Old Delhi

Old Delhi

Old Delhi was once known as the city of Shahjahanabad. Shah Jahan established it and made it his capital. This fortified city has a long and interesting history and even today, the remains of its glorious past can be seen in the form of Kashmiri Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Turkman Gate, Delhi Gate and Feroz Shah Kotla. The ever-increasing population in this area has resulted in extremely dense housing overlapping the small industries and commercial activities in the region. Purani Dilli, the capital of Muslim India, from 17th to 19th century houses a number of forts, monuments and mosques.

Chandni Chowk, Red Fort and Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, are also a part of Old Delhi. The prime attractions of Old Delhi include Kashmiri Gate, which was witness to the desperate fighting where mutineers of 1857 were crushed by the British with an iron hand. Then, there is the British-erected Mutiny Memorial, the Ashoka pillar brought here by Feroz Shah Tughlaq, Digambar Jain Mandir, Sunehri and Fatehpur Masjid, the ruins of the city of Feroz Shah Kotla, erected by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1354, and Raj Ghat.

Today, Purani Dilli is a labyrinth of tiny lanes lined, with the remnants of 17th century havelis (mansions), inhabited by a predominantly Muslim population. Yet other attractions of Old Delhi include Zinat-ul Masjid in Daryaganj, which is also known as Cloud Mosque and was built in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb's daughters. Then, there is the Gandhi Memorial Museum and the St. James Church, the oldest church of Delhi built by Col. James Skinner, who was the son of a Scotsman and his Rajput wife.