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Princes' quarter (Red Fort)

Indian building and structure stubsRed FortUse Indian English from December 2018
Tea House Red Fort Delhi 2014 05 13 3371
Tea House Red Fort Delhi 2014 05 13 3371

The Princes' quarter is an area located in the Red Fort of Delhi, India. The quarter of the imperial princes dates back to the late Mughal Empire period. The one structure that has survived has been altered throughout course of time, therefore losing its original appearance. The structure was the first palace built in north Delhi that was constructed for the princes, and served as a home to many members of the Mughal royal family.After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, occupying British forces converted the palace into a meeting and amusement hall and named it the "Tea House". In his 1919 book "Monuments of Delhi: lasting splendor of the great Mughals and others", Maulvi Zafar Hassan described the structure as a pavilion. The palace underwent some renovation and is open for visitors as a tea house and tourist shop.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Princes' quarter (Red Fort) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Princes' quarter (Red Fort)
Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Delhi Chandni Chowk

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N 28.658887 ° E 77.243261 °
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Red Fort

Mahatma Gandhi Marg
110003 Delhi, Chandni Chowk
Delhi, India
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Tea House Red Fort Delhi 2014 05 13 3371
Tea House Red Fort Delhi 2014 05 13 3371
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Diwan-i-Khas (Red Fort)
Diwan-i-Khas (Red Fort)

The Diwan-i-Khas (Persian: ديوان خاص), or Hall of Private Audiences, was a chamber in the Red Fort of Delhi built-in 1648 as a location for receptions. It was the location where the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan received courtiers and state guests. It was also known as the Shah Mahal.A gate on the north side of the preceding Diwan-i-Am audience hall led to the innermost court of the palace called Jalau Khana and the Diwan-i-Khas. Originally there were two enclosures on the west of the hall, one for the nobles and the other for those of a lower rank. These arcaded courts were destroyed after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It measures 90 x 67 feet. It consists of a rectangular central chamber, surrounded by a series of arches rising from marble piers. The lower parts of the piers are inlaid with floral designs, while the upper portions are painted and gilded. The four corners of the roof are surmounted by pillared chhatri.The ceiling, which was originally inlaid with silver and gold, was stripped bare by successive financial crises of the empire by the Jats or Mahrattas. The current ceiling was installed in 1911. The later Peacock Throne from after Nader Shah's invasion once stood in this hall, towards the east side.Through the centre of the hall flowed the Stream of Paradise (Nahar-i-Bihisht).. The building used to have red awnings, or shamianas. Over the corner-arches of the northern and southern walls below the cornice is inscribed the verse of Amir Khusrow: "If there be a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this." The French traveller François Bernier described seeing the Peacock Throne here. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described seeing the throne in the Diwan-i-Am, to where it was probably moved, and described five smaller thrones with four on each corner and one in the middle of the hall.The interior was completely plundered following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The throne, the carpets, and any other items went missing. The hall today is, therefore, only a shell of what it used to be. Recent restoration work has been redone on the panels of inlay and has also reproduced the gilded pattern on one of the pillars fronting the hall. In the riverbed below the hall and the connected buildings was the space known as zer-jharokha, or "beneath the lattices".

Diwan-i-Am (Red Fort)
Diwan-i-Am (Red Fort)

The Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Audience, is a room in the Red Fort of Delhi where the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1665) and his successors received members of the general public and heard their grievances.The inner main court to which the Nakkarkhana led was 540 feet broad, 420 feet deep, and surrounded by arcade galleries, where chieftains (umaras) on duty were posted. On the further side of it is the Diwan-i-Am. The Diwan-i-Am consists of a front hall, open on three sides and backed by a set of rooms faced in red sandstone. The hall is 100 ft x 60 ft and divided into 27 square bays on a system of columns which support the arches. The roof is spanned by sandstone beams.The proportions of this hall, of its columns, and of the engraved arches show high aesthetics and fine craftsmanship. With an impressive façade of nine engraved arch openings, the hall was ornamented with gilded and white shell lime chunam plaster work. Its ceiling and columns were painted with gold.In the centre of the eastern wall stands a marble canopy (jharokha) covered by a "Bengal" roof. A marble dais below the throne, inlaid with semi-precious stones, was used by the prime minister (wazir) to receive petitions. The emperor was separated from the courtiers by a gold-plated railing, while a silver railing ran around the remaining three sides of the hall. The audience ceremony is known as Jharokha Darshan. Behind the canopy, the wall is decorated with panels inlaid with multi-coloured pietra dura stones. They represent flowers and birds and are reputedly carved by Austin de Bordeaux, a Florentine jeweler. The hall was restored by Lord Curzon, while the inlay work of the throne recess and the plaques of the arch to the west side of the throne were restored by the Florentine artist, Mennegatti. Bernier gives a full account of the splendid appearance of the hall during the rule of Aurangzeb, as well as the 17th century merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.