A delegate entering the Red Fort complex from the Chandni Chowk side in Delhi must navigate a maze of closely arranged security barricades before reaching the heavily guarded Lahori Gate to access the venue of a major UNESCO meeting being hosted in India for the first time.

Security teams from both the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces maintain strict surveillance of the perimeter and the inner sections of the Mughal-era monument, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

India is hosting the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from December 8 to December 13 at the Red Fort.

The gathering is being held in the shadow of the November 10 Red Fort blast that claimed 15 lives and left more than two dozen people injured.

The 17th-century fort, overseen by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has been closed to the general public since December 5 due to the event. An ASI official previously stated it would remain shut until December 14.

A cluster of barricades marked with 'Delhi Police' has been installed in a winding pattern near the exact location of the recent blast.

A police personnel deployed at the site pointed out a patch of soot still visible on the roadside near the Lal Quila Metro Station gate, where the barricades have been placed. “This is the same spot where the blast took place in November, and since this is a very big international event being held in Delhi, security is very tight, day or night,” the personnel told PTI.

Access to the Red Fort is restricted to delegates and accredited media, who are required to carry badges issued jointly by UNESCO and the host government.

Armed CISF personnel guard the Delhi Gate entrance of the complex, while inside, security forces maintain constant monitoring as delegates and guests move through the premises.

After sunset, police patrol teams on motorcycles monitor the stretch around the fort’s perimeter, from Lahori Gate to Delhi Gate.

The event formally opened on December 7, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attending as chief guest. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and India’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, were also present.

On Wednesday, Deepavali was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In the evening, delegates and guests attended a cultural programme on the lawns facing the historic Diwan-i-Aam, followed by a gala dinner held under heightened security.

Abu Dhabi-based Walid Al Halani, a member of the UAE delegation, told PTI, “It is a pleasure to be in India for the first time, to know more about this land and its people.” Meanwhile, traders at Old Lajpat Rai Market continue to speak quietly about the blast, attempting to move past the traumatic incident. “We have to move on, but the scars are there,” said a trader who did not wish to be named.

The Red Fort remains one of India’s most visited tourist landmarks.

Commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace complex of his capital, Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort is renowned for its imposing defensive walls. Construction took place between 1638 and 1648.

In 2023, the fort also hosted the inaugural India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale (IAADB).