Old Delhi
Old Delhi
Purani Dilli | |
---|---|
Municipality | |
Central Delhi | |
Founded by | Shah Jahan |
Old Delhi (
It serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi and is known for its
Upon the 2012 trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Old Delhi became administered by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation,[4][5] but in May 2022 the city was re-unified under a new Municipal Corporation of Delhi
Old Delhi is famous for its walls.
History
Delhi Sultanate era
The site of Shahjahanabad is north of earlier settlements of Delhi. Its southern part overlaps some of the area that was settled by the
Mughal era
Delhi remained an important place for the Mughals, who built palaces and forts. Most importantly,
Colonial era
After the fall of the
1876 description
In 1876, Carr Stephen described the city as follows:[11]
Of the two streets described by François Bernier, the longer extended from the Lahore Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the citadel, and the other from the Delhi Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the fort. Both these streets were divided into several sections, each of which was known by a different name.
The section between the Lahore Gate of the fort and the entrance of the street called the
Between the Kotwali and the gate known as the Taraiah, was the Jauhari or the Jewellers' Bazaar; between the Taraiah and the neighborhood known as Asharfi ka Katra, was, par excellence, the Chandni Chowk. There was a tank in the center of the Chowk the site of which is now occupied by the Municipal Clock Tower, and beyond this to the
This grand street was laid out by Jahanara Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan. From the Lahore Gate of the fort to the end of the Chandni Chauk the street was about 40 yards wide and 1,520 yards long. Through the center of this street ran the canal of 'Ali Mardan, shaded on both sides by trees. On the eastern end of the Chandni Chauk stands the Lahore Gate of the Fort and on the opposite end the mosque of Fatehpuri Begam.
The
Demographics
After the construction of the city, many people from
Walls and gates
It is approximately shaped like a quarter cìrcle, with the Red Fort as the focal point. The old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 1,500 acres (6.1 km2), with 14 gates:[12]
- Nigambodh Gate: northeast, leading to historic Yamuna River
- Kashmiri Gate: north
- Mori Gate: north
- Kabuli gate: west
- Ghaziuddin Khan's Madrassa and Connaught Place, a focal point in New Delhi
A glimpse of Jama Masjid can be seen while passing through Chawri Bazar. - Turkman Gate: southwest, close to some pre-Shahjahan remains which got enclosed within the walls, including the tomb of Shah Turkman Bayabani.
- Delhi Gate: south leading to Feroz Shah Kotlaand what was then older habitation of Delhi.
The surrounding walls, 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 26 feet (7.9 m) tall, originally of mud, were replaced by red stone in 1657. In the Mughal period, the gates were kept locked at night. The walls have now largely disappeared,[15] but most of the gates are still present. The township of old Delhi is still identifiable in a satellite image because of the density of houses.
The Khooni Darwaza, south of Delhi Gate and just outside the walled city, was originally constructed by Sher Shah Suri.
Streets and neighbourhoods
The main street, now termed
North of the street, there is the mansion of Begum Samru, now called Bhagirath Palace. South of the street is Dariba Kalan, a dense residential area, beyond which is Jama Masjid. Daryaganj is a section that used to border the river at Rajghat and Zeenat-ul-Masjid.
The
Its main arteries are
- Netaji Subhash Marg / Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg leading to India Gate (north and south)
- Chandni Chowk/Khari Bawli Road (east and west)
Old Delhi is approximately bounded by these modern roads:
- Nicholson Road (north)
- Mahatma Gandhi Marg (east)
- Shraddhananda Marg (west)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Marg(south)
In literature
The engraving accompanying Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem The City of Delhi, appears to show the Jama Masjid with an elephant on the open ground before it. She associates the city's past glories with tales of enchantment, namely James Ridley's The Tales of the Genii (Sir Charles Mansell).
Historical sites
Many of the historical attractions are in the Chandni Chowk area and the Red Fort. In addition, Old Delhi also has:[17]
- Mughal emperor Aurangzebon 11 November 1675 for rebelling against the forceful conversion of people from other religions (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains) to Islam.
