The main gate to the fort looks towards Lahore in Pakistan, the second most important city in the Mughal empire. During the struggle for Independence, nationalists promised to raise the Indian flag over the gate, an ambition that became a reality on 15 August 1947.
Immediately beyond the gate is the regal Chatta Chowk , which once sold silk and jewels, but now mainly sells souvenirs. At the eastern end of the bazaar, the arched Naubat Khana once accommodated royal musicians and served as a parking lot for royal horses and elephants. Upstairs is the Indian War Memorial Museum , with a fearsome-looking collection of historic weaponry.
A short stroll north, housed in a colonial-era block, the Museum on India’s Struggle for Freedom tells the story of the Independence struggle. If you walk on through the dilapidated barracks, you’ll reach a deserted baoli (step-well), which the British used as a prison, and a causeway leading to the Salimgarh , a fortress built by Salim Shah Suri in 1546. It was likewise used as a prison, first by Aurangzeb, and later by the British; it’s still occupied by the Indian army, but you can visit the ruined mosque and a small museum.
