This month’s special was the heritage walk to Purana Qila (old Fort), led by Anand Taneja. We began the walk from Khair ul Manazil, the Mughal-period madrasa which stands right opposite the Purana Qila. Delhi generally is not associated with Akbar’s reign, but there do exist some monuments associated with him. Khair ul Manazil is a madrasa built by Akbar’s wet nurse, Maham Anga. Adjacent to it are remains of gates & fortifications of Sher Shah’s city. There is a row of single-room structures leading up to the Lal Darwaza, one of the gates of Sher Shah’s capital. These rooms have been identified as shops. Entry to the Old Fort is from near the Delhi zoo. There is a lot of conservation work being done around the gates of the fort so some parts of it are inaccessible. The Old Fort is traditionally associated with the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas in Mahabharata and then with Sher Shah Sur and Humayun. The most prominent monuments inside the Old Fort are the Qila i- Kunha mosque and the Sher Mandal. Continue Reading This Post

Here are some of the pictures of heritage walk exploring Kashmiri gate and its neighbourhood. Most landmarks on this trail relate to the Uprising of 1857. We started from Nicholson’s cemetery. The cemetery is named after John Nicholson, the British commander who died in the fighting during siege of Delhi. Another prominent burial is that of Master Ramachandra of Delhi College fame. An Indian convert to Christianity, he was one of the foremost intellectuals of 19^th century. The city walls of Shahjahanabad, the Mughal capital, start almost immediately across the road from the Nicholson’s cemetery. Not much of it remains but some parts are still traceable alongside the Kashmiri gate. Kashmiri gate is one of the remaining gates of the city. The others are: Turkman, Ajmeri and Dilli gates. The breaching of this gate was crucial in turning the tide in favour of the British. The gate still bears the damage done during the fighting. There are large chunks missing in its façade, from impact of canon balls. Continue Reading This Post

The old city never rests…no matter how early one lands there…it is buzzing with activity. We timed this heritage walk a little earlier than usual hoping to escape the heat and the noise but the city beat us to it, yet again! The Digamber Jain Lal Mandir was the starting point. It is the oldest Jain shrine here and is unique for having a charitable bird hospital in its premises. Adjacent to it is the Gauri Shankar temple, a very important shrine for the Hindus dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are a number of people selling dhatura (a poisonous weed) which is particularly offered to Shiva. Across the road are more shops selling flowers. A little ahead is the Peare Lal building, an example of colonial architecture. There are similar buildings all along the Chandni Chowk.

Food was top most on all our minds as we explored the area. Continue Reading This Post

A group of students from Denmark on their first trip to India joined us for a heritage walk in old Delhi on Sunday evening. The old city of Delhi is the capital built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, who named the new capital after himself, Shahjahanabad. The Red Fort was his palace-fort complex and Jama Masjid the congregation mosque of the city.

We wandered through the narrow lanes of old Delhi: looking at the haveli facades in Katra Khushal Rai, the Digamber Jain Naya Mandir, Naughara, Parathewali Gali. The havelis and Jain temples in the city have a typical late-Mughal aesthetic style: the arches, the life-like representation of flowers, etc, patronised by Shahjahan and used extensively after him. Naughara is a group of havelis (mansions) which still retain much of their traditional appearance.

Next on the route was the main street of Chandni Chowk, Continue Reading This Post

Mehrauli lies on the Aravallis; the terrain is uneven and Acacia is the most commonly found variety of tree. This time of the year is a special treat for the senses. The bougainvillea shrubs are in full bloom and the deep pink and white flowers look exquisite!

We started the walk at the gateway to Balban’s tomb and moved in the large open space created just beyond it after the archaeological excavation. One can find pottery shards lying about on the site. It’s amazing how archaeology transforms landscape. A few months back this area was completed covered in mud and vegetation. One of the chambers’ in Balban’s tomb has the grave of his son, Khan Shaheed although there is another building in the Park which was meant to be his burial place. We next walked through the ruins of a residential settlement towards Jamali-Kamali mosque. Continue Reading This Post