Pixelated Memories: Connaught Place

Showing posts with label Connaught Place. Show all posts

November 15, 2014

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi

Regarded as one of the holiest Sikh shrines in the city and one of the prettiest Gurudwara (Sikh temple) in the country, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, lined with tons of evocative pearlesque-white marble and surmounted by striking gold domes, was originally the regal mansion of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I, the Rajput king of Jaipur (then known as Amber). In fact, it derives its name too from the word “Bangla”, the Hindi/Punjabi translation of “mansion”, even though it has been transformed into a magnificent shrine and today draws thousands of visitors, including hundreds of foreign tourists, from the city and outside everyday. Dedicated to the memory of Guru Harkrishan, the eighth of ten Sikh spiritual leaders, who, upon being summoned to Delhi by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (ruled AD 1657-1707) and following the invitation of Raja Jai Singh I, briefly stayed in this mansion before his untimely demise at the age of eight caused from getting inflicted with smallpox while serving patients of the disease who flocked to his assembly everyday in the hope of solace and treatment.

In Guru's memory - Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Much to the unabated chagrin of his elder brother Ram Rai who had him summoned to the royal court, Guru Harkrishan was reasonably declared the Sikh spiritual leader by their father Guru Har Rai at the tender age of five and proved his religious understanding and spiritual and mystical capabilities through several inconceivable episodes that occurred during his short lifetime before succumbing to the disease. Ram Rai himself was disowned by their father on account of his hobnobbing to the Mughal Emperor who was a declared political and religious enemy of the Sikhs. It is said that when the Guru first arrived at Raja Jai Singh’s mansion, the latter’s queen, intent on ascertaining the Guru’s mystical powers dressed herself as a handmaid and hid amongst her servants whom she had lavishly attired and adorned with jewelry, but was astonished when the Guru immediately recognized her as queen and thanked her for the hospitality extended by her household. The gorgeous mansion was converted into the prominent Gurudwara following the Sikh warlord Banda Bahadur’s invasion of Delhi (AD 1783) and was one of the nine mesmerizing Gurudwaras he raised; it was renovated and given this present magnificent appearance few years post-1947 when India achieved independence from British colonial rule. It is extremely difficult to believe that such a massive and unbelievably gorgeous structure was once a mere mansion, that too of a vassal sovereign of a small territory!

The Gurudwara is entered via a tall arched gateway surmounted by five onion chattris (domes raised on pillars) and faced with painstakingly polished, glistening white marble inset with colorful stones embedded in numerous floral patterns and Sikh religious motifs. The area around the Gurudwara bears a rushed, crowded look throughout the day since the shrine is extremely popular, especially amongst locals who come from near and far to pay their respects and also to marvel at the majestic regal architecture. The first thing that catches one’s eye, even before the long streaming queues of devotees waiting to enter, are the stunning pointed domes of the structure – the three gold-plated onions surmounting the building and the single superbly crafted marble onion on either side of the entrance. Other prominent architectural features include chattris, pavilions with curved tops lining the roof and exquisitely crafted, multi-arched hanging windows (“jharokhas”). The courtyard surrounding the central building, accessible from the road level by a flight of stairs, is vast and afterwards most devotees prefer to sit along the sides, especially if the purpose for visiting is photography.

A touch of gold!

