Red Fort
लाल क़िला
A red sandstone palace built by Shah Jahan when he moved the capital to Delhi in 1648. Every year on Independence Day, India's Prime Minister raises the flag here. Inside are the Hall of Audience and white marble pavilions.
The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is the palace complex built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after he moved his capital from Agra to Delhi. Construction began in 1639 and was completed in 1648. The red sandstone walls are about 2.4 kilometers in circumference and 18 to 33 meters high. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2007. On August 15, 1947, Nehru raised India's first national flag here after independence. Since then, the Prime Minister has addressed the nation from the Lahori Gate on every Independence Day.
Entering from the Lahore Gate, you pass through a covered palace bazaar called Chatta Chowk, now selling souvenirs. Walking past the drum house Naubat Khana, you reach the Diwan-i-Am, the Hall of Public Audience, where the king once heard petitions. Further inside, along the river, stands a row of white marble palaces: the Diwan-i-Khas, the Hall of Private Audience, which once housed the Peacock Throne and bears the inscription “If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”; the Khas Mahal, the emperor's private palace; the painted Rang Mahal, the palace of the royal women; and the Pearl Mosque.
The fort contains several small museums, including ones on India's independence movement and the 1857 uprising.
Admission for foreigners is 600 rupees (about 50 yuan), plus 350 rupees for a combined ticket that includes the museums. Opening hours are 09:30 to 16:30, with the last entry at 16:30. It is closed on Mondays. There is a sound-and-light show in the evening.
Getting there: Walk about 10 minutes from Lal Qila Station on the Violet Line or Chandni Chowk Station on the Yellow Line.
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Afterward, walk across to the Chandni Chowk market and the Jama Masjid.
Tips: Security at the entrance is strict, and large luggage is not allowed. Most buildings inside the fort cannot be entered, so you can only view them from outside. The carvings on the palaces look best in the afternoon light.
Opening hours
9:30 AM–4:30 PM, closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Chandni Chowk
- Jama Masjid
- Raj Ghat
- National Gandhi Museum
- Khari Baoli Spice Market
- Connaught Place
- Agrasen ki Baoli
- Jantar Mantar, New Delhi