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.
