Remember ‘khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali rani thi’ or ‘do gaz zameen bhi na mili kue yaar mein’? Rani Laxmi Bhai of Jhansi, her companion Jhalkari Bai, Tantia Tope, Mangal Pandey & Bahadur Shah Zafar: these are people from Indian history we have most often read about, their poetry of defiance or of despair, were all part of the experience of 1857. (more…)
Way back in the 13th century, Sultan Alauddin Khalji ruled from the capital city of Siri (Delhi). He decided to dig up a tank, Hauz i Alai, about 28 hectares large to provide water for the fields & the capital. After him, the Khalji dynasty declined & the tank fell into disrepair. It silted up & people carved out private plots of land on it. They dug wells & were selling of its water. (more…)
The crowds at Chandni Chowk are an amazing sight, even on a Sunday morning when the market is officially closed. It is natural to be overwhelmed by the hustle-bustle of the people and traffic. From Digambar Jain Lal Mandir till Gurdwara Sisganj there were cars lined all along the road-of devotees to the Jain Mandir, Gauri Shankar temple, Central Baptist Church and Sisganj Gurdwara. Friends who visit the area are often surprised to find places of worship of all faiths so close to each other. But perhaps it is not such an unusual thing in the closely knit urban population as in our Purani Dilli. (more…)
Mehrauli Archaeological Park is one of the most interesting trails in Delhi. The route covers an archaeological site, the tomb of Sultan Balban, Jamali Kamali mosque & tomb, Thomas Metcalfe’s estate called Dilkusha (which consisted of a boathouse, Metcalfe’s follies, Mohd Quli Khan’s tomb converted into a residence) and a step well by the name Rajon ki Baoli. The walk was conducted by Kanika Singh & Kavita Singh, team members, Delhi Heritage Walks.
these photos were taken by Pankaj Jain, a corporate lawyer & photography enthusiast on our heritage walk to Northern Ridge
