The Kashmiri Gate heritage walk ‘brings alive’ many famous British characters associated with the First War of Independence or the Revolt of 1857. The first is Brigadier General John Nicholson, who is buried in a quiet corner of the Nicholson Cemetery. He is best known for being merciless while meting out punishment to the revolting sepoys. Another important grave in the cemetery is that of Master Ramchandra or Yasudas Ramchandra, a brilliant mathematician and Urdu journalist, who converted to Christianity in 1852 and lived to see the rebellion in Delhi. The next stop is the Kashmiri Gate, a mute witness to the explosion that ripped apart its wooden doors and allowed the British army an entry point to the rebellious city of Delhi on 14^th September 1857. The Kashmiri Gate area, once a fashionable promenade and commercial centre for the British, lost its glory to New Delhi when the latter was built in the 1930s. However, it still retains its old-world charm, in its architecture and old buildings. One monument that has withstood the test of times is St. James Church, built by Colonel James Skinner in 1836. Skinner himself is buried near the altar in the church. Continue Reading This Post

Lodi Garden is one of the best landscaped parks in Delhi. The monuments here especially stand out as remarkable objects of beauty surrounded by well maintained lawns. Our heritage walk in Lodi Garden begins at gate no. 1 on Lodi Road. As you enter the gate, the imposing Bada Gumbad stands tall straight ahead. However, we take the path to the left and the first stop on the walk is Muhammad Shah Sayyid’s tomb. The Sayyids and Lodis are often clubbed together in the study of history and we know very little about the individual Sayyid rulers. But we do have tombs of two of the Sayyid rulers in Delhi: one at Kotla Mubarakpur and the other at Lodi Garden. The tomb here is surrounded by tall palm trees which are a favourite in formal landscaping. As one turns the path to enter the tomb, there is a tall tree on the left. It is called ‘Buddha’s Coconut’, a native to rainforests in South and North East Indian rainforests. It is the tallest tree in Lodi Garden. The path then takes you across the bicycle track and along the butterfly conservatory to the Bada Gumbad. Continue Reading This Post

The walk of the month for January was themed on 1857 uprising and its landmarks on the northern ridge.  The ridge is an exciting place to explore any time of the year. And this Sunday morning was a perfect day to plan the walk. We started at the Flagstaff Tower, near Delhi University VC’s office. British residents from cantonment of Delhi assembled here after the rebellion broke out in Delhi. They waited for help but none came their way and they fled to Punjab. Nearby is an enclosure which was the burial place of four British officers commanding native infantry stationed in Delhi, and were killed by the rebels. The graves do not exist anymore but the enclosure stands. From here we entered the narrow walking trails within the ridge and reached the Khooni Jheel. This water body is named so because bodies of British killed by the rebels and then then the rebels killed by the British were dumped here. Continue Reading This Post

Sunday evening saw the Hauz Khas monuments buzzing with activity: families with kids playing in the lawn, a group of youngsters playing cricket, friends hanging out, photographers and among these our group, out on a heritage walk. We meet at entrance to the Deer Park and our heritage trail starts in the direction of Hauz Khas village. Walking past the designer shops, we enter the madrasa in Hauz Khas through a small gateway. Those new to the neighbourhood are always amazed to find such a magnificent building hidden among the urban growth! The view of the lake and the grand ruins around it is simply breathtaking! One can only imagine its splendor way back in 14^th century. The madrasa is a 2 storey complex built along the edge of the tank. What survives today is bare skeleton of the original structure. One can make out the colonnaded halls and cells which perhaps housed students. Continue Reading This Post

Delhi was the centre of the Uprising of 1857. As a result, the area around the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad is full of landmarks of the revolt. This heritage walk beings at Nicholson’s Cemetery, named after the British general who was fatally wounded fighting the rebels. His grave lies in the cemetery. The cemetery has several contemporary graves, one of the most prominent being that of Master Ramachandra, of Delhi College fame. The trail then continues into the fortified area of the former capital of Delhi. The Kashmiri Gate stands testimony to the battles of 1857. It is the point from where the Indian rebels stood to defend themselves from the British siege. The breaking of the defenses at Kashmiri Gate, turned the tide in British favour and they soon overtook the city of Delhi. Before 1857, the neighbourhood around here had residences of prominent officials of East India Company. Some traces of these still remain. Walking through the market here, one can see the Lal Masjid also known as the Fakhrul Masajid and the old Hindu College & old St. Stephen’s College buildings. St. James Church, the oldest church in Delhi, stands tall, across the road. It was built by James Skinner, in thanksgiving, when he survived wounds suffered in a battle. Continue Reading This Post