Delhi’s ‘Red Fort’ was once white in colour, the British made it red, you may not know this secret.
The Red Fort of Delhi, built in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Shahjahan, was once white in colour. The British got it painted red after 1857. This change was made to repair the fort and to showcase British power.
Shahjahan had built the Red Fort of Delhi with white marble
The walls and buildings of the Red Fort were initially white in colour
The British rulers captured the Red Fort and changed its colour
New Delhi: The Red Fort located in Old Delhi has been the pride of the capital Delhi for centuries. This is the same beautiful red building, which is considered a symbol of independence. Every year on the occasion of 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the tricolour flag at the Red Fort. Every day lakhs of people visit the Red Fort. But do you know that the Red Fort of Delhi was once white in colour. When Shah Jahan built it in the 17th century, the fort was white in colour because it was mainly built with white lime plaster. But later the British painted it red. Today we are telling you an interesting story related to this Red Fort of Delhi.
The Red Fort was made of white stone
The construction of the Red Fort of Delhi was started by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1638, and its original form was made of white marble and lime. Therefore, the walls and buildings of the fort were white in colour. Many parts of the fort were made of marble, which was a symbol of Mughal architecture of that time. That is, this building used to be ‘White Fort’.
The British changed the colour
After the First War of Independence of 1857, when the British took over the fort by removing the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, they made many changes in the maintenance of the fort. During this time, the walls and buildings made of white lime started deteriorating over time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the British made several efforts to preserve the Red Fort. The white lime walls of the fort had started to deteriorate, so they painted it red during the repair of the fort. This was done so that the walls remain strong and can be protected from the weather. Along with this, red color was also used because red sandstone was the popular building material of that time, so that the influence of Mughal architecture remains.
Changed color to show its power
Some historians believe that the British rulers changed the color of the fort to demonstrate their power and influence. Red color is often considered a symbol of power and empire. It is also believed that the British wanted to show their imperial nature by painting the fort in red.