The interiors are spellbinding – immediately upon stepping within, one is exposed to a large, mesmerizing shrine built entirely from gold and ornamented with a plethora of floral and religious motifs embossed into the gold work; especially intricate are the peacock figurines and the rounded vases from which emerge numerous convoluting, blossoming vines rising vertically upwards; Sikh symbolism, in the form of the recognizable motif of a vertical spear crossed over a pair of curved swords, lines the marble walls and decorates the patterns in gold; the thick rectangular pillars, each covered in layers of gold and also ornamented with the endearing vases overflowing with a vertical expansion of vines and floral blossoms, are especially admirable; lastly, the golden roof, polished to mirror-like perfection and bathed in a orange-gold glow by a large chandelier, reflects all the visitors, but proves frustratingly difficult to photograph. At the end of the elongated area on either side of which sit devotees, underneath an immensely intricately sculpted curved gold shrine is placed a copy of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture; elderly musicians seated next to the canopied shrine sing melodious sermons and invocations referring to God and the Gurus while a priest continuously fans the hallowed text. The affluent, orange-hued gold extravaganza, rows of flower vases, expensive carpets and the rich canopy overhanging the shrine impart an unbelievably fascinating visual existence that is hard to replicate in photographs and even harder to contemplate in words – it is a sight and an experience that can only be registered on an emotional and visual level – of course, the irrepressible pushing and shoving by other devotees striving unnecessarily urgently to reach the shrine spoils the experience to an extent, but it is nonetheless worth being there.

Music for exhausted souls

A large “langar khana” (“food hall”) behind the Gurudwara accommodates visitors on the floor irrespective of any distinction of economic, social or religious status and daily serves 10,000 meals of simple vegetarian fare free of cost to everyone. Enormous quantities of food, including roti (Indian bread), lentils and vegetables is voluntarily prepared by several devotees themselves as a philanthropic measure from the raw materials charitably contributed by more affluent devotees – the entire idea is that of a large community kitchen where everyone can mingle together with dignity and companionship and partake food free of cost irrespective of any distinction, differences or bitterness. The “karha prasad” (a thick pudding cooked from wheat flour, clarified butter and sugar) served at the gateway of the shrine is blissfully delicious (though my personal favorite remains that served at Gurudwara Sisganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, refer Pixelated Memories - Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib). Across the expansive courtyard extra servings of the savory prasad can also be purchased from a counter near the entrance gateway – a receipt will be generated at the counter which, upon being produced before the person serving the prasad, will be exchanged for a quantity of it – interestingly, after filling up a disposable bowl for a visitor and handing it over, the person serving will retract a small quantity of it and mix it back in the larger vessel as symbolic of a person sharing from his own plate – this, surprising for me since I had seen it for the first time, made me get a second helping since the first proved less than what I desired to have; I also had some packed separately to take home for my cousins with whom I was staying then. From one side of the courtyard, stairs lead downstairs to another courtyard flanked on all sides by Gurudwara managing committee offices and hostels – here, a massive well, canopied by a wide octagonal roof and an onion dome, is especially revered. Legend is that Guru Harkrishan dipped his feet in its water and ordered his followers to give the water to the diseased and pox-inflicted as a cure for their troubles. He earned the title of “Baal Peer” (“Child saint”) due to his ability to cure the sick and the destitute. Even today, the well is manned by numerous devotees who draw the water into large bowls and offer it to hundreds of faithfuls who believe in Guru Harkrishan’s magical and spiritual sanctity and come to the Gurudwara for a sip of the hallowed water. The only difference between then and now being today water is drawn through taps and not pails! The Gurudwara’s charitable acts do not end here – a hospital, a library and a girl’s school are also run in the buildings adjacent which also house a museum and an art gallery.

Sacred water - The canopied well associated with Guru Harkrishan's healing powers

It is the other side of the Gurudwara that is the most famous – a massive “Sarovar” (water tank) with clear blue water and large, colorful fishes exists on this side and reflects a perfect reflection of the Gurudwara building and its golden domes and colonnades. This frame is perhaps the most famous visual composition when photographing the Gurudwara despite the fact that photography from here is prohibited and requires special permission. The caretakers and cleaners of the Gurudwara keep patrolling around the tank, stopping people from clicking and asking swimmers to step out if they have been in too long. A small rectangular changing room for women exists along one of the corners of the tank too. Colonnades surround the courtyard around the water tank and the corners are domed to appear externally like diminutive towers (“burj”).

It is best to visit the Gurudwara at night when it is lit up beautifully and the lights reflect in the black waters of the tank to generate a mesmerizing image imprinted on the overall darkness of the surroundings. The place also wears a festive look on Guru purab, Diwali and Guru Harkrishan’s birth anniversary.

