Diwan-i-Am: Raised on arches supported by pillars
and with a façade of nine engraved arch openings, the
Diwan-i-Am is the next structure, which one comes across, inside
the fort complex. It is the Hall of Public Audience where the
emperor received the general public and listened to their complaints.
Justice was carried out at once and various methods were used
to punish the convict, including beheading! It houses a marble
canopy or baldachin under which stood the throne of the Emperor.
The marble throne canopy was also known as 'The Seat of the
Shadow of God'. It also had once a gold-plated railing that
surrounded the throne canopy. The hall was covered by a thin
layer of white plaster to create the effect of white marble
and was ornamented with gilded stuccowork. The marble dais below
the throne is where the prime minister heard the complaints
and conveyed them to the emperor. At the back of the throne
were the inlaid panels with multicolored stones, representing
flowers and birds. It is said that Austin Bordeaux, a Florentine
jeweller, made the panels but some are of the opinion that the
intricate floral inlay work was done by Indian craftsmen. The
central panel has the figure of the Greek God Orpheus, unusual
in Islamic buildings and is the only example of such imagery
in the whole complex. These panels were damaged during the War
of Independence of 1857 and were removed to the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London. However they were restored in 1903
at the instance of Lord Curzon. The hall originally had a courtyard
at the front which extended upto the Drum House. Silver plated
poles covered the courtyard, where minor officials and the crowd
stood and watched the proceedings of the day.
Mumtaz Mahal: Mumtaz Mahal is the southern end
of all the palaces along the eastern wall of the Fort. Originally,
along the riverfront, there were six main palaces and the Stream
of Paradise or Nahr-i-Bihisht flowed through them. Mumtaz Mahal
is one of them and it was the residence of Jahanara Begum, Shah
Jahan's favorite daughter and the head of the royal harem. The
Mahal had six apartments divided by arched piers and was the
part of the imperial seraglio. The interesting feature of the
Mahal is that only the lower half of its walls and pillars are
built with marble. Today
the Mahal houses a Museum of the Archaeological Survey of India.
The museum contains souvenirs, weapons, paintings, scenes of
courtly life and carpets, largely belonging to the Mughal period.
Diwan-i-Khas:
Agar firdaus bar rue zamin ast
Hamin ast o hamin ast o hamin ast.
(If there is paradise on earth
It is this, it is this, it is this)
The inscription of the great poet Amir Khusrau
over the corner arches of the northern and southern walls in
the hall very aptly describes the beauty of Diwan-i-Khas. The
emperor used Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience for
holding private meetings with selected courtiers and visitors.
Surrounded by aisles of arches rising from piers, the hall consists
of a rectangular central chamber made of white marble. The lower
parts of the piers were carved with floral designs while the
upper portions were artistically gilded and painted. The hall
was so designed that the 'stream of paradise' or Nahr-i-Bihisht
used to flow through the center of the hall. In the center of
the hall over the marble pedestal once stood the famous Peacock
Throne, which was looted by Nadir Shah in 1739. The Peacock
Throne, also known as Takht-i-Taus, was made of pure gold and
measured about 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. There were twelve
gold gem-studded columns attached to the base of the throne,
supporting a gold canopy lined with diamonds and pearls. On
the top of the canopy stood the gold peacock with its sapphire
studded tail. It is said that the throne was the most expensive
throne of the world and was made at a cost of 10 billion rupees.
Diwan-i-Khas is where Bahadur Shah II held court during the
First War of Independence in 1857 after he proclaimed himself
the Emperor of India. The Marathas also destroyed some parts
of the hall and took away some precious gems in 1760. In 1788
the Rohilla leader, Ghulam Qadir, blinded the Emperor Shah Alam
within the Diwan-i-Khas, in an attempt to extract treasure from
him.
Khas Mahal:Khas
Mahal was the private palace of the Mughal Emperor. It consists
of different sets of rooms, which were used by the emperor for
sleeping, worshipping and living. 'Tasbih Khana' was a set of
three rooms, which was used by the emperor for his private worship.
Also known as 'Chamber of Telling beads', these rooms faced
the elegant Diwan-i-Khas. The three rooms of the Khwabgah or
the 'sleeping chamber' were behind the Tasbih Khana. On the
southern arch of the Khwabgah is an inscription, which tells
visitors that the building was constructed in 1639 and was completed
in 1648. The 'sitting room' or the Baithak Khana was the long
hall to the south of sleeping chamber. This hall that once had
beautifully painted walls and ceilings and a perforated screen
on its western side is also said to be the Tosh Khana or the
'robe chamber'. Crossing the Stream of Paradise in the northern
end of these rooms lies the beautiful marble screen or jalis
depicting the celestial bodies and a 'Scale of Justice'. There
is also a gate beneath the Khas Mahal known as Khirzi Mahal.
