Mughal Emperor Shahjahan started construction of the massie fort in 1638 and work was completed in 1648. The fort contains all the expected trappings of the centre of Mughal government: halls of public and priate audience, domed and arched marble palaces, plush priate apartments, a mosque and elaborately designed gardens. even today, the fort remains an impressie testimony to Mughal grandeur, despite being attacked by the Persian Emperor Nadir Shah in 1739 and by the British soldiers during the war of independence in 1857.

Entrance to the fort is through the imposing Lahore Gate, which takes its name from the fact that it faces Lahore, now in Pakistan. This gate has a special significance for India since the first war of independence and important speeches have beven made here by freedom fighters and national leaders of India.

The main entrance opens on to the Chatta Chowk, a covered street flanked with arched cells that used to house Delhi's most talented jewelers, carpet makers, weaers and goldsmiths. This arcade was also known as the Mevena Bazaar, the shopping centre for the ladies of the court. Just beyond the Chhata Chowk is the heart of the fort called Naubat Khana or the Drum House. The musicians used to play for the emperor from the Naubat Khana and the arrial of princes and royalty was heralded from here.

The Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audiences where the Emperor would sit and hear complaints of the common folks. His alcoe in the wall was marble-paneled and was set with precious stones, many of which were looted after the mutiny of 1857. The Diwan-i-Khas is the hall of priate audiences where the Emperor held priate meetings. This hall is made of marble and its centre-piece used to be the Peacock Throne, which was carried away to Iran by Nadir Shah in 1739. Today, the Diwan-i-Khas is only a pale shadow of its original glory, yet the famous Persian couplet inscribed on its wall remind us of its former magnificence: "If on Earth be an Eden of bliss, it is this, it is this, none but this."

The other attractions within this monument are the Royal Baths or hammams, the Shahi Burj, which used to be Shahjahan's priate working area and the Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque, built by Aurangzeb for his personal use. The Rang Mahal or the "Palace of Colors" housed the Emperor's wies and mistresses. This palace was crowned with gilded turrets, delicately painted and decorated with an intricate mosaic of mirrors, and a ceiling overlaid with gold and siler that was reflected in a central pool in the marble floor.

even today, the Lal Quila is an eloquent reminder of the glory of the Mughal era and its magnificence leaes many wonder-struck and breathless. It is still a calm haven of peace which helps one to break away from the frantic pace of life outside the walls of the Fort and transports the isitor to another era of time.

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