As the living heritage of Shahjahanabad slowly crumbles to dust, take a tour of those parts still standing
“I reckon they should build a wall around the city again,” quips Rakesh Kumar Jain. Jain, the owner of a haveli in Shahjahanabad, also known as Old Delhi, the area of the country’s national capital that was built in the Mughal era, may not be entirely joking.
Age-old havelis can be found aplenty in Old Delhi: they may not be as grand as those in Rajasthan or Old Lucknow, but their magnificence lies in their aura of tenacious elegance(Saad Ghani)
Around these two buildings, Dharampura Lane is a depressing sight. Some rickety havelis stand forlorn, bereft of dwellers. One haveli has been turned into a primary school
Perhaps heritage hotels might be a good idea. Done well and bustling with residents, they may return this area to what it was before the colonial British blasted Shahjahanabad in retaliation for the uprising of 1857
There is a rich profusion of well-maintained havelis in Sita Ram Bazaar, which were once inhabited by the natives of Kashmir
There’s a street near Fatehpuri Masjid in Chandni Chowk, where once stood the mansion of Haider Quli who oversaw the Mughal artillery during the reign of emperor Muhammad Shah
Entrances adorned with tracery comprising Persian motifs (Saad Ghani)
The heritage property tag means that the property cannot be used for commercial purposes, nor can it be renovated in any way without permission from the authorities
Shah Jahan’s treasurer’s haveli popularly known as Khazanchi ki haveli in Dariba Kalan is also in ruins (Saad Ghani)
