Dotting the allies of Old Delhi are mansions who have stood the test of time and weathering, in an era where the growth of the city is no more horizontal but vertical these Havelis are vanishing at a much higher pace leaving no mark behind of what stood on these places. The existing Havelis we see in Old Delhi today are ravaged by time and impossible to recognize thanks to the level of encroachment and no formal plans of restoration being implemented or executed at these crucial areas. Today the rusting doors, dilapidated balconies and weathered facades of these mansions shout aloud as to what these must have looked like with their maintenance and beauty at its zenith a few centuries ago.
A popular saying state “Don’t judge a book by its cover” similarly don’t judge a Haveli in the bylanes of Old Delhi by its facade, in the narrowest possible facade- these arched doorways decorated with floral and geometrical motifs stands witness to the change of times, lifestyle of the city and its people as well as to the cultural heritage possessed by the Old City of Delhi. What one gets to witness inside these mansions might be one of the most treasureful experiences in terms of one’s discoveries in Delhi. These were at once sprawling mansions with inbuilt water system; these today have been broken into pieces of land today where shops and homes co-exist, or the modern idea of building apartments have taken over the same.
