Diwan-i-Khas

Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

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This Hall of Private Audiences in the Red Fort was used for bowing and scraping to the emperor. Above the corner arches to the north and south is inscribed in Urdu, 'If there is paradise on the earth – it is this, it is this, it is this'. Nadir Shah looted the legendary jewel-studded Peacock Throne from here in 1739. Bahadur Shah Zafar became the last Mughal emperor here in May 1857, but was exiled by the British seven months later.

At the time of research, visitors could no longer enter the Diwan-i-Khas, but could still peer in through the open frontage.

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Nearby Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad) attractions

1. Khas Mahal

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South of the public area of the Diwan-i-Khas in the Red Fort is the Khas Mahal, where the emperor lived and slept, shielded from prying eyes by lace-like…

2. Royal Baths

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Closed to the public, the royal hammam in the Red Fort once contained a sauna and hot baths for the royal family.

3. Rang Mahal

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So-named because its exterior was once a riot of colour, Rang Mahal in the Red Fort was the home of the emperor's chief wife. Like the other Red Fort…

4. Moti Masjid

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This small white mosque in the Red Fort was built by Aurangzeb as his private place of worship. The outer walls align with the fort walls, while the inner…

5. Diwan-i-Am

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In the Red Fort, this arcade of sandstone columns was the hall of public audience, where the emperor greeted guests and dignitaries from a throne on the…

6. Museum of Archaeology

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7. Mumtaz Mahal

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8. Shahi Burj

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