Our heritage walk in old Delhi covers the main street of Chandni Chowk. Starting from outside the Red Fort we cover a distance of about 2 kms till the famous spice market in Khari Baoli. On the way are some well known & some not so well known landmarks which are of historical interest. In most cases, even though the landmarks are old, the buildings standing to commemorate them can be quite modern. (more…)

 

A heritage walk to Kashmiri Gate this Sunday morning was a different and a special experience for we got a chance to know and explore one of the busiest areas of the Delhi City. The area which is frequently visited yet less ‘known’, the area which hides various traces of Indian history but is only termed as congested and filthy.

 We all know how rapidly urban spaces change. It was seems incredible, but our first stop, Nicholson’s Cemetery, was located in the area which was a battleground for British and the Indian rebels during the 1857 revolt. (more…)

Not many would know that women of the royal family of Mughals were instrumental in building of the city of Shahjahanabad. Today it is old Delhi for us, know for the Red Fort & Jama Masjid & all credit goes to Shahjahan.  But patronage of architecture seemed to run in the family. There are many historic buildings in old Delhi built by women of the family & our heritage walk in Chandni Chowk highlighted some of these. Our heritage trail begins are the Digamber Jain Lal Mandir, the famous Jain temple opposite Red Fort. The temple shrine is as old as the city itself & now it is the best known landmark in the old city, know also for the charitable bird hospital in its premises. (more…)

There are many landmarks of 1857 rebellion in Delhi. Delhi was one of the centres of the revolt & after the rebellion was suppressed, India officially became a British colony. By all accounts this was the greatest revolt faced by the British empire, even though they have stuck to the calling it the ‘mutiny’. There are many stories, diaries, histories, documentation of 1857 rebellion by the British which indicate the its impact on their lives & the empire. Naturally, many memorials were built to commemorate the dead on the winning side. (more…)

The wait for monsoons is desperate & the weather is unrelenting. Still, a bunch of enthusiasts gathered this Sunday morning to explore old Delhi. Our heritage walk takes us along the main street of Chandni Chowk. This street was the main axis of the city of Shahjahanbad & still retains its centrality to movement & life in old Delhi. We meet at Digamber Jain Lal temple opposite the Red Fort. This is the oldest Jain temple here and is known for the charitable bird hospital in its premises. Next to it stands the Gauri Shankar temple dedicated to Shiv & Parvati. (more…)