‘pictures of 1857 heritage walk at Kashmiri Gate, by Anirudh Singh Rawat‘

This heritage trail covers sites associated with late-Mughal period and landmarks of the uprising of 1857. We began at Nicholson’s cemetery and spent some time sauntering around, looking at the interesting gravestones. Some are indeed beautifully carved. The cemetery is named after Brigadier Gen. John Nicholson who is one of the heroes of the 1857 rebellion for the British. He was fatally injured when the British forces were trying to enter the walled city of Shahjahanabad (where the rebels had set up base). The cemetery also has Master Ramachandra’s grave. Continue Reading This Post

(photos by Vinay Kumar of the heritage walk covering landmarks of 1857 uprising. He is a photography enthusiast and a regular at our walks)

The year 1857 is of great significance to the city of Delhi. It changed the life of the city and its people like perhaps, never before. The Mughals were gone, the city was witness and victim to tremendous violence and it was shorn of its status as a capital. The neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate still carries the traces of the rebellion of 1857. This is where the most bitter battles were fought between the rebels and British armies. The British who emerged victors, marked these sites with memorials to their heroes. Our heritage walk this Sunday looks at some of these. It is remarkable that the city was the central to the events of 1857 and also in our imagination today, does not have a memorial which might try to represent the point of view of the rebels. Continue Reading This Post

The rebellion of 1857 is one of the most significant events of the history of the city and for India. Variously known as the Mutiny, the First War of Independence, the Uprising and the Rebellion, it altered the history of the city. Delhi was one of the centres of the rebellion. It is here that the rebel sepoys from Meerut came, and got the support of the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. The recapture of Delhi by the British forces comes as the most significant of victories in 1857-8. This heritage walk on 1857 tries to capture some moments of tension, conflict, hopelessness and anger which motivated both the rebels and the British. Our walk starts at Nicholson’s Cemetery and covers the neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate, which was part of the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad. The cemetery lies just outside the city walls and it is named after Brigadier-General John Nicholson, who is buried here. He is one of the heroes of British recapture of Delhi. Continue Reading This Post