Lal Mahall

Bari, India

Fond of hunting, Emperor Shah Jahan had many palaces and pavilions constructed at imperial reserves. The reserve at Bari was the largest and the best stocked, motivating the construction of the Lal Mahall for the Emperor to visit almost every year. Situated at the edge of the lake, the palace's name is derived from the red stone it is built of. The palace comprises a collection of small buildings that spreads out and has walled enclosures around them.

One of the enclosures has a hammam (bathing house) that overlooks the north end of the lake. A raised walkway ornamented with chhatris (kiosks) links the residential and hammam enclosures to a large pavilion on the east side of the lake. The pavilion consists of three courtyards, each designed following the char bagh pattern (garden divided into four sections). One of the side courtyards was for the use by men while the other was for women. The central courtyard was reserved for imperial use and has the emperor's jharoka (viewing balcony with open lattice work screen) centrally placed in the east wall of the courtyard. The jharoka forms the second level of a low building consisting of several rooms and is covered by a curved roof.

Sources:

Alfieri, Bianca Maria. Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2000. 259.

Asher, Catherine B. Architecture of Mughal India. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1992. 205, 206.