Floral designs adorn the lower parts of the piers, while the upper portions are gilded and painted. Pillared chhatris adorn the roof’s corners. At the center of the marble pedestal once stood the famous Peacock Throne, removed in 1739 by Nadir Shah of Persia. Later, in 1760, the Marathas looted the Silver ceiling. The Nahr-i-Bihisht, or “stream of paradise,” flowed through the hall. The famous verse by 13th-century Sufi poet Amir Khusrow is inscribed on the corner arches, exclaiming: “If there be a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.” Behind the Diwan-e-Am lies the spacious mardana or courtyard, surrounded by intriguing structures, although the function and purpose of some remain a mystery.
Nahr-i-Behisht
The imperial private apartments lie behind the throne. The apartments consist of a row of pavilions that sits on a raised platform along the eastern edge of the fort, looking out onto the river Yamuna. The pavilions connect via a continuous water channel called the Nahr-i-Behisht, or the “Stream of Paradise,” running through each pavilion’s center. Water is drawn from the Yamuna River, from a tower named Shah Burj at the fort’s northeast corner. The palace mimics paradise as described in the Koran, with a couplet inscribed repeatedly, reading, “If there be a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here.” The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals in its architectural elements the Hindu influences typical of Mughal building. The palace complex of the Red Fort is counted among the best examples of the Mughal style.
Zenana
The two southernmost pavilions of the palace are zenanas, or women’s quarters. The Mumtaz Mahal (now a museum), and the larger, lavish Rang Mahal. Which has been famous for its gilded, decorated ceiling and marble pool, fed by the Nahr-i-Behisht.
Moti Masjid
To the west of the hammam is the Moti Masjid, the Pearl Mosque. This was a later addition, built in 1659 as a private mosque for Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan’s successor. It is a small, three-domed mosque carved in white marble, with a three-arched screen which steps down to the courtyard.
The Moti Masjid measures approximately 12 x 9 meters, with a height of nearly 8 meters.
Hayat Bakhsh Bagh
To the north, there’s a large formal garden called Hayat Bakhsh Bagh. Which meaning is “Life-Bestowing Garden,” with two channels of water cutting through it. A pavilion stands at either end of the north-south channel, and a third, built in 1842 by the last emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, stands at the centre of the pool where the two channels meet.