Advisory – Men and women are required to leave their footwear at the shoe counter located outside the Gurudwara complex before entering within and also cover their heads with handkerchiefs or dupattas (long scarves). Being a religious shrine, it is advisable to dress modestly.

Nighttime beauty!

Location: Jaisinghpura, Connaught Place

Nearest metro station: Patel Chowk (1.1 km away)

How to reach: Walk/avail an auto/e-rickshaw from the metro station to the Gurudwara

Open: All days, sunrise to midnight

Entrance fees: Nil

Photography charges: Nil (Permission has to be solicited for clicking around the tank level, but everybody clicks anyway). Videos prohibited.

Relevant Link -

Suggested reading -

August 20, 2012

Connaught Place, New Delhi

Classical English architecture, wide beautifully-kept roads, colonnaded walkways and glittering large showrooms of every known brand – if it were not for the recurring garbage piles and betel (“paan”) stains ornamenting the white walls and grey marble floor, one would have thought they were somewhere in Europe. Welcome to Connaught Place – the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi! Officially called Rajiv Chowk and often abbreviated as CP, the massive commercial area was originally conceived to provide maximum shopping experience to British colonialists and military officers who then ruled over the subcontinent from their newly developed capital ostensibly christened as “New Delhi”, but now predominantly caters a clientele consisting of the Westernized, rapidly multiplying, newly affluent middle-class of a modern capital. A reflection of the vast changes that have crept unopposed in the society with time, the market’s large buildings that once housed British shops, bakeries and bookstores are now owned by multinational retail and food outlets catering to Indians and foreigners alike who throng them in search of instant gratification stemming from the belief that “A lot can happen over a Coffee” and one is supposed to be “lovin’” their burgers.

Connaught Place - Shopper's paradise

Interestingly, about a century ago, the entire area was dominated by forest lands used as grounds for shooting partridges and a cluster of three villages (Raja ka Bazaar, Madhoganj and lastly Jaisinghpura where Gurudwara Bangla Sahib exists today, refer Pixelated Memories - Gurudwara Bangla Sahib); between 1929-33, the villages were evacuated and demolished and the massive megalith was raised in their place as a showpiece of modern British construction and Georgian architecture. Today, one cannot even attempt to imagine the erstwhile villages/forests in place of the glistening white facades since every sign of their existence has been obliterated by the unrelenting surge of capitalism and urbanization – the partridges are long gone from among the high-rises of the commercial mega-hub and it is regarded amongst the top five most expensive realty and commercial establishments globally! Designed by architect Robert Tor Russell and christened after H.R.H. Prince Arthur, The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (seventh child of Queen Victoria), the gigantic circular structure, inspired by the Royal Crescent of England, is divided by intervening roads into three concentric layers (obviously) christened as Inner, Middle and Outer Circles (actually the circles are horse-shoe shaped – superstitious British planners and administrators thought the shape would prove lucky for both shoppers and shopkeepers); the double-floored buildings were intended to house shops on the ground floor and residential quarters on the first-floor; in the center of the entire scheme is located a grass-shrouded lawn from which radiate seven streets like the spokes of a wheel and divide the concentric building into large arched blocks.

Nocturnal sparkle at the commercial heart of Delhi

If there is one place that showcases the fast-paced and frenzied life in Delhi and also its vibrance, it would definitely be Connaught Place. Walk into any of the wide colonnaded avenues along its horse-shoe structure and into the outlets offering everything from food (McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Bercos, Kaventer’s, Café Coffee Day, Wenger’s) and clothing (Pantaloons, Levi’s, Shopper’s Stop, Woodland) to electronic and electrical accessories (Sony, Nokia, Samsung, Canon) and you will notice an equal mix of foreigners and Indians alike enjoying their time here. Even the pavements are lined up with kiosks and pavement dwellers selling books, posters, street food, cold drinks and ice cream. This is what I like the most about CP, the big and small conduct their business side-by-side, especially the numerous book sellers with their wide range of popular covers (though one can get much cheaper, though often second-hand or pirated, books at Daryaganj flea market (refer Pixelated Memories - Daryaganj Sunday Book Market)). Over time Connaught Place has become a shopper’s paradise, and even if you aren’t one for shopping, the wide walkways and shop windows that give a glimpse of the marvels they store within shall certainly tempt you into buying one thing or the other.

