Some cities are born great. Some cities achieve greatness. And some cities have greatness thrust upon them. And then there’s Delhi. Delhi, which was born of legend and continued into greatness, basically becoming the capital city of every single major dynasty and empire that ever happened to India. Delhi has pedigree, history, class and then some more.
That’s a kind of greatness that isn’t really imaginable. Books have been written on the subject. Now we can’t write a book describing the City of Cities, but we can try and capture some of, if not all of, it’s greatness as best we can. So pull up a chair and relax and enjoy this trip through a photo history of this great city.
OLD DELHI/NEW DELHI
The story’s pretty obvious here. First there was an Old Delhi, where most of its magnificent history took place and there was New Delhi, where India’s seat of parliament is located. Or, if you like, its A Medieval Architectural Mish Mash Delhi and Lutyen’s Delhi. Old Delhi sprang up and grew organically and New Delhi was, well, planned and designed by Lutyen.
Old Delhi, before the siege of 1857
A view of Old Delhi with the Jama Masjid in the background.
Old Delhi today.
An aerial perspective of the plans for Lutyens Delhi.
An aerial view of New Delhi completed.
A view of New Delhi today.
Old Delhi
Originally called Shahjahanabad, it was founded by the Mughals and formed the seat of government right up till the early days of the British rule. It became the new seat of government, however, when the British captured the city in the siege of 1857.
Old Delhi still is the metaphorical heart of the entity we call “Delhi” today. In fact its highly likely that the name Delhi conjures up images of iconic monuments like the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. Which were built in Old Delhi.
Red Fort
Built almost entirely of red sandstone, the fort was the very heart of Old Dlehi when it was first built and in a certain sense, still is the heart of Delhi. Every year on Independence Day, the Prime Minister hoists the flag and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from the fort. The building also attracts thousands of tourists each year. Evidently, some buildings just won’t let themselves be forgotten.
An artist’s sketch of the Red Fort before the siege of 1857
A photograph of the Red Fort from 1905.
The Red Fort today
Jama Masjid
India’s million rupee mosque took all of six years to carefully craft. The reason? Each stone had to be consecrated before it could be used for building.
An Artist’s Impression of Jama Masjid in 1852
Jama Masjid, 1857
Jama Masjid today.
Chandni Chowk
The Moonlight Square, as it was known, was originally designed by Shahjahan’s favourite daughter, with the original shops built around the square in the shape of a half-moon. The original half moon is lost and most of the shops in the area have online websites, but Chandni Chowk is just as popular as ever.
Artist’s impression of Chandni Chowk.
A view of Chandni Chowk from the Palace, 1857-1858
A street in Chandni Chowk.
Qutb Minar & The Iron Pillar of Delhi
Built of sandstone and marble, The Qutb Minar is India’s very own tilting tower. The edifice, once used as a watchtower, dates all the way back to 1193 and in that time, has been struck by lightning and been through at least two earthquakes. Not a building you want to mess with.
The Qutb Minar in the 1860s
The Qutb Minar today.
Also in the compound of the Qutb Minar stands the Iron Pillar, an iron curiosity dating back to the 4th century which (rumour has it) can give you good luck if you can get your arms around it while your back is to the pillar. Don’t, however, unless you really want to get arrested for trespassing. There’s a fence around it, put there by the government, to keep overexcited luck-seekers from getting sweat on the Iron Pillar and so erasing its inscriptions.
The Iron Pillar in 1905.
The Iron Pillar, warded off from the public, today.
St. James’ Church
In 1800, a man lying wounded on the battlefield of Uniara swore to build a church as long as he survived. 36 years later, St. James’ Church, named after Col. James Skinner and built entirely at his expense, was consecrated and opened for use. Modelled after the churches of the Renaissance, St. James’ church is one of the oldest churches in Delhi.
The Church in 1858.
The Church today.
The Kashmere Gate
Named, aptly, after the view it looks out to, the Kashmere Gate area used to be the fashionable and commercial heart of Delhi until 1931, the year New Delhi was built.
The Kashmiri Gate, 1858, the left leaf of the gate was destroyed during the siege of 1857.
The Kashmiri gate today.
New Delhi
Unlike Old Delhi, the seeds of New Delhi lie not in misty myth, but very firmly in the ground – put there, in fact by none other than George V. So, not so new as the name would suggest. Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and Sir Henry Baker, the city was inaugurated in 1931 and today is the fashionable and commercial centre of Delhi.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan
It’s something of a miracle that this building even exists today. Architects Lutyens and Baker quarrelled over the building plans several times – Baker playing the role of the people-pleasing pragmatist, and Lutyens essentially acting the part of the perfectionist.
Rashtrapati Bhavan in the early 1900s
To make matters worse, Viceroy Hardinge put a spoke in the wheel by demanding the impossible. He wanted his architects to build him an imposing building, while keeping the budget down to minimum.
Clearly, some kind of magic was involved, because miracle of miracles, the building actually turned out to be pretty majestic. Even with everything, its still the largest residential building for any Head of State.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan today.
Sansad Bhavan
Built in 1927, the Indian house of Parliament is shaped after the Ashoka Chakra with its perimeter fenced off by sandstone railings modelled after the Great Stupa of Sanchi.
A view of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Sansad Bhavan. Sansad Bhavan is the circular building towards the top right of the photo.
Sansad Bhavan today.
The India Gate
India’s national monument was originally built as a tribute to King George V and the colonial powers. Today, however, it stands tall as a monument to all Indian soldiers killed during war.
The India Gate in the 1930s
The India Gate today.
The Jantar Mantar
Built in 1724, mistakenly identified as having been built in 1710 in the year 1910, the Jantar Mantar is a series of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The accuracy of these tools is incredible, with one tool able to pinpoint the exact moment of noon in cities around the world long before the advent of Universal Time and Standard Time.
An artist’s impression of the Jantar Mantar in 1808.
The Jantar Mantar after the siege of 1857. The observatory was badly damaged during the siege. It was rebuilt, however, afterwards and restored to its former glory.
The Jantar Mantar today.
Connaught Place
Modelled after the iconic Royal Crescent in the city of Bath, Connaught Place is one of the largest financial and commercial districts in Delhi. Unlike the Royal Crescent, however, Connaught Place consists of two completed concentric circles, its old buildings in the European Renaissance and Classical Style. Today, however, skyscrapers dominate the skyline at Connaught Place leaving little of its Georgian English charm behind.
Connaught Place in the early 1900s.
Connaught Place today.
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Some cities are born great. Some cities achieve greatness
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