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Secret Red Fort tunnel to re-open
Friday, 21 February 2003, 20:30 IST |
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NEW DELHI: A secret tunnel at Red Fort, which once connected the 17th century Mughal monument here to the river Yamuna but which has remained hidden for years, will soon be re-opened.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan said the passage has been cleaned. One will now be able to enter the imposing red sandstone fort from the western side and leave it from the east through the tunnel.
"The tunnel goes to the river Yamuna. This connects the fort with the river. A wide space leading to the passage in the fort was like a playground, and elephant fights used to take place there during the Mughal period," Jagmohan said at a function here Thursday evening.
"We have dug up and cleaned the passage. It will be opened for the public soon."
The tunnel was like a fairy tale for hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world who were told there was once a passage in the fort that people used for escape when attacked by the enemy.
"There was so much of filth inside and the structure was in a very bad shape. Nobody ever thought of opening or even looking at it. We have renovated it and it is looking fresh now," said Jagmohan, showing the photographs of the tunnel.
The imposing fort built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1639 and 1648 is a major attraction for tourists in the city's old quarters.
The Indian prime minister delivers the Independence Day speech on August 15 every year from the ramparts of Red Fort, which traditionally represents a citadel of power.
Some buildings in the fort occupied by the army have also been partially evacuated, and renovation of the entire monument is on at a war footing.
The fort is three kilometres in perimeter, with the height of the boundary wall varying from 18 to 33 metres at places. When Red Fort was being built, the river Yamuna used to flow on its eastern side and there were deep moats on the other side.
"One can now enter the fort from the Chandni Chowk side (in the west) and leave the fort from (its eastern side leading to) the Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhi's memorial) through this tunnel," said Jagmohan.
The barren land outside the fort on the east was once a junk market. That has now been converted into a green Dilli Chalo Park. The park is lit up in the evenings to host cultural festivals.
Though there are three gates in the monument, only one is open to public.
Jagmohan said, "There is also a step-well or 'baoli' in the fort. There is no documentary proof but I think the British later converted it into a prison. I am looking into it. This step-well has also been renovated."
"Red Fort is expected to fetch about 
500 million every year from tourists," he said.
The land in front of the fort too is being converted into the Dara Shikoh Park. This land is now used for public meetings, fairs and other kinds of gatherings.
"Dara Shikoh was a great scholar. He tried to look at the unity of thoughts between Islam and Hinduism. He was paraded in Chandni Chowk and then executed (by his brother Aurangzeb who became the emperor)," said Jagmohan.
"We don't have any memorial in his name. He was the favourite son of Shah Jahan. So we decided to make a park in his name just in the lap of the monument built by his father."
Source: IANS
500 million every year from tourists," he said.
The land in front of the fort too is being converted into the Dara Shikoh Park. This land is now used for public meetings, fairs and other kinds of gatherings.
"Dara Shikoh was a great scholar. He tried to look at the unity of thoughts between Islam and Hinduism. He was paraded in Chandni Chowk and then executed (by his brother Aurangzeb who became the emperor)," said Jagmohan.
"We don't have any memorial in his name. He was the favourite son of Shah Jahan. So we decided to make a park in his name just in the lap of the monument built by his father."
Source: IANS