So many shops, so many brands!

As part of a project initiated by Delhi Municipal Corporation to showcase CP in good light during Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG XIX) that Delhi hosted, the inner and outer circle areas are being redeveloped and beautified, but as with almost every Indian civic project, it too is mismanaged, has missed many deadlines, incurred vast cost overruns and is still in progress, thereby leaving many of the footpaths and walkways destroyed or dug up and shop facades re-plastered but not painted. Following the 2008 bomb blast attacks in the area in which terrorists hid bombs in dustbins, all the dustbins have been removed from the market place prompting people to throw plastic bottles, ice cream wrappers and fast food packaging around the walkways from where the sweepers simply shove them to one or the other corner – I realized this late one night while out with a friend and even pointed it to her – the authorities have to provide dustbins of some sort, right? The condition cannot continue status quo.

Colonnades and symmetry - Georgian architecture at its exemplar

The underground metro station at CP, officially Rajiv Chowk station, is one of the largest and busiest in the city and serves as interchange station for Yellow and Blue lines of metro service. The headquarters of Delhi Tourism is also located in Connaught Place, opposite the famed Hanuman Mandir (an ancient temple dedicated to the monkey-faced Hindu God Hanuman). One can visit the temple too, though it doesn’t have much to say for itself, except the idol of course which is said to be over a millennium old. Also located nearby is the revered Sikh shrine Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. If you are one for history and monuments, head to the nearby located (or rather hidden!!) Agrasen ki Baoli or the majestic Jantar Mantar complex (check links at the end of this article). And if even after all this your urge to shop isn’t satisfied, you can always visit Palika Bazaar (an underground shopping arcade immediately next to the inner circle) or Janpath (which is basically a large flea market selling both men and women clothing and accessories at dirt-cheap prices). Of course, unlike Connaught Place, one has to extensively bargain at both Janpath and Palika Bazaar, plus there aren’t trial rooms available at either which becomes an issue for women shoppers. Baba Kharak Singh Marg adjacent houses state emporiums – individualized outlets where one can purchase traditional textiles, sculptural art, souvenirs, religious items and handicrafts of that particular state.

The handicrafts building at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, a cornerstone of CP's touristy image

Edit (May 2014) – Overlooking the entire business district, the country’s largest tricolor, a 60 X 90 square feet mammoth monumental flag weighing 35 kgs and hoisted upon a 207-feet high pole, has come to flutter proudly in the Central Park courtesy of Flag Foundation of India (FFI) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). As it quivers and trembles in the wind, the leviathan sends surges of pride, wonder and excitement through the hearts of onlookers who, even if they have seen it numerous times before, cannot take their eyes off its majestic form. The charm refuses to fade, especially of gazing at it at night when it has been lighted up with powerful arc lights.

National Pride

Nearest Metro Station: Rajiv Chowk
How to reach: The metro station exits at CP's inner circle. Autos can also be availed from different parts of the city for reaching CP.
Timings: The shops usually open around 11 am and close down somewhere around 1 am.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video Charges: Nil
Other landmarks in the neighborhood -

Other shopping destinations in the city -

Suggested reading -

October 25, 2011

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Warning & Advice : Before you read any further, I would like to inform you that the monuments shown here are much more beautiful & awe-inspiring than they appear in the photographs. Be there & see for yourself...

It was a rather clear day, though slightly hot & sunny, & I believe the perfect kind of day for going out & taking photographs, which is rather opposite to the philosophy of staying indoors to avoid the Delhi summer (On a sunny day, you get beautiful well-defined shadows to photograph). So I along with two of my friends - Divya & Rashmi decided to visit the Jantar Mantar & the (not exactly) nearby Agrasen ki Baoli.