- Gaurishankar Temple
- Salimgarh Fort
- Mumtaz Mahal
- Gali Mirza Ghalib's haveli, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
- Razia Sultana's— tomb near Kalan Masjid
- Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque
- Lal Mandir, Delhi's oldest Jain temple
- Fatehpuri Masjid
- Khari Baoli, Asia's biggest spice market
- Zinat-ul Masjid, Daryaganj built-in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb's daughters
- Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's cremation site memorial
- Col. James Skinner.[18]
Some of the historical mansions include:[19]
- Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 (see [1])now called Bhagirath Palace.
- Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar, 18th-century Jain mansions.
- Khazanchi haveli
- Haveli Raja Jugal Kishore
- Masterji Kee Haveli, Sita Ram Bazar [2]
- Haveli Sharif Manzil in Ballimaran is famous for its Aristocratic Hakims and their Unani practice, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
- Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Qasim Jan that is in Ballimaran
- Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
- Haveli of Zeenat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
- Haksar Haveli, Bazar Sitaram, where Kamla Nehru.
- Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born
- Kucha Chelan (Kucha Chehle Ameeran), where the Persian descent inhabited
- Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. Place where 9th Sikh Guru Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed.
Old Delhi cuisine
Old Delhi is well known for its cuisine. Old Delhi as the seat of the Mughal Empire for over two centuries has come to the modern hub of Mughlai cuisine.[clarify] Karim's, a restaurant described as the city's most famous culinary destination, is near the Jama Masjid. The Gali Paranthe Wali and Ghantewala halwai are also situated here. Chawri Bazaar is one of the oldest markets in Delhi, dating back to the 17th century and was before known as a hardware market, but is known nowadays for its wholesale paper products.
Old Delhi is also known for its street food.
Culinary history
Old Delhi has certain identifiable landmarks of food. These include:
Paranthe Wali Gali
Pandit Gaya Prasad shifted from
Karim's
Having been in the business of catering to
Kallu Nihari
Nihari is a traditional meat stew that is slowly cooked to preserve its taste and the tenderness of its ingredients. Kallu Nihari is a shop in Old Delhi that has served the dish exclusively since it was opened by the late Mohammed Rafiquddin (better known as Kallu Mian) in 1990. The shop, which is well known in the area, has served millions of portions.[22][23]
Harnarains
Harnarain Gokalchand was a pickle and murabba shop that was originally established in Khari Baoli by the name Harnarain Gopinath in 1857. It is often considered to be one of India's first commercially available pickle brands and was at the time India's largest food preservers. Their pickles and sharbat have been a household delicacy for over a century and a half, and have even served Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.[24] Having started from a small shop in Khari Baoli, Old Delhi, it has now become a global brand that goes by the name Harnarains International.
Banta
Characterised by a codd-neck bottle, Banta is a drink that has survived in Old Delhi since 1872.[25] The glass bottle in which this comes has a marble stopper, which is pushed into the bulbous neck of the bottle to unseal it. Engineer Hiram Codd patented the design of the bottle in 1872 in London to effectively seal fizzy drinks.[26]
The Banta bottles even contributed to the Indian National movement. This was so as protestors and rioters would often use these bottles as improvised cannons by adding calcium hydroxide to the mix. Thus, the bottles were banned in many cities across the country at some point before 1947.
Economic structure
Old Delhi has markets running through its streets. The area is vast and multiple products are being sold. Most of them are wholesale sellers and have been selling their products for many years. One such business is Gulab Singh Johrimal[27] was established in Dariba Kalan in 1816 mainly as an attar (perfume) manufacturing business. Since then they have diversified into compounding, incense and toilet soap manufacture. Their retail outlet in Chandni Chowk was started later on. Another such shop is Harnarains manufacturers of pickles and preserves, located in Khari Baoli. Under operation since 1944, it is one of the older shops currently located in Old Delhi. Some migrants sell products like clothes, fruits etc. The sellers of one product often form an association to serve their interests and negotiate with the local government and other official bodies. The Old Delhi area and its markets are governed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).[28]
See also
Further reading
- Delhi, the emperor's city: rediscovering Chandni Chowk and its environs, by Vijay Goel. Lustre Press, 2003. ISBN 81-7436-240-1.
