March 13, 2012 in Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,hauz Khas,Hauz Khas Heritage Walks,Heritage Walks | Comments (0)
The neighbourhood of Hauz Khas gets its name from a 13th century reservoir: ‘hauz’ is a tank & ‘khas’ is important or special. Now part of a DDA park, the tank was originally called Hauz i Alai, built by Sultan Alauddin Khalji. He also built his capital city of Siri, today the area around Asiad village & Khel Gaon marg. The tank served the needs of this capital city. After 50 years after Alauddin, another Delhi sultan, Firuz Shah Tughluq found the tank silted up & people growing crops on it. He removed the ‘encroachments’, re-dug the tank & built a madrasa & his own tomb along its edge. Continue Reading This Post
February 29, 2012 in Delhi Heritage Walks,Heritage Walks,Lodi Garden,Lodi Garden Heritage Walks | Comments (0)
Today was a perfect day for an evening stroll at the Lodi Garden. One of the most beautiful parks in the city of Delhi, the Lodi Garden is also full of tombs of some of the Sultans of Delhi. Our first stop on this heritage walk is in fact the tomb of Mohammad Shah Sayyid, of the Sayyid dynasty. It stands prominently on elevated ground and the perimeter is marked by tall palms in a way that the beauty of the tomb is highlighted. Next to stands ‘Buddha’s Coconut’ or ‘narikel’ the tallest tree in this park. Continue Reading This Post
February 22, 2012 in 1857,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage Walks,Kashmiri Gate,Kashmiri Gate Heritage Walks | Comments (0)
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
February 17, 2012 in Chandni Chowk,Chandni Chowk Heritage Walks,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage Walks | Comments (0)
The crowds at Chandni Chowk are an amazing sight, even on a Sunday morning when the market is officially closed. From Digambar Jain Lal Mandir (of the well known bird hospital) till Gurudwara 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. Continue Reading This Post
February 1, 2012 in 1857,Delhi Heritage Walks,DHW,Heritage Walks,Northern Ridge,Northern Ridge Heritage Walks,Northern Ridge Heritage Walks,Special Heritage Walks | Comments (0)
The rebellion of 1857 is well known in Indian history. 1857 was the largest uprising anywhere against the British and Indians call it the first war of Independence, the Uprising or the simply the rebellion. For the other side, the British, it remains the Mutiny. After suppressing the rebellion, India was brought directly under the rule of the British Crown. Delhi was one of the biggest centers of the 1857 rebellion and our heritage walk in the northern ridge explores some of the sites where events of 1857 unfolded.
The first stop on our heritage trail is the Flagstaff tower. A look out space, it would have been one of the highest points on the ridge. This is where European men, women and children took shelter when they escaped the city of Shahjahanabad, away from the attacking rebels. They waited for help and when none came they moved further to Karnal. Now the area is surrounded by trees but photographs of 1858 show this land to be barren, with the Flagstaff tower standing lonely at this height. There was a photographer, Felice Beato who travelled around the country photographing the sites of the rebellion in the year 1858. His photos are a telling account of the situation then, and help us imagine it as we see those very sites today.
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