Remember ‘khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali rani thi’ or ‘do gaz zameen bhi na mili kue yaar mein’? Rani Laxmi Bhai of Jhansi, her companion Jhalkari Bai, Tantia Tope, Mangal Pandey & Bahadur Shah Zafar: these are people from Indian history we have most often read about, their poetry of defiance or of despair, were all part of the experience of 1857. (more…)
The neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate is one of the unusual trudges in Delhi. Located near the ISBT, Railway station, a bulk market for car parts, a University Campus, it is extremely busy through the day & the heritage walk is best done on a Sunday morning, when the usual activity has not yet picked up pace. Kashmiri Gate was the area where many Europeans settled in the first half of 19th century & later during the rebellion of 1857, many of its events were played out here. (more…)
Delhi was a key site where events of 1857 unfolded. 1857 changed Delhi forever & this heritage walk recalls some of the events of 1857 rebellion. Although the remains of the 19th century & memorial on 1857 are of the British, there is an attempt to present both sides of the story. Our walking tour starts at Nicholson Cemetery, followed by Kashmiri Gate. The sites covered include the Bada Bazaar, old St. Stephens College & its rival, Hindu College’s old campus & Fakhr ul Masajid. Close by is the first church of Delhi, St James Church built by James Skinner. William Fraser’s house is located behind the church. In the campus of a university is the building where David Ochterlony had his Residency, said to have been built upon Dara Shukoh’s library. Our heritage trail ends on Lothian Road where there are two very important British memorials: the telegraph memorial & the British Magazine.
(posted by Kavita Singh, team member, Delhi Heritage Walks)
Here’s a brief overview of our heritage walk on 1857 revolt, which was organised this past Sunday. It is great pleasure to walk around the city on pleasant winter mornings and rains only add to this experience, I think. A group of enthusiasts joined us to explore the neighbourhood of Kashmiri Gate for landmarks of 1857. Our starting point was Nicholson’s Cemetery. The cemetery is located in an area which was the battle zone between rebels in Shajahanabad & the British on the Northern Ridge. (more…)
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…)
