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Old Delhi

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Amanda
Amanda
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Old Delhi, Traditional home of Delhi's Muslims but much more

  • July 22, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by francelvr from Cary, North Carolina
Old Delhi, Traditional home of Delhi's Muslims but much more

Now known as "Old Delhi", the city once called Shahjahanabad was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and served as the Mughal Empire’s capital from 1649-1857. Today, it still surrounded by crumbling city walls, three surviving gates and quite separate from the rest of Delhi. Its labyrinth of narrow lanes, some scarcely wider than a man’s outstretched arms, is crowded with cycle rickshaws and lined with 17th-century havelis (Indian mansions), their once-ornate faces now covered with rusted signs and sprouting satellite dishes and power lines strung higgledy piggledy. Mostly Muslim, the residents of Old Delhi live lives that revolve around work and the local mosque, much as they did a century ago.

This area of Delhi is very congested so the best way to explore it is to catch a taxi or auto-rickshaw (I'd recommend the former as it's more comfortable) to the Red Fort and then take a cycle rickshaw or even walk to Old Delhi if the roads are really hopelessly crowded. Chandni Chowk, which is Old Delhi’s main street, leads down from the main entrance to the Red Fort. Along this busy commercial street you will find mosques, a church, and a number of temples. Opposite the fort itself is Digambar Temple, Delhi oldest Jain temple and surprisingly simple compared with other Jain temples, most of which are intricately carved. Attached is a bird hospital, which looks but doesn’t smell charming.

We only had time to see the Hindu Gauri Shankar Temple (look for the mounds of marigolds, sold to worshippers as they enter) from the outside but many visitors come here to see its 800-year-old lingam (a Hindu worship symbol). Or stop at Sisganj Gurudwara, an atmospheric and welcoming Sikh temple, which marks where Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, was beheaded by Shah Jahan's Muslim fundamentalist son Aurangzeb. You’ll need to hand over your shoes and wash your hands and feet at the entrance.

Then you might want to detour to the right into Church Mission Marg and then left into Khari Baoli, said to be Asia's biggest spice market. Incredible colors, textures, and aromas literally spill out into the street, but watch your pockets in these jampacked lanes. Go south down Dariba Kalan to reach Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque.

The principal mosque of Old Delhi in India, Jama Masjid was commissioneed by Shah Jahan (he also built the Taj Mahal) and completed in the year 1656. It remains one of the largest and best-known mosques in India. A huge building, the mosque features a courtyard that can hold up to 25,000 worshipers. The day we were there, we saw Muslims praying quietly in various corners of this mosque but if you’re fortunate enough to be here on Friday (the Muslim Sabbath), there is a weekly service held that day.

Having explored Jama Masjid, you may want to head south to Churiwali Galli, the "lane of bangle-sellers," and stop at Karim's to sample the authentic Mughlai cooking that has kept patrons coming back for over a century.

Here in Old Delhi you can also see the Kashmiri Gate, which was where the British ruthlessly crushed the famous 1857 Indian Mutiny. Sadly, Old Delhi was also the scene of unspeakable violence and displacement during the 1947 partition of India. Here huge numbers of its Muslims residents whose families had lived in this community for literally hundreds of years were attacked by Hindu mobs. Many of those who survived this strife were forced to flee to the new country of Pakistan.

If you want to get a flavor of what Delhi was like during Mughal times and before India gained its independence, be sure to pile into one of those narrow cycle rickshaws and take a ride through Old Delhi. And when you get ready to pay your driver, consider how exhausting his job must be and leave him a few extra rupees.

From journal Delhi--Beauty, Beggars, and Biryani

Editor Pick

Old Delhi

  • October 23, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by JenLara from New York City, New York
Old Delhi

The streets of Old Delhi are pretty incredible -- prepare yourself! It's a jumble of sights, sounds, colors, smells, and every kind of transportation imaginable all whizzing by in no predictable order. We took a rickshaw ride down the main street, Chandni Chowk, and our rickshaw driver "Bob" was helpful in pointing out the different shopping districts as we sped by them: spices, metals, jewelry, food markets and much more.

Bob took us to a Moghul house, a massive living complex filled with what seemed like hundreds (or more) of residents all going about their daily life right in front of us. He walked us up about four flights of pitch-black stairs, all the while passing old men shaving their beards in cracked mirrors, women dressing their kids for school, and old ladies heating up water for tea. We emerged atop the complex with stunning views of the smoggy, over-crowded, colorful streets below -- a great visual overview of the city.

I definitely recommend taking a rickshaw on Chandni Chowk -- we kept thinking that if we'd been walking, we'd have been mowed down by a bus, taxi, bicycle, or goat many times over!! Very, very much worth the near-heart attack, though -- definitely spend a morning or two exploring the streets of Old Delhi.

From journal Delhi, India: Exotic, Colorful, Fascinating & HOT!

Editor Pick

Old Delhi

  • June 30, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Amanda from London, United Kingdom
Old Delhi

Old Delhi is a chaotic, noisy, filthy, fascinating place. It feels as if half of humanity is crowded into the narrow streets some of the time! The main street in Old Delhi is Chadni Chwok, the market street that runs west from the Red Fort. Off this street are endless tiny alley ways, courtyards, and streets, many of which are too narrow for anything other than pedestrain traffic (or cows.) Every kind of shop is here, from fabric and sari emporiums, to small shops selling heaped, fragrent spices. There are also a hundred places to get a cheap meal, drink, or snack, and many have the distinct advantage of cooking in front of you, so you can have a quick look at the cleanliness of the equipment and the cook's fingernails!

As well as being a great place to shop, the area is fascinating. There are people selling, chatting to their friends over a drink, playing cards - there are women chasing up their children for meals, and endless games of tag, chase the chicken, and dodge the rickshaw played by children. It's great to shop for a while, then buy a drink and sit and watch the world go by around you.

As with any busy area, it pays to keep an eye on your wallet and camera here - these streets have a bit of a record for pickpocketing.

Before the partition of India in 1947, Old Delhi was a mostly Muslim area, but in the massive population upheavels at that time, many left and went to Pakistan or East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and were replaced by Hindus leaving other areas. Much of the architecture, especially the housing, is Islamic in appearance, with tall houses built around coutyards, and delicate lattice carving. Many of the buildings are in a seriously bad state of repair, but interesting nonetheless.

I really recommend you read the book City of Djinns, by William Dalrymple, while you are in Delhi, or before you go. The writer, who weaves amazing portraits with his work, spent a year living in Delhi. The book is both a historic account, and modern description of the city, and Old Delhi is particuarly well-explored. It will make you see things in the city you would otherwise miss, and you will appreciate the capital so much more having read it.

From journal Delhi - exciting, vivid, and hot!

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