Download - Delhi Heritage City

Medieval And Colonial Capital Cities Of DelhiDESCRIPTIONAlong the southern edge of the square is a market known as Urdu Bazar. This has a number of bookshopsspecializing in Urdu language books. It also has a number of stalls and restaurants serving traditional street foodand more, which the Jama Masjid area has long been known for. The dense neighbourhood known as MatyaMahal lies to the south of this.North ShahjahanabadThe northern areas of the Shahjananbad, north of Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort, have transformed since thefounding of the city. Always much less populous than the area south of Chandni Chowk, a large part of the groundwas covered by gardens, and by the vast mansions belonging to the Mughal royalty and nobility. The latterparticularly occupied the eastern part of this area, the riverfront. When the British first moved into Delhi theyestablished this area as the centre of administrative power, building several new colonial structures, bothreligious and institutional or simply adding to or co‐opting older buildings.The area was also the scene of many a battles during the uprising of 1857, also known as the First War of IndianIndependence. Momentous changes came to the area after the revolt, when the British obliterated large parts ofJahanara’s gardens and established a railway line, aligned along the east‐west axis. ( Section 2b History anddevelopment describes these changes in greater detail) The eastern part, the Kashmiri Gate Area, still retains itswide roads, open spaces and grand buildings, now mostly put to institutional use. There are also handsomeresidential buildings along Nicholson Road.Some key heritage structures in the area:o Kashmiri Gate This was one of the fourteen original gates built by Shahjahan around his newly foundedcity facing towards Kashmir and hence named Kashmiri Gate. This two‐bay gate is built out of brickmasonry and covered with plaster.o Dara Shikoh's Library Dara Shikoh, Shahjahan’s favourite and heir apparent to the Mughal throneexhibited a keen interest in architecture just like his father. He is known to have constructed his mansionin a span of four years (1639 – 43) at the cost of 4,00,000 rupees at a site north of Red Fort near KashmiriGate. Although the current building is mostly the work of the British, many of its original Mughalelements can still be seen. It has a classical façade with 7.5 m ionic columns supporting a partly collapsedarchitrave. The original 3m high plinth and steps can be seen from the rear. Inside too, some elements ofthe original Mughal structure are still visible like a double row of blind arches leading to a central portal.The interior is simple concrete flooring and a concrete roof supported on wooden beams placed on irongirders. It is now part of the premises of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and is used as amuseum under the department of Archaeology, Government of Delhi.o Fakhr‐ul‐masajid (Pride of the mosques) or Lal Masjid, was built in 1728‐29 by Kaniz‐i‐Fatima tocommemorate her deceased husband, Shujaat Khan, a high ranking noble under Aurangzeb. The redsandstone mosque, faced with white marble, is clearly modelled on major mosques in Delhi built duringthe reign of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. In fact, it is one of the few stone mosques built in Delhi during theeighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. The mosque is raised on a 2.5m platform with shops at the base.Once you climb up to the raised courtyard, there are arcades on both the north and the south.o Northern Railway Building The building currently being used as an office by the Northern Railways,was formerly the mansion of Ali Mardan Khan, a senior general of Shahjahan who was associated withmany of his constructions, especially canals and gardens. As was common in the early days of the empire,the British did not feel the need to demolish the original building completely and therefore, the building31‐07‐2012 INTACH, Delhi Chapter 8