The Kashmiri Gate route is one of the more unusual trudges among our heritage walks. The landmarks covered in this heritage trail are no picturesque monuments. Rather, these are places which are constantly being lived in & thereby altered. Some places are ill kept, others under government control where the caretakers go into hiding, locking up their buildings as soon as they see a curious visitor. (more…)
This heritage walk covers the modern neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate near ISBT. Most of the sites here relate to first half of 19th century and some specific events associated with the revolt of 1857. In the 17th century this area was part of the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad, what is today old Delhi. Kashmiri gate has mansions of some important personalities associated with the Mughal court like, Ali Mardan Khan, the noble who was instrumental in building canals which brought water to the city and Dara Shukoh, Shahjahan’s son. Later, the British started living in this neighbourhood. It is their buildings which mostly survive now. (more…)
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
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
