The vaulted arcade of Chatta Chowk , an impressive covered bazaar now dedicated to selling tourist junk, leads into the huge fort compound. Inside is a veritable treasure trove of buildings, including the Drum House , the Hall of Public Audiences , the white marble Hall of Private Audiences , the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Colour . An evening sound and light show recreates events in India's history connected with the fort. The great mosque of 'Old' Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was built in 1644 and was the last in the series of architectural indulgences of Shah Jahan, the Moghul emperor who also built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.
Travelers arriving bare-legged can hire robes at the northern gate.
This may be the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling like a prat, so make the most of the hallowed atmosphere. The main street of 'Old' Delhi is a magnificent bazaar and as fine a monument to congestion, colour and chaos as you'll find in India today. New Delhi New Delhi is a monument to British Imperial ambitions solidly set in a city so fluid and chaotic that it took less than 20 years for the entire planned municipality to be historically obsolete. Under the leadership of architect Edward Lutyens, New Delhi was to encapsulate the spirit of British sovereignty in marble, stone and grandeur. The scale of the city and its wide ceremonial avenues echoed Moghul architecture, but the buildings are classical in design and play only the merest lip service to Indian styles.