When the residents of ShahJahanabad were being exiled he not only stayed but flourished. He was amongst the first few people in the city to own a car and a telephone

His income in 1857 was around 1 lakh rupees a month.

The Haveli is built on three floors and has 128 rooms and is spread on half an acre of land.

The ground floor, originally meant to host grand functions of the family, was rented out in 1971 to shop owners, and has since been used for commercial purposes. Today, in this labyrinth of shops, it takes a few minutes for any visitor to find the entrance to the haveli.

It is one of the few havelis that still survive as residential property in ShahJahanabad.

It is located on the main Chandni Chowk road near Fatehpuri Masjid.

In fact he had even bought Fatehpuri Masjid for Ramzan 19000 from the British in 1857. Later in 1877 the British bought it back and restored to the Muslims.

Matia Mahal

I asked him how much and he replied in English, “As you like.” 

He was convinced I’m a firang and wanted to show me each landmark. 

After that I had a fun afternoon.

the crowded lane of Dariba Kalan

He took me through Dariba Kalan and showed me famous shops insisting I visit Kinari Bazar the famous Wedding market. I told him I’ve been there many times but he didn’t quite seem to believe me. 

Nowadays artificial and silver jewellry is more popular

Dariba was and is a famous market for jewellery. Kalan means big. 

Next time will eat jalebi here for sure!

Then we drove past a famous Jalebi shop which I also refused to stop and eat.

So ultimately we decided to go to ‘world famous spice market’ in Khari Baoli. He told me he would park his rickshaw and take me on top of it.

we enter Chandni chowk

“Madam Woh famous church hai,” as we entered Princess JahanAra’s famous Chandni Chowk and passed  opposite the Methodist Church.

Chowk, or the Moonlight Square, was designed and established by Princess Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan’s favourite daughter, in 1650 CE. Originally containing 1,560 shops, the bazaar was 40 yards wide by 1,520 yards long.

in the 18th century

 The bazaar was shaped as a square was given elegance by the presence of a pool in the centre of the complex. The pool shimmered in the moonlight, a feature which was perhaps responsible for its name.
I was now feeling like Princess JahanAra’s alter ego taking a round of her famous market as I emerged into the square. Only difference being it was now a farce of what she created. 

In 19th century 

Gurudwara SisGanj.

“Yeh Sis Ganj Gurudwara hai,” my self appointed guide told me.

I decided to tease him ,” aap ne Sunehri masjid ke baare mein nahin bataya.”

” Jab uske nazdeek aayenge tab Na batainge!”

So we passed that. Time also has bypassed it. 

Sunehri Mosque painted in 1813 AD

Now it’s hemmed in by every side by shops so difficult to photograph and looks very tawdry.

All these are mobile shots from a moving rickshaw

“Woh dekhiye Mughal zamaane ka Jain Mandir hai,” he showed me. I’m not convinced of it being Mughal I tell him. ” Internet kijiye,” he says.

Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran was Ghalib’s address. Though of course je had said bass Ghalib aur Dilli likh do khat pahunch jayega! His haveli in this lane

“Madam Ghalib Ki haveli chaliye,” and is very offended because I say id rather go to Khari Baoli.

We pass Ballimaran Gali.

“Aap kahan Ki hain, yahan ki to nahin lagti.” 

After much protests he agrees to accept I’m from UP and I tell him I’m writing a book on Delhi.

“Kitni kitab likho hai,” he asks.

“Ek ‘l I tell him.

” Only Ek?” He looks very disappointed.

Mohd Azad from Purnea, Bihar has been taking around tourists for 20 years

But we move on passing Chunamal Ki haveli which he shows me.

acc to my guide the Ghanta Ghar remnants. must look up

” Yeh Ghanta ghar hai,”

But that was broken I say, and he says, ” uski Yaadgar hai yeh!” He has an answer for everything .

I’ve forgotten to tell you he showed me Town Hall and I asked him if he knew about Begum ka Bagh? “Woh Kya hai?” So I had an opportunity to show off some of my knowledge too!

“Woh Jahanara Begum ne banwaaya tha. Angrezon ne Tod diya. Town Hall wahin bana.”

Now we are reaching end of Moonlit Road. 

The Fatehpuri Masjid, built by Shah Jahan’s wife

I can see the gate of Fatehpuri Masjid. Once upon a time before Aurangzeb made the Barbican one could see from Lahori Gate of Qila till here. In fact nobles had to dismount here and walk to the Diwan e Aam.

We park the rickshaw and walk to Khari Baoli. It’s a nightmare of traffic, hand pulled carts laden with bags and labour carrying bags on their backs.

Asia’s largest spice market

Somehow we reach inside The entrance of what is Asia’s largest spice market. Though there are shops outside from the chatta pattern it seemed to me that in colonial India this must have been an organised market.

There was a circular ceiling here once upon atime. the round remains

It’s name comes from a  water well that was situated here. A small Baoli was made around it under Islam Shah, Sher Shah’s son in 16th century but as its water was brackish it didn’t flourish and earned the name Khari Baoli or brackish well.it is behind Fatehpuri masjid.

Madam main tasveer achi khenchta hun

A huge square colonial structure was built here at some point of time where the spice traders have their shops. I walked around it.
I couldn’t stop sneezing

Bags of red chillies everywhere

 In the middle there are haphazard shops, houses etc .

But the best part is the gorgeous view of the Fatehpuri mosque. It’s build directly behind the Done.

The Courtyard of Fatehpuri Mosque

Up close and personal

We walk to the roof and I love the cupolas there and pose in front of it.

Hing on the roof

Dharmendra from Basti in UP was making hing which he said comes from Afghanistan.

The cupola on top

From on top I get a lovely view of the old city. 

