LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW AT RED FORT (XXXV)

21st July 2015

I stay at Daryaganj and this was my first visit to Red Fort (Lal  Quila). For a person staying at Daryaganj this seems to be little shocking as Red Fort is just 10 minutes walking from my place. This time the plan was initiated by my friend Gabe who wanted to see Sound and Light show at Red Fort. I was keeping my fingers crossed, as whenever I have made plans for Red Fort my plans have always got cancelled. As it was a weekday and we were busy in our usual offices, after much change in plan and timings we finally decided to meet at 8  pm at main gate of Red Fort. As it got dark I preferred taking  a cycle rickshaw rather than walking but due to traffic at Chandni Chowk signal it took me almost 45 minutes to reach the gate. Gabe told me that he and one more of his friends Rameshwari would be little late, so I decided to buy tickets and enter the Red Fort. At the entrance gate there was a lady officer who told me that I would get the tickets inside. I passed the barrier and came to the next barrier where I was thoroughly checked by the security lady officer.  I entered the Red Fort. It was dark, with no one around except few army jawans as security, long walls of Red Fort were above my head. I was alone and the place was very spooky. The excitement and thrill overtook me. I passed through the shops which were closed by then, then a park,and finally I reached the entrance of the sound and light show. 

There the person sitting at the counter, a young guy, in formal clothes and an I-card hanging in his neck, asked me for the tickets and then informed that I would get it at the entrance of the Red Fort. My heart thumped and my mind boggled as I couldn't imagine me going again to the gate alone. Luckily my friends didn't arrive yet and I called them to buy the tickets at the entrance itself. It was so dark that there was no scope of photography also. I clicked few photos and the man at the counter asked me that what I do. I told him I am a lawyer and work with a PSU. As he was also the Government employee, we discussed about pay commissions, benefits the Government give us and also the work culture. He was working since 11 years and still he was not permanent and was on contract basis. The only reason why he didn't switch the job because it was the government company. I asked his profile and he told that he was a multitasker and each week he was assigned a new profile- sometimes at ticket counter, sometimes in administration and sometimes in field job. He laughed loudly when I told him that I was coming there for the first time and I stay at Daryaganj. He was from Uttrakhand - Dangoli district. I had no idea where the place was so he told that it was much ahead of Jim Corbett. We had opted for the English show, however, he informed that Hindi show is much more interesting than the English one.We talked for almost half an hour and then I saw Gabe and Rameshwari from the distance and luckily the tickets in their hands. 

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The Light and Sound show was quite different as I had expected. If I would have seen it in my school days I would have got more marks in History. The history of India (more specifically Delhi) starting from Mughal Empire till the Independence was shown in an hour's time. There were many things which I didn't know before and one major thing caught my attention the  most- the trial of Colonel Prem Sahgal, Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Major General Shah Nawaz Khan. These three were part of British Army and later on they joined Indian National Army. They were convicted of waging war against the King and they had a great role in enhancing the independence struggle. I have never read about them before (CBSE does not cover them nor any history book which I have read so far) and I think somewhere they are lost in the history (luckily Google is there I got a chance to dwell more in their history now). The drawback of the show was that it was not updated and it was still using the words "this century" when they actually meant the 20th Century (I will  be writing a mail to Department of Tourism, Government of Delhi regarding this). Overall, it was decent one time watch.

We ended our day having snacks at Haldiram, Chandni Chowk. I thank Gabe for finally making me visit Red Fort. I wish that I soon visit it in day time when I could explore it fully.