The observatory grounds

To begin with let me give you a primer as to what exactly is the Jantar Mantar –

Located around the corner from the ever so busy Connaught Place market, the Jantar Mantar is one of those places that everyone in India knows about & yet ignores. The structures inside its grounds have become symbolic as representing Delhi, along with the Lotus temple, Qutub Minar etc. Buy any book about Delhi & you will definitely notice the pictures of Jantar Mantar on the cover page along with the other famous monuments. & the structure grounds have become famous for another reason altogether. They are now used for anti-Government protests, by various groups with entirely different means & ends, more recently by the Farmer lobbies & Anti-corruption groups. The grounds are large enough to accommodate at least a thousand people (& maybe more!!), though I doubt that the people who come to protest here buy a ticket for entrance from the A.S.I. counter at the gate. Sadly, most of the tourists give this brilliant monument a miss, I don’t know what might be the reason for this, perhaps because the red sandstone-built monuments get extremely heated-up during the summer days (as we realized the hard way), & tourists already hate Delhi heat.

The Jantar Mantar was constructed by Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur in 1724 & consists of several architectural and astronomical instruments. Several rulers & monarchs have ruled India since the past millennia, some were architects, other warlords, yet others were one time slaves, Sawai Man Singh II has the distinction of being the only scientist-astrologer ruler in India. Given the task of revising the outdated calendar and astronomical tables by Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah, he set about building five such observatories in North India. Some of them still survive, prominent among them being the Jantar Mantars at Delhi & Jaipur.

As one enters the observatory grounds, one feels a strange anticipation to see such a beautiful scene unfold – large red-coloured, strange-looking structures, set amidst lush green grounds & flanked by flowering trees & bushes. The next to empty grounds have the added benefit that you don’t have to wait for the tourists to move from between you & the structure. Moving along, you notice that all the structures are set on a slightly lower ground than the rest of the area, sort of in a pit, & it is only on closing up that you do realize that the structures are much larger than you anticipated. That these mammoth buildings, built of stone & marbles, were once used by Indian Kings to predict the motions of sun, moon & planets, certainly proves beyond doubt their megalomaniac nature & the costs they incurred on each & every task they undertook.

The first structure you come across is the heart-shaped Misra Yantra, one of the most recurring symbols when photographically/artistically portraying Delhi. Several sets of stairs crisscross along the face of the structure, most prominent among them being the central one, giving the monument the resemblance of a Peepal tree leaf (Sacred fig - Ficus religiosa). This is the only structure that was not established by Man Singh II & the only structure set on level ground above all the other structures, & by climbing up the stairs to the top you can see the entire grounds spread across from you. It was used to predict when it was noon in different cities all over the world.

Dwarfed by buildings - The Misra Yantra

Heading to the pit, you notice a very large structure resembling a right-angled triangle. This is called the Samrat Yantra (“Supreme Instrument”) & was more of a large & highly accurate sundial. The structure, 70 feet high, is now out of bounds for visitors & a large iron gate bars entry to the staircase leading to the top. But if you are athletic enough, you would be able to climb across the wall on either side of the staircase & gain yourself enough time to sprint to the top before the caretakers come shouting at you to get down immediately. I assume many people must have fallen to their deaths from here & that is why the authorities have now locked it for good. A plaque installed on the Samrat Yantra wrongly mentions the year of construction to be 1710, & several other lines of text are now crossed & scribbled over too (with paint of course).

Dwarfing the buildings too - The Samrat Yantra

Hollowed-out hemispheres with uniquely crafted designs, large enough to accommodate several persons, are situated close to the Samrat Yantra & form an instrument called the Jai Prakash Yantra. We made a good play of running in & out of all the crevices & corners of the structure. The hemispheres have markings on their rims for measurements.

