Name: Diwan Khas o Aam
Location: Lahore Fort
Date of Construction. 1628, rebuilt 1846
Material of Construction: Red sandstone
Brief Description
The Diwan-i-Amm, or ‘hall of public audiences’ is attached to Jahangir’s palace/ quadrangle on its north side in Lahore Fort. It includes an expansive court (730’X460′) and a trabeate hall on its northern side. The innermost row of rooms was built by Jahangir. Cloth canopies were set up in front of these rooms to shelter the courtiers, until a pillared hall, known as the Chehil Sutun, or forty-pillared audience hall, was added by Shah Jahan. Standing on a large rectangular platform, the hall measures 187 feet by 60 feet and rises to a height of 34 feet. The hall faces a vast green open space on its southern side and is accessed through a series of steps.
The façade of the Diwan is distinguished by the red sandstone brackets supporting the wide slanting chajja, or projecting eaves. The pillars are decorated with chevron designs on their shafts, and muqarnas designs on their capitals, similar to their counterparts in the Diwan-i-Am of Agra. The outer walls are arcaded and the back wall contains a balcony-throne from which the emperor granted audiences. The Jharoka e darshan was made with white marble.
Naqoosh-e-Javidan 