Red Fort, Delhi

Red fort at Old Delhi is perhaps the most famous fort in New Delhi. Not particularly for anything but for the fact that the PM unfurls the tri-colour from its ramparts on Independence Day. I cross the red fort once every fortnight or so driving down Raj Ghat from where you can get a glimpse of the Diwan-i-Khas, Shish Mahal, and Rang Mahal. There is a lot of security around the fort after a attact on it few years ago. It is another series of fascinating buildings made by Shah Jahan. The Red Fort was part of his city `Shahjahanabad'.


Khas Mahal at Red Fort


Rang Mahal or the pleasure palace

Entry through the Lahore Gate


The Red Fort ramparts where the PM unfurls the Flag on August 15


Interiors at Rang Mahal, Red Fort


Inner Palaces , Red Fort


Rang Mahal, Interiors


Diwan-i-khas, Khas Mahal, Rang Mahal at Red Fort


Diwan-i-Khas at Red Fort, Delhi


Meena Bazaar at Red Fort, Delhi


Naubat Khana windows, Red Fort


Interiors at Khas Mahal, Red Fort


Elaborate Marble Screen at Red Fort, Delhi


View from Khas Mahal Window


Red Fort, Delhi


The moat around Red Fort, Delhi


The moat around Red Fort, Delhi


Red Fort ramparts and Indian truck


A man yawns at the Diwan-i-am

Safdarjung's Tomb

I have visited Safdarjung's tomb a couple of times. But i never got a photograph of of the monument reflecting in the waters of the fountains. All year around there is no water in the four channels built around Safdarjung. The water fills in them briefly when it rains but its quickly pumped out by the gardners. They do this so that stagnant water in the channels dont breed dengue and malaria mosquitoes. So one day just after it had rained I rushed to Safdarjung's Tomb and captured these rare pictures of the monument reflecting in the fountain waters.

Safdarjung's tomb was built by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah, the son of Safdarjung. Safdarjung was the governor of Awadh who later became the Prime Minister of Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor. Built in 1753-1754, the Safdarjung tomb lies at the Lodi road, New Delhi. The garden of Safdarjung's tomb is laid down on the pattern of the Mughal Charbagh style. The Safdarjung tomb was erected roughly on the pattern of Humayun's tomb. Safdarjung's tomb represents the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture. There are two graves here, one of Safdarjung and the other apparently his wife's. The square central chamber of the mausoleum is surrounded by eight rooms all around. All the apartments, except the corner ones are rectangular in shape, the corner ones being octagonal. The dome of the tomb rises from a sixteen-sided base. On either side of the Safdarjung tomb are beautiful pavilions, known as "Moti Mahal" or the pearl palace, "Jangli Mahal" or the sylvan palace and "Badshah Pasand' or the Emperor's favourite.

The Taj Mahal

The first time i visited Taj Mahal was in 1997. I was a fledgling journalist and was lucky to be sent to cover the Yanni concert at Agra. The concert was on the banks of the Yamuna with the Taj Mahal as the backdrop. It was a major musical event of the year especially since it raked up a lot of controversy. This was the first time something of such a large scale was being done near the Taj Mahal. I was not impressed at all when i went to see Taj Mahal on the morning of the concert. It did not live upto my expectations of it. But i realise the more i visit the monument the more i begin to appreciate its beauty, its scale, its architecture and its metaphotic importance. In the october of 2006 i was in Agra and on my 4th visit to the Taj Mahal. And this time more spellbound by it than ever. I shot the monument for two consequent days. I went across the Yamuna and shot it from the banks of Yamuna where i sat one evening over 9 years ago among the glitterati listining to the strains of Yanni's music with Taj Mahal standing out as a silhouette against the sky.