Though today it is difficult to make out but the gate was an
important entrance for the emperor himself and his most senior
nobles.
Muthamman Burj:Muthamman
Burj is the octagonal tower, which lies near the eastern wall
of the Khwabgah. The Emperor appeared before his subjects at
this tower, every morning. It is said that if for some reason
the Emperor didn't appear, there was near panic in the city.
This ceremonial appearance was known as Darshan. Later Akbar
II constructed a balcony in 1808-09, which projected from the
center of the Burj. There is an inscription over its arches
that records the year of its construction. The balcony is historically
important as King George V and Queen Mary appeared here before
the public in 1911.
Rang Mahal:
Rang Mahal, also known as the Palace of Color, is built on a
basement, and consists of a large hall. The hall derives its
name from its painted interior, which was wholly defaced after
the War of Independence in 1857 when the British army occupied
and used it as an officer's barrack. Rang Mahal was either the
common room of the Royal ladies or the residence of the emperor's
chief wife and is said to be the place where the emperor took
most of his meals. The main hall is divided into six apartments
by arches built on piers. The walls and ceilings of these apartments
were embedded with tiny mirrors and the hall is also known as
Shish Mahal or the Hall of mirrors. In the center of the main
hall is a beautifully carved marble lotus, which was originally
surrounded by fountains. The ceiling above this lotus pool was
made with silver and decorated with golden flowers, which reflected
in the pool making it a wonderful sight. The hall was part of
the imperial seraglio and the Stream of Paradise flowed along
its length. In the basement of the hall are rooms, which were
used by the ladies during the summer. The rooms were also beautifully
decorated and were designed in a such a manner that they stayed
cool during the hot summer months.
Hammam: Located
to the north of the Diwan-i-Khas, the Hammam housed the royal
baths. It consisted of three apartments separated by corridors
and surmounted by a dome. The floors of the apartments are built
with marble and featured pietra dura work (inlaid floral patterns
of multicolored stones). The eastern chamber was used as the
dressing room. It housed three fountains, one of which is said
to have emitted scented rose water. The western chamber was
used for hot and vapor baths. The central chamber also had a
fountain basin in its center. Visitors can take a look at the
baths from outside as the Hammam is closed to the public.
Moti Masjid:This
small mosque lies on the west of the Hammam and is also known
as Pearl Mosque. Aurangzeb built the mosque in 1659 for his
private use. The mosque took five years to complete. The prayer
hall of the mosque was built in black marble and stands at a
higher level than the courtyard. The hall is covered by three
domes, which were originally copper plated. It is said that
the royal ladies of the seraglio also used the mosque. However
it is still not known why the mosque was called 'Pearl Mosque'.
The mosque is closed to the public.
Hayat Bakhsh Bagh:Hayat
Bakhsh Bagh or the Life-Giving Garden is located to the north
of the Moti Masjid. The real gardens were all uprooted during
the First War of Independence in 1857 by the British. Only the
general outline of the original garden can be seen today as
the rest was destroyed and replaced with simple lawns. The original
gardens were laid out in the pattern of Mughal Gardens. They
were divided into squares, with water channels, pools and pavilions
between them. The garden had two marble pavilions in the center
of the northern and southern sides called Sawan and Bhadon,
the two principal months of the rainy season. There was also
a tank with niches for candles as well as gold and silver flowerpots
on the sides of the northern pavilion. Bahadur Shah II built
the red sandstone pavilion in the center of the garden in the
19th century. The pavilion is known as Zafar Mahal. To the west
is Mehtab Bagh, which has a baoli (step well) to its northwest.
Shahi Burj
Located on the northeastern corner of the garden is the royal
tower or Shahi Burj. The dome of the tower was destroyed during
the War of 1857. The tower is said to be the emperor's private
working area, where the emperor also organized private gatherings.
The roof of the tower is said to be one of the hallmarks of
Shah Jahan's architectural design. The tower was octagonal in
shape and had three storeys. The Stream of Paradise or Nahr-i-Bhisht
flowed from here along the Royal Terrace through the Hammam,
Diwan-i-Khas, Khas Mahal, and the Rang Mahal. The lower storey
of the tower contained a water tank from which water was released
to flow into the gardens and palaces. The pavilion adjoining
the tower on the south is said to have been built during Aurangzeb's
reign.