Part of Jai Prakash Yantra

Collinear with the Samrat Yantra are two large cylindrical structures, each with a pillar in the centre & several radial lines emanating from the circumference to the pillar. Known as the Ram Yantra, the cylinders were such that three floors exist above the ground level & one below (that is, in the pit). One can climb in & out of the windows along these floors & run along the radial lines. These windows were used by the observer (called "Ram") to sit in & note the measurements marked along the edge of the window. But since it was summer noon by now, the hot structures were torturous & pain spiked up as soon as our uncovered arms or legs touched these.

Looking into the Ram Yantra - View from a window

The Jantar Mantar got the status of a national monument in 1948 & has attracted architects, historians and scientists from all over the world. But as far as I am concerned, it is a spot in Delhi where extreme fun can be had with friends as well as family, & makes for an oasis far removed from all the chaos & noise of the city despite being in the middle of it. Though most people portray it to be a dull & uninviting place with nothing except the structures to rave about, the structures themselves are so much fun, with all the stairs & nooks & crevices. One can simply play a long stretched-out game of Hide & Seek inside these grounds. The striking red colour of the buildings sparkles in the sun & contrast beautifully with the gleaming modern buildings that circle the ground. Soon running around the huge structures, climbing the huge stairs & jumping around seem the very natural thing to do. As the time passes & it becomes warm enough, sitting on the grass, under the shade of the trees soothes one's senses. Soon enough it's time to move ahead & it feels rather stupid leaving all the quiet that the place can afford you, & going back to the hustle of Connaught Place. Another time, one thinks...

Looking into Ram Yantra - View from an entrance

Location: Connaught Place
Open: All days, Sunrise to Sunset
Nearest Metro Station: Rajiv Chowk
How to reach: After deboarding from the Metro Station, take an auto to the monument. It will charge Rs 30-50.
Entrance fee: Indians: Rs 5; Foreigners: Rs 100
Photography Charges: Nil
Video Charges: Rs 25/hr
Relevant Links -

October 24, 2011

Agrasen ki Baoli, New Delhi

“Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there.”

– Mary Howitt, "The Spider and the Fly"

Even though located in the immediate vicinity of the perennially crowded Connaught Place (refer Pixelated Memories - Connaught Place), the commercial and cultural heart of Delhi, the magnificent Agrasen ki Baoli (aka Ugrasen ki Baoli) happened to be a rather difficult find – none of the people, including auto-rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers, traversing the busy streets or manning the glittering shops seemed to know about its forgotten existence, leave alone directions to its enthralling presence, nor did Google maps prove to be of any help either – the last indicated the presence of the beautiful step-well on Hailey Road, off the Consulate General of Malta, but heck! Nobody even knew where the Consulate General was located and Hailey Road is too long a stretch to explore! My persistence only fueled the anger of Divya, Rashmi and Bhavna who had agreed to accompany me to see the majestic Jantar Mantar complex (refer Pixelated Memories - Jantar Mantar) and the baoli, under the misguided assumption that I knew both their locations (I knew neither actually, as they later discovered!) After being shouted upon by the three for over an hour while we navigated near-deserted streets, I eventually succeeded in flagging down an old Sardar ji driving an auto-rickshaw, who agreed to give us a ride till we discovered the evasive Baoli, although, much to our undisguised dismay, despite plying in Connaught Place and adjoining regions for over half a century, he had never even heard of Agrasen or his baoli. Unbelievably, another hour and Rs 90 later, on the verge of despair, our perseverance did finally pay off and we spotted a miniscule sign, painted blood red, indicating the presence of the Baoli within a narrow by-lane – bewildered, one wonders if the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) couldn’t have installed a bigger board? Thankfully, at least the three ladies, impatient as always, were smiling. Phew!!

