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| 1617 The Red Fort Complex - The Lahore Gate |
The Red Fort Complex, now in the centre of Delhi, was built in 1648 as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad - the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement.
The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of Timurid, Persian and Hindu traditions. The Red Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand and elsewhere. It has been also a symbol of power since the reign of Shah Jahan, has witnessed the change in Indian history to British rule, and was the place where Indian independence was first celebrated, and is still celebrated today.
The Red Fort has 2.41km of defensive walls, punctuated by turrets and bastions and varying in height from 18m on the river side to 33m on the city side. The fort is octagonal, with the north-south axis longer than the east-west axis. The marble, floral decorations and double domes in the fort's buildings exemplify later Mughal architecture. The Lahore and Delhi Gates were used by the public, and the Khizrabad Gate was for the emperor. The Lahore Gate is the main entrance, leading to a domed shopping area known as the Chhatta Chowk (covered bazaar). Every Indian Independence Day since 1947, the national flag has flown and the Prime Minister has made a speech from its ramparts.
About the stamps
All the stamps are part of the series Legendary Heroines of India, issued on February 13, 2011 (all six stamps are the same face value, 5 INR):
• Devika Rani (1908-1994) - It's on the postcard
• Nutan (1936-1991) - It's on the postcard
• Kanan Devi (1916-1992) - It's on the postcard
• Meena Kumari (1932-1972) - It's on other postcard (1664)
• Leela Naidu (1940-2009) - It's on other postcard (1664)
• Savithri (1933-1981) - It's on other postcard (1664)
References
Red Fort - Wikipedia
Red Fort Complex - UNESCO official website
Sender: Kamran
Sent from ??? (??? / India), on 07.11.2014
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