The complete chaos that is traffic here.

We walk around the roof and both of us pose for photographs 

He wants to take me around the city not get clicked

I must say hes a better photographer

We walk down and I buy some dry fruits from Afgan shop owned by Ajay Chopra. His grandfather came from Afghanistan post partition and opened this shop here .

Mr. Ajay Chopra

Did you know there are so many types of Pepper?

Green Pepper, Black Pepper & White pepper

My rickshaw waala wants to take me to other places but I’m getting late so we exchange numbers and I leave with promise of hiring him again soon.

I’ve reached the parking lot.

Qila in front & Urdu Jain Mandir on left

And no tho he mistook me for a firang and spoke in English he didn’t overcharge. He was very happy with the 300₹ I gave him for 1 1/2 hours of driving me around.

Dil dhoondhta hai fursat ke woh raat din

The history of Nadir Shah by Abdul Karim, says that a rumour had been spread in the city that Emperor Mohammad Shah had assasinated Nadir Shah in the citadel. The Qazilbash or soldiers of Nader Shah were attacked by the citizens of Delhi,and it is said about 3000 were killed. By midnight the report of these happenings reached Nader Shah who at first disbelieved it. The orderlee he sent to enquire was murdered. Then Nader Shah ordered 2000 Jazarchees to occupy the gates of the Fort and fire into the crowd. For a while the disturbance abated but by morning it started again. He rode out of the fort to the Roshanud daulah mosque and ordered that no man dressed as a Hind was to be spared.
“On the morning of 22 March, (1739) Nader mounted his horse and rode from the palace to the Roshan-od-Dowala mosque (the former name of Sunehri Masjid). As he arrived there with his men about him, some people threw stones from balconies and windows around the mosque, and a shot was fired, killing an officer beside him. He had already made up his mind, but this final insult may have added fury to Nader’s frustration. He went to the roof of the mosque and stood by the golden domes, looking out over the houses, shops and roof of the Chandni Chowk district. He ordered that no one should be left alive in any part where any of his soldiers had been killed, and then drew his sword as a signal that the massacre should begin.”
The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant, by Michael Axworthy
From 7am to 4pm Delhi was given up to massacre. Emperor Muhammad Shah alarmed at the reports that reached him and sent a messenger to Nader Shah begging for forgiveness; “the tyrant relented and spared the people of Delhi for the sake of Mohammad Shah.”
Another account says that Mirza Mehdi the physician of Nader Shah was seated on the steps of the mosque when Asif Jah, the PRime Minister of Mohammad Shah came with a petition to beg for mercy and Nader Shah forgave the citizens of Delhi and soldiers immediately sheathed their swords.

These photographs are from Jan 2015 when i visited it.
Today unless you know about ot you will give it a miss and never notice its tarnished golden domes.
This mosque is an oblong of 48 feet by 19 feet; it stands on a masonry platform from the level of the road which it overlooks. There is a grill on its unpretending gateway. 8 narrow steps lead up to the courtyard.

There are 3 arched entrances to the mosque which are normally kept locked. They lead to three rooms.
The three rooms are covered by three gilt domes,the centre dome being larger than those on the side.

When i visited it was covered by a green tarp so I couldn’t capture the domes.

From the internet.
There is encroachment from all sides. The stairs leading up.from the courtyard of the mosque lead upto a warren of rooms which are occupied. I climbed up it thinking I could go upto the roof and landed inside someone’s room instead.
Opposite it is the magnificent Sisganj Gurudwara.
The Kotwali of the Mughal era used to be next to this mosque once upon a time.

An adjoining sehan

Encroachment from all sides

On the road from Chawri bazar Metro Station to Jama Masjid there is one of the prettiest mosques in Delhi. This is the Ruknuddaula Mosque on the first floor on your left as you walk towards Jama Masjid. It is very easy to miss the mosque unless you know about it and look up. Normally there is such a crowd in the Chawri bazar lanes that one keeps their eyes peeled straight ahead to avoid banging into someone.This mosque was built by nawab Ruknuddaula who was the Prime Minister of Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II. Not much is known about him except that he was from Hyderabad and his family didnot stay on in Delhi. Imam Nuruddin told me that the Mosque was entrusted into the care of a Lalaji ( he didn’t know the name) and till recently he was the one who took care of it. Now the Delhi Waqf Board has taken over. The beauty of this mosque are its stone carvings. They have all been carved in the main stone itself and not added from on top. Its simply breathtaking and one has to go there and see it for oneself to believe that such exquisite work was done in India. These flowers were carved out from the slab of stone itself and one can imagine the painstaking work involved.

This mehrab has again been carved out of the main block and as Imam Nuruddin said might have taken a couple of months.Imam Nuruddin who has been leading the prayers in this mosque has been here for 40+ years. He lives nearby and is by profession a darner. he showed me his work and as you can see there are no traces of the darn from on top.

A functioning mosque it was time for the evening prayers so I left.

Location : between Chawri bazar Metro Station Gate no. 3 towards Jama Masjid, on your left.

A message by Jamaluddin Ahmed
“Ruknuddaula was my great grand father. He and his son Ziauddaula were the prime ministers of the Moghuls. During the mutiny Ziauddaula lost his sons because they were in the forefront of the mutiny. They were hung at the qooni darwaza. His youngest son as a child was taken in disguise by his maid to Hyderabad. There in Hyderabad nawab Bashiruddin Ahmed Khan grew up and went back to Delhi to claim his property that was confiscated by the Britishers.

Ruknuddaula built this mosque in the middle of then red light district to encourage people to go to the masjid and pray as opposed to get involved in immoral activities such as prostitution as johns.

“A painting of Zaiuddaula sent by his great grandson Jamaluddin Ahmed Khan