Diwan-i-Khas, Private audience hall in Red Fort, Delhi, India
The Diwan-i-Khas is a rectangular central hall in the Red Fort featuring marble columns, arches, and intricate floral patterns inlaid into the walls and piers. The space feels light and open, with ornamental details that draw the eye from all directions.
Shah Jahan commissioned this hall between 1635 and 1640 as a private space to receive select nobles and foreign dignitaries. It served as a venue for the most important matters of state discussed in restricted audiences.
The hall displays Persian verses by the poet Amir Khusrow inscribed on its walls, merging literary expression with architectural design. These inscriptions reveal the artistic ambitions of the Mughal rulers of that era.
The hall is open daily but closed on Mondays. Visitors should expect stairs and narrow passages while walking through the fort, so comfortable footwear is advisable.
A water channel called Nahar-i-Bihisht, the Stream of Paradise, once ran through the center of this hall with deep symbolic meaning. This flowing water connected the space to cosmic concepts of the garden and divine order.
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