By Shivam Kumar Mishra
Delhi is beautiful and chaotic, it is old and new at the same time, surely it has
a fair share to offer everyone. Cafes and clubs for bustling nights, monuments
for shining days. Home of over 20 million people, India’s capital Delhi is filled
with the ruins of the Delhi Sultanate which spanned five dynasties, 32 rulers
and 320 years. It laid the foundation of Islam in India and lasted from 1206 to
1526.
Then arrived the mighty Mughals, who embodied their indelible print on the
city's art, culture, and architecture. This city has a lot of lovers, some who love
its monuments, some who love its food and then those who love its glitz and
glimmer. Then there are some like Anas, who are reviving the city’s lost
heritage, history and culture.
Anas Khan an Anthropologist and a culture-history enthusiast is reviving the
city’s forgotten past with his heritage walks. Anas organises weekly heritage
walks in the city of Delhi. I will join him in discovering some of Delhi’s hidden
gems.
In front of my eyes is the enormous Red fort. Its high walls are a testimony of
the glory of the Mughal empire. On my back is the famous Chandni Chowk, an
entry point to Shahjahan’s walled city of Shahjahanabad, often described as
Old Delhi. Chandni Chowk is famous for a lot of things, it serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi and is known for its bazaars, street food, shopping locations and its Islamic architecture.
As we start our walk our eyes are treated to Begum Samru’s palace; she was the only Catholic ruler in India. Begum Samru, rose from the position of a dancing girl (nauch) to an influential political figure; aided the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II during multiple battles, as well as ruled the principality of Sardhana (near Meerut) after her husband’s death. Begum Samru’s palace in Chandni Chowk now called Bhagirath Palace, was built in a garden gifted by Akbar Shah, a later day Mughal, to the Begum when he ascended the throne after the death of Shah Alam in 1806. Her palatial building still stands in Chandni Chowk, New Delhi. It is currently owned by the State Bank of India, Chandni Chowk Branch.
There are more than a thousand sites in Delhi which have historical relevance. One would be surprised at the number of locations that have historical significance. The tight lanes of Chandni Chowk have numerous havelis, most of them in transition from an old to modern lifestyle. Khajanchi ki Haveli was one of the last standing structures but now it is being abolished. My eyes are witnessing a historical rich monument transforming into ruins.
Chandni Chowk represents India like no other place. The interconnected cultures, religions and monuments are a reflection of it. One can spot Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir (1656), Gauri Shankar Temple (1761), Central Baptist Church (1890), Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (1783), Jama Masjid (1650) etc. are all at a stone’s throw from one another.
Standing Adjacent to Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib (1783), is the beautiful Sunehri Masjid, the city’s other forgotten monument that witnessed the city’s most brutal Qatle-aam (Mass Killings of common citizens). The date March 22nd 1739 has a special significance in Delhi’s history. It was on this day, exactly 273 years ago, that Nadir Shah ordered a qatle-aam of the Capital’s citizens. More than 20,000 men, women and children were killed in cold blood in a matter of six hours. Today, more than two centuries after Delhi witnessed this horror, Sunehri Masjid, stands unaffected by its bloodied past.
Our last stop was the Jama Masjid, which is India’s largest mosque. It has sky-high minarets on all four sides. Sitting idle in the Masjid complex made me realize that there is no better place than Jama Masjid to remember what’s forgotten.
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