Agrasen ki Baoli - The camouflaged lover's haunt

On the outside, the baoli, or rather the periphery walls that flank its ethereal existence, appears mediocre – an unkempt, cobweb-shrouded set of small alcoves and chambers, composed from rubble masonry and surrounded by a stone courtyard delineated by sharp steel fences – not one’s picture of a bewitching ruin that holds in its bosom the secret promise of transforming into a lover’s haunt. But wonders of wonders, the interiors are an altogether different world and the massive underground superstructure, so cleverly hidden amongst its surroundings that the millions of occupants of the huge skyscrapers looming in the distant background, to which it compliments strikingly, have not the slightest clue of its existence. The pristine, undisturbed environments and the unparalleled silence and sense of tranquility that the place offers makes one feel suddenly, implausibly transported back to the past when the megalith was constructed and the locals had begun to converge here for social obligations, gossip and as an escape from the sweltering summer heat.

Sadly though, the historical step-well, deemed protected by ASI under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act (1958), lies forgotten, unvisited and ignored. And although there are no historical records to prove when or by whom it was commissioned, in popular imagination it is said to have been originally built over 5000-years ago by the legendary Mahabharata-era king Agrasen (the benevolent father of the evil Lord Kansa of Mathura and therefore the brother of the maternal grandfather of Lord Krishna, the supposedly divine, exemplar cowherd-statesman-diplomat-warrior-charioteer-philosopher) and rebuilt in 14th-century by the Agrawal community which traces its origin to Maharaja Agrasen. The structure does find mention in the 12th-century Sanskrit work “Pasanahacariu”, penned by an Agrawal poet Vibudh Shridhar who resided in Delhi during the reign of the Tomar king Anangpal III (ruled AD 1151-80). The same poet also does give one of the first references regarding the historicity and christening of Delhi in his verses –

“Hariyanaye dese asankhgaam, gaamiyan jani anvarath kaam

Parchakk vihtanu sirisanghtanu, jo surav inna pariganiyan

Riu ruhiravtanu biulu pavtanu, Dhilli naamen ji bhaniyan”

“In the country of Haryana exist several villages where the people toil hard.

They do not accept domination by others and are experts in shedding their enemies' blood.

Even Indra, the God of Thunder, praises their valor. The capital of this country is Dhilli.”

Ruins of an era long gone - The Tughlaq-era mosque

Architectural historians however contend that the structure was in all possibility constructed, or at least refurbished, during the Tughlaq Dynasty reign (AD 1320-98), which does explain the relatively straightforward, unornamented nature of the structure, true to Tughlaq aesthetic simplicity and emphasis on function rather than form. It might also explain the presence near the step-well’s entrance of the diminutively-proportioned, minimally adorned and nearly collapsed rectangular mosque that possesses besides the unusual curved sloping roof, three arched entrances and medallions inscribed with calligraphy. Over time, hidden from prying eyes and forgotten even by the most thoughtful of minds, the baoli remained stuck in a time eons past in history while the city around it mushroomed, modernized and transformed into the highly metropolitan entity that it is today.

The outstanding, evocative 60 meters X 15 meters rectangular structure, consisting of a single flight of 103 steps that culminate in a (now dry) water tank, is flanked by stone walls that are stark and yet striking. Walkways interrupt the walls at three levels, allowing a visitor to explore the various alcoves and chambers that mark the peripheries and would once have been used as shaded retreats. Presently however, the more hazardous of these rooms, considered structurally unsafe, are secured with iron gates, and of course, one must at all costs avoid the overly territorially possessive pigeons who now claim them as their own private roosts. The domed roof surmounting the water tank on the far side appears thoroughly darkened and nightmarishly appears heaving to and fro – hundreds of bats who come to nest in the baoli converge along the concave surface where they hang upside-down throughout the day before taking off during night. Spooky, to say the least! Especially considering that one literally feels naked and vulnerable to the threat exposed by these feral creatures while walking on the narrow ledges that define the arched openings on the different levels against the colossal water tank.

Framed!

