The Red Fort complex in Old Delhi was built by the 5th Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan as a palace for the new capital. The building got its name from the huge red sandstone walls around it. The Red Fort complex was also designed by architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the mastermind behind the Taj Mahal. Constructed between May 1639 and April 1648, the original structure had been red and white.
The fort has 23-metre-high massive red sandstone walls. Enclosed within the compound are a complex of palaces, entertainment halls, baths, a mosque and geometrical gardens.
The Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audience which has a flat roof supported by 60 sandstone pillars and the smaller Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience with its white marble pavilion are some of the attractions of the complex.
On 15th of August 1947 India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag in the Red Fort. Ever since, the Prime Minister of India hoists the national tricolour at the fort’s main gate and addresses the nation from there on the 15th of August. It was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
Picture Credit : Google
