What is the History of Old Delhi?

The most enthralling part of the private quarters was the Nahr e Behisht (Stream of Paradise) which was a man made channel of water (drawn from the river Yamuna).

This channel of water had flown through the middle of the main pavilions of Diwan e Khas , Rang Mahal and the emperor's private apartments.

It was loaded with rose petals, incense e.t.c. so that it would not only cool the halls but also make the air rich with fragrance.

A street of Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

The city had many bazaars, some of which exist even now, for example Khari Baoli (which is today Asia's largest wholesale spice market).

The area of Chandni Chowk (Moonlit Square) (which was also the main street of Shahjahanabad) had many bazaars as well. Some shops in this area are several centuries old ! Other important monuments in Shahjahanabad are Ghalib ki Haveli

Some shops in this area are several centuries old ! Other important monuments in Shahjahanabad are Ghalib ki Haveli (the house of famous poet Mirza Ghalib), Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) (an imposing mosque made of Red Sandstone), St James Church (First Church of Delhi), Sunehri Masjid, Gurdwara Sis Ganj e.t.c.

After the fall of the Mughal Empire post 1857 revolt, the British Empire shifted the capital of India, to a more (security-wise) stable Calcutta (Kolkata), where it remained till 1911 (when they came back to Delhi).

After quelling the 1857 revolt the Britishers built a military garrison inside the Red Fort and evicted the 3000 people (approximately) who were living there at that time and destroyed many of the residential palaces.

To be frank the city of Shahjahanabad (now better known as Old Delhi) never actually declined.

The focus simply shifted from being an administrative capital city to being an area for trade and commerce (which it remains till date), with many large wholesale markets coming up in the mid 19th century. These markets like Chawri Bazar (hardware market est 1840), Phool Mandi (Flower Market est. 1869) e.t.c. exist till date.

Old Delhi is a walled part of New Delhi, founded by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639

Old Delhi is a walled part of New Delhi, founded by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639 and originally named Shahjahanabad.

It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty and was later rechristened Old Delhi by the British.

It offers spectacular pieces of architecture, a mouthwatering variety of food, and a living, breathing piece of history.

Food is a religion in this city. The narrow gullies of old Delhi have an overwhelming variety of cuisines to offer.

The heavenly aroma of food literally liberates the taste buds here. Acclaimed by national and international food guides, the food will never fail to tempt you.

The cuisine is generally dominated by meat, and also offers delicious hot parathas, chats, and sweets.

The famous Paranthe Wali Gali is a narrow street located in Chandni Chowk and has a series of shops offering parathas, a fried Indian bread which is stuffed with fillings and served with mint chutney

a fried Indian bread which is stuffed with fillings and served with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, pickles, and curries. Over 30 variety of parathas are available.

The Ghantewala Halwai is one of the oldest sweet shops in India, founded in the year 1790. It is famous for its sohan halwa and Karachi halwa along with badaam barfi, kalakand, pista samosa and mootichoor ladoo.

All meat lovers must make a pit stop at Karim’s for their wonderful kebabs and divine mutton nahari.

Karim’s Place is very famous for its kebabs. It is situated in the area of Jama Masjid. It was established by Haji Karimuddin with the idea of opening a dhaba in 1913.

Chandni Chowk and Chawri have many street joints that offer spicy and tangy chaats, dahi bhalle, tikki, kulle fruit chaat, and phirni (a sweet dish)

Although the walls have largely disappeared, most of the gates are still present