Heading down the stairs, to the innermost recesses of the earth from where the sky, framed by the baoli’s ominously dark walls, appears like a sliver of glorious blue light and where the stink of pigeon feathers and droppings nearly become unbearable, past heaps of rubble walls long collapsed and layers of sand that once might have formed the waterbed, one can step into the dry water tank after squirming around (almost) on all fours and come face-to-face with one of the city’s most intimate secrets – here, standing in the well, looking at the far off brilliant disc of light that is the opening against the sky, one can feel what it must be like to have fallen in a well without actually doing so – claustrophobic in my opinion. The cobweb-layered walls, stuck with rotting, foul-smelling pigeon feathers and the disorienting desolation of the place are reason enough for one to become silent and subdued, but the ghastly figures that the rotten, semi-decomposed pigeon and bat carcasses portray visually do force one to beat a hasty retreat. Thankfully, the splendid visual composition emerging from the upside-down view looking at the handsome arched openings sheltered by the rows of eaves (“chajja”) supported on ornamental sculpted brackets does render the walk down (and back up) the ever-narrowing staircase worthwhile.

Interestingly enough, the remarkable architectural specimen is not without its fair share of myths, superstition and folklore – local legend is that the place, when it used to be filled with groundwater and monsoon showers, was haunted by spirits and entities of the malevolent kind which manifested as ghastly voices and exercised an extreme degree of compulsion upon stressed and depressed minds, mercilessly urging them to drown into the water and raise its level, thereby leading to numerous suicides. It is hard to imagine the place to be anything but a splendid, majestically noteworthy monument in the heart of the city, but then who knows what kind of depression and loneliness creeps up on some folks when they are solo in some such desolate and long forgotten corner. The Government has therefore, by official order, prohibited visitor entry to the monument after sunset.

Colors of Delhi

The baoli has been condemned to a state of perpetual disregard by the ASI and the public in general. Although there is a guard on duty (sitting on a broken plastic chair) during daytime within the premises, no caretaker has been assigned and the place is neither cleaned regularly, nor redeemed of the pigeon feathers and droppings that carpet its staircases and alcoves. The ignorance is perhaps a good thing – the place survives as one of the most beautiful and soothing spots in the entire city, untouched by tourists and unruly crowds. Thankfully, even the lovers who haunt it do not scribble their names on the walls.

Edit (November 2014): I did visit the baoli again – this time on a photowalk with my photography club Delhi Instagramers Guild, whereby we also did cover the Sunday morning Raahgiri event in nearby Connaught Place (CP). I seemed to remember some of the routes despite the passage of several years and thus the place did not seem so far-off nor so isolated, although in all honesty, the Raahgiri event which encompasses the streets to be necessarily free of vehicular traffic and available for pedestrians, cyclists and people for dances, acrobatics, yoga and stunts, did render the outer areas of CP appear isolated and uninhabited, as if one was walking in a movie-like post-apocalyptic/holocaust Delhi. The event itself, lasting every Sunday for the short duration of two hours (7-9 am), is an interesting concept, and apart from numerous pretty ladies walking and jogging about whom the photographers in tow never failed to click, there were stretching classes structured by Reebok, dance and band performances organized in collaboration with Times of India (a partner to the event along with Delhi Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi), musical sermonizing by the "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama" group (custodians of the nearby ISKCON Temple, refer Pixelated Memories - ISKCON Temple, Delhi), nearly thousands of participants of all age groups walking, jogging, cycling, skating, dancing, flying kites or simply strolling about and lastly, numerous stunt performers and daredevil dancers. Besides several smaller, relatively inconsequential graffiti artworks that dot the streets adjoining Kasturba Marg and Hailey Road, we also did spot the massive, vibrantly colorful, albeit now crumbling graffiti designs portraying demons, nuns and Lord Ganesha, the pot-bellied, elephant-headed Hindu deity of auspiciousness and luck, that have been present opposite the baoli for quite a long time now but one way or the other I kept missing visiting the area. Finally! And I’m impressed I must admit.

The city's newest fad - Raahgiri Sunday

Location: Hailey Road, near Connaught Place (Coordinates: 28°37'33.4"N 77°13'30.0"E)
Nearest Metro station: Rajiv Chowk
Nearest Bus stop: Connaught Place
How to reach: Walk/avail an auto from CP.
Timings: 9 am - 5 pm
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 1 hr
Other places of interest located nearby -