Here are some pictures capturing details from our heritage walk at Qutb Complex on 2 October 2011. Vinay is a regular at our walks.

‘Keele to dheeli bhai, Tomara bhaya mat heen’

This couplet referring to the Iron Pillar in the Qutb Complex is one of the popular stories on how Delhi was named. Our heritage walk at the Qutb Complex explored similar interesting nuggets on Delhi and its history. Delhi is known for its capital cities, and it all started here in the Mehrauli area where the Qutb stands today. The first cities of Delhi, the Lal Kot, Qila Rai Pithora and then capital of the Turks were all here. The Complex also has the first congregation mosque, the Jami Masjid, which is popularly known as the Quwwat ul Islam mosque. It is distinctive for the reuse of material taken from temples, used to create the cloisters of the mosque. Some of the pillars have mason’s marks on them giving numbers to the pillars.

In the courtyard stands the famous Iron Pillar. Continue Reading This Post

This heritage walk weaves its trail through the neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate. Our first stop is Nicholson’s Cemetery, where the British hero John Nicholson is buried. He was an important figure in the British success in putting down the rebellion. At Kashmiri gate, our next stop, the destruction by cannon balls could clearly be seen. Some of the battlements too are missing from the top of the gate. The breach of Kashmiri Gate by the British forces was the turning point in their favour. It was exciting for everybody to climb atop the roof and look as far as St. James Church while the modern metro rail line works like city wall demarcating the city controlled by the rebels and the ridge where the British were camped. Moving ahead, we passed the Bengali Club (estb.1925) walked towards a market setup by Lala Sultan Singh. In the same complex, there stands an 18th century mosque called the Lal Masjid or Fakhrul Masajid. It was built by Khaniz i Fatima in the memory of her husband. Next spot was my personal favorite as I am an alumnus of Hindu College, it was fascinating to see and explain history of the same. Continue Reading This Post

A heritage walk in old Delhi evokes all kinds of response one can think of: nostalgia for lost glory; hunger for authentic food; and wonder at the systematic chaos that is the old city, sometimes combined with a feeling of impending doom! Our heritage trail this Sunday morning walk was a mixture of all of this. We start our walking tour at Digamber Jain Lal Mandir, the one famous for its bird hospital. With Red Fort forming the backdrop, we follow the main street of Chandni Chowk right up to the Sisganj gurudwara. On the way is Gauri Shankar temple, SBI buiding, Dariba Kalan and its famous jalebi shop, Central Baptish Church. The fountain chowk where Sisganj stands has much more to it: it marks the spot where Guru Teg Bahadur’s followers were tortured and killed and there is a museum dedicated to their memory. The chowk also has the Sunehri Masjid where the notorious raider Nadir Shah stood to watch the massacre of citizens of Delhi. The Ghantewala Shahi halwai was originally located at the chowk. We leave the main street at Parathewali Gali and entre the lane famous for its shops selling stuffed fried bread (parathas). Continue Reading This Post

The neighbourhood of Kashmiri gate is always an exciting heritage trail. Sometimes our group wades through knee deep water. On other days the neighbourhood is enveloped in fog during chilly winter mornings! This Sunday was a bright sunny day and we began our heritage walk at Nicholson’s Cemetery. The grass is a little overgrown now but it is charming little patch of land. There are some interesting craved gravestones. These graves belong to both British and Indians many belonging to the year 1857. The cemetery is still in use. The grave of Brig. Gen. John Nicholson (who was called Nikhal Sen by his Indian soldiers) is well protected. Another important personality buried here is Master Ramachandra, who taught at the Delhi College.

Our walk then proceeds towards the old Delhi area, towards the city wall of Shahjahanabad. Kashmiri gate was one of the several gates in the capital city of the Mughals. Continue Reading This Post