This heritage walk covers the modern neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate near the ISBT. Most of the sites here relate to first half of 18^th century and some specific events associated with the revolt of 1857. In the 17^th 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.

We started the heritage walk from Nicholson’s cemetery. John Nicholson was a British general, instrumental in breaching the defenses of rebels who were controlling Delhi, and in the process lost his life. The cemetery is named after him, but there are other important people buried here as well. Continue Reading This Post

Mehrauli Archaeological Park is one of the most picturesque sites in Delhi. The area is virtually littered with ruins. Besides the prominent tombs and mosques there are numerous unnamed ruins which were probably part of residential settlements. Crumbling walls and niches are peek out from the surrounding vegetation. Balban’s tomb is the first major monument on the heritage walk. It is an extremely significant building as it is the earliest surviving example of the use of the true arch in construction. The adjacent chamber has a grave which is traditionally believed to be of Balban’s favourite son, Khan Shaheed. Immediately after the tomb is a large area covered with ruins of small rooms which may have been residential units. Only the foundations remain now and we can see that some of these structures might have been double-storeyed. A little ahead is the Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb. This is the monument which gives the area its local name. This is a protected monument under ASI and is now always under lock and key. Continue Reading This Post

Chandni Chowk or ‘moonlight square’ is the main thoroughfare in old Delhi. So much so, that the name is sometimes used synonymously with purani dilli or for the entire old city. The heritage walk in Chandni Chowk starts from the Digamber Jain Lal Mandir, the oldest Jain temple here. The shrine is contemporary to Shahjahan’s time but most of the temple building dates to mid-18^th century. Right next to it is the Gauri Shankar temple, which was a small shrine to start with, in the 18^th century, but now is one of the most prominent landmarks in the area. On the other side of the road are flower shops selling dhatura (a poisonous weed) and bel (fruit with a hard outer shell) which are especially offered to Lord Shiva. Next stop was the SBI building built in typically colonial style, with its Romanesque columns, doors with fanlights and semi circular arches with prominent keystone. Nearby is the Central Baptist church, one of the older churches in Delhi, built just after 1857. Continue Reading This Post

Lodi garden in the heart of the capital is one of the best parks in Delhi. A nice place to walk around, exercise, peep inside tombs and observe birds. The Saturday evening heritage walk covered the monuments in this park. ‘Lodi Garden’ itself is a British creation. In the beginning of the 20^th century, Delhi’s landscape would have looked like a vast necropolis…miles and miles of space dotted with massive ruins. Creation of this park was part of colonial initiative to beautify their new capital, so that the monuments stand out as singular objects of beauty. Starting out as Lady Willingdon Park, it got its present name post-independence because most monuments in the park belong to the period when Lodi’s were ruling. We started our heritage walk at Mohd. Sayyid’s tomb. It is a typical octagonal tomb, which has recently undergone conservation. One can see the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pics of the tomb pasted below). Continue Reading This Post

The monuments’ complex in Hauz Khas village is a remarkable set of buildings in Delhi. It is a 14^th century madrasa, an institution for Islamic learning, which is built around a 13^th century tank. The heritage walk in Hauz Khas covers this madrasa complex as well as some monuments in the adjacent Deer Park. A winding lane from Hauz Khas village leads us to the gateway to the complex. There is a lot digging being done in the complex so most of the area is piled up with building materials and big stones. The madrasa building is built along one side of the tank and originally the water would have lapped its walls. Now the tank is much smaller and there is a landscaped park with jogging track between the tank and the madrasa. It is an excellent view of the surroundings and in the evening, with the birds chirping and colours of the sunset, it makes a beautiful setting. Continue Reading This Post