Delhi Diaries III

Last Saturday, I did what most visitors to Delhi would normally have indulged in... visited the Red Fort.. or more popularly.. Lal Quilla. I must thank Sam's cuz Vidu for arranging this excursion!


1st impressions: Very beautiful. Due credit to Shahjahan for having selected this place as his capital, and having built this marvel.
The fort has 2 entrances: The Lahore gate(facing the west) and the Delhi gate(facing the east).. but only the Lahore gate is open now. As we passed the outer gates, i noticed the podium on which the PM stands to give the Independence 'bhaashan' every 15th of Aug. I noticed that the '15 August Maidan' where the public supposedly gathers to listen is not directly in front of the podium.. but diagonally to the left (as seen from the podium).

We walked towards the Lahore gate entrance at around 5pm, and a uniformed guard there asked us to buy tickets.. but then.. no ticket counter was visible! After asking around we were directed to a shady looking booth located a few feet away at a level lower than grnd level.. and with the painted "Ticket counter" sign blocked by a huge tree. How could i have missed something THAT obvious!!!
:))
Bought the Rs.5 ticket and walked in. we walk thru a huge copper/bronze covered wooden door that must have last been closed decades ago. ( the reason for this deduction is that the tarred road was at a higher level than the door bottom.. indicating that the door can simply NEVER be closed now!). As we passed the initial security check, we noticed the uniformed guards posted at regular intervals..impressive.. with their manned gun posts.

the outer market area has its interiors completely white washed.. and it did seem a bit awkward considerin we were in the "red" fort. after tat we walk towards the diwan-i-am. At its entrance we noticed a grp of students sittin on the grass with a few laptops and a electronic device tat looked like a multimeter.
i was of the opinion they were ghost hunters.. and trying to record paranormal activity at this old decaying place..(Vidu dint seem to agree with me.)

The diwan-i-am, diwan-i-khas and other assorted buildings within the red fort.. were not impressive enough to catch my attn.. but the beauty of whole plan and the lay-out of the place was interesting. Unfortunately.. it was too close to the closing time.. and we were shooed out of the place by 6.

Unhappy abt not having seen enough, we decided to stay back for the light and sound show (in Hindi) at 7:30..
i must warn ppl.. the show costs 50 bucks.. the show consists of various strategically placed lights at the more interesting buildings.. which are swtiched on /off at appropriate times during the long and at times boring show. A narrator goes on abt how Shahjahan first came here.. built the red fort.. how his son took over.. how "rangeela' badshah , a few decades later, squandered it all away.. the wealth and power.. and how finally the british came to take over this fort as a military garrison.. and later the indian army.

The indian army , according to a plaque kept near the entrance, vacated the red fort on dec'2003.

Another thing i learnt was that, the flag hoisting happens twice a day.. at sunrise and sunset.
a guard plays the bugle.. and every guard within the fort premises is supposed to stand erect during this process. ( the civilians too are supposed to do it.. but then.. i dint notice anybody except us who bothered to stand erect and pay our due respect to the flag while it was being lowered at sunset).

PS- the bugle player went off key a few times during his recital.. hope he learns to play it better.
:))

next on my list is checking out the India gate..