Archive for the ‘Heritage Walks’ Category

A walking tour of Chandni Chowk, 6oct13

October 14, 2013 in Chandni Chowk,Chandni Chowk Heritage Walks,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage sites in Delhi,Heritage Walks,Monuments of Delhi,Old Delhi,Old Delhi Heritage walks,Walking Tour | Comments (2)

Old Delhi is a fantastic location to trace different phases of Indian history. This Sunday our heritage walk focused on exploring Chandni Chowk, the main street of the city of Shahjahanabad, to understands the ups & downs, changes in Mughal rule & the arrival of British. We started near the mouth of Chandni Chowk, near Red Fort. The first stop is two old temples: Digambar Jain Lal Mandir and Gauri Shankar Temple. Former is a Jain temple of the Digambar sect while ltater is a Shaiva temple dedicated to main Hindu deity Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati or Gauri.

Our next stop is the State Bank of India building whose large façade, round arches, Roman pillars and high ceilings are typical of colonial architecture. However, it is interesting to note that it is built over an estate of Kashmiri dancing girl-Begum Samru who was very influential in the eighteenth century. Her palace still exists and is part of Bhagirath Place which is Asia’s biggest electronic market today. A few steps ahead is Dariba Kalan which is a popular street for jewellery. The market has some traditional businesses which manufacture &s sell itra, i.e perfumes or essence. (more…)


The spectacular remains of Firuzabad, through a heritage walk, 15sept13

September 20, 2013 in Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage sites in Delhi,Heritage Walks,Kotla Firuz Shah,Kotla Firuz Shah Heritage Walks,Monuments of Delhi,Special Heritage Walks,Walking Tour | Comments (2)

There are very few of us unfamiliar with the craze that seizes Delhi when cricket matches are held at Kotla cricket stadium in Delhi. But how many know of the monumental ruins that stand adjacent to it? The citadel of Kotla Firuz Shah, the remains of the capital city of Firuzabad. In fact, it is the citadel which gives the stadium its name. Built in the 14th century by Tughluq king, Firuz Shah, there are only three monuments left in this citadel. Yet, these three have spectacular stories associated with them, both of the past & the present. (more…)


A heritage walk to the neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate, 25aug13

August 30, 2013 in 1857,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage sites in Delhi,Heritage Walks,Kashmiri Gate,Kashmiri Gate Heritage Walks,Monuments of Delhi,Walking Tour | Comments (2)

Walk through Kashmiri Gate today & the place is a thriving market for automobile parts, old shops selling all kinds of hardware, including guns! It is hard to imagine how it would have looked three centuries ago. I study in the same neighbourhood & every time I walk through it I wonder about its evolution. The traces of the past are everywhere to see: old lodges with colonial architecture, shops with English names, remains of some Mughal monuments. Our heritage walk this Sunday, gave me an opportunity to share my thoughts & questions with an enthusiastic audience. (more…)


Walking tour to Hauz Khas Village & Deer Park, 18aug13

August 29, 2013 in Deer Park,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,hauz Khas,Hauz Khas Heritage Walks,Heritage sites in Delhi,Heritage Walks,Monuments of Delhi,Walking Tour | Comments (0)

‘Hauz Khas is so large that an arrow cannot be shot from one side to the other’ wrote Timur, who raided Delhi in the 14th century. It is ironical that he defeated the Tughluq ruler & hastened the end of the dynasty, but was full of praise for buildings erected by the same dynasty. He camped at Hauz Khas, prayed in the mosque at Kotla Firuz Shah and wrote all about it in his memoirs.

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Walking through old Delhi, 11aug13

August 15, 2013 in Chandni Chowk,Chandni Chowk Heritage Walks,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Old Delhi,Old Delhi Heritage walks,Walking Tour | Comments (0)

This Sunday morning was a spent rambling around the historic street of Chandni Chowk. Our heritage walks here focus on discovering discreet phenomenon which were responsible for shaping up this place the way we see it today. Shahjahanabad has seen affluence and as well as the crises of the Mughal Empire. Further, the creeping in of British influence is also evident in the Mughal capital city.  (more…)