References
- ^ ISBN 9780195659832.
- ^ History of Mughal Architecture By R. Nath, Abhinav Publications, 2006
- ^ City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi By William Dalrymple, Olivia Fraser, HarperCollins, 1993
- ^ Kavitha, Rao (8 October 2012). "Tragic chapter in an Old Delhi library's history". The National. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ^ "Remove overhead wires in old Delhi: North body". The Indian Express. 13 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ISBN 9780195659832.
- ISBN 9780195659832.
- ISBN 978-81-927479-0-3.
- ^ Fanshawe, p. 67
- ISBN 978-81-313-0441-9. Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ Carr Stephen, Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi (Author, 1876), pp. 246-47
- ^ http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2004/01-15Jun04-Print-Edition/011506200496.htm Archived 19 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine Dilli's gates and windows By Mahtab Jahan
- ^ Rehnuma-e-Mazaraat Delhi, Mohammad Asim-ul-Qadri Sanbhli, Mohammad Book Depot, 2007, Old Delhi India
- ^ Sunbhli, Mohammad Asim Al-Qadri, 2007, Rehnuma-e-Mazaraat Delhi Sharif, Muhammadi Book Depot, 523 Waheed Kutb Market Matia Mahal Jamai Mosque, Delhi-6, India, p.p. 284
- ^ Showers bring down ASI-protected wall in Old Delhi Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, ExpressIndia (web-site), The Indian Express, 2003-07-19
- ^ Ghalib, 1797-1869: In 2vols.Vol.1, Life and Letters, By Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Ghalib, Asad-Allāh Ḫān Mīrzā Ġālib, Ralph Russell, Khurshidul Islam Published by Allen & Unwin, 1969
- ^ Old Delhi- 10 easy walks, by Malone Barton, 2006, South Asia Books
- ^ The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857, By William Dalrymple, Vintage, (March 11, 2008)
- ^ Havelis of Old Delhi/Text by Pavan K. Varma and Sondeep Shankar. Reprint, first published in 1992. New Delhi, sexy, 1999
- ^ "Why the 200-year-old taste shop won't budge - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Enjoy The Royal Taste Of Mughlai Food With Karim's Food From India". www.karimhoteldelhi.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "The Legacy of Kallu Mian, Old Delhi's Legendary Nihari Walla". NDTV Food. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Kallu Nihariwale (180, Chhatta Lal Mian, Jama Masjid, Behind Delite Cinema, Daryaganj, Delhi)". yummraj. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "This sharbat is cool". Deccan Herald. 6 June 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ "Banta: Why the street drink is still popular in Delhi". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Pop culture - Livemint". www.livemint.com. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Administrative Quarantine". Archived from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "All Things Kitschy & Cheap - Check Out The Legendary Bazaars of Old Delhi". 25 April 2016. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
Footnotes
- H.C. Fanshawe (1998). Delhi, past and present. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-1318-X.
- Stephen P. Blake (2002). Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India 1639-1739. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-52299-4.
External links
- Old Delhi dictionary and introduction to the names of places
- Street Pictures from Old Delhi
- "Purani Dilli continues to prosper". The Tribune. 4 November 2000.
- The Gastronomy of the Eye, a Photographer on the Streets of Old Delhi
- A painting of Ruins, Old Delhi by Samuel Prout engraved by S Lacey for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, as an illustration to Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem The Zenana..
- A painting of Ruins, South Side of Old Delhi by Thomas Shotter Boys, engraved by G Hamilton, as an illustration to the conclusion of Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem The Zenana.