Dharampura
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Dharampura (near Jama Masjid)
Haveli Dharampura
The Times of India Dec 21 2015
Just a stone's throw from Jama Masjid, haveli to speak of a history lost in time
Dharvi Vaid
New Delhi
The historic twittens of Old Delhi will soon boast of a new tourist spot with the almost restored Haveli Dharampura, which might open its doors to visitors early next year. A few metres away from Jama Masjid, the haveli sits between Jain temple and New Digambar Jain temple. The area is named Dharampura owing to the presence of a large number of temples.
The restoration of the haveli, which is a coalescence of Mughal, Hindu and European styles of architecture, is being carried out by MP Vijay Goel and his son, SiddhantGoel.
Historians point out that the threestoreyedhaveli was constructed around 1887 AD when construction of havelis by nobles and courtiers was in vogue.They were designed for residential and commercial purposes, with shops on the ground floor and residential space on the remaining floors.
The haveli is essentially a load-bearing structure built with lakhoribricks.Its wooden joist ceiling had cleverly-designed arches for load distribution and, like other havelis of that time, had decorative features like stone brackets, balconies, jharokha, chauk, chajja, wooden doors and carved sandstone elements.
“When we first saw the haveli, it was in a dilapidated condition and had lost most of its grandeur like the other havelis in Chandni Chowk. There were many families living in it who had altered its original structure and created partitions,“ says Vijay Goel, who is also the president of Heritage India Foundation.Goel said the first task was to hold the building to retain the haveli's original structure. The restoration and conservation process began with help of architect, Kapil Aggarwal, and students of conservation from Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management.
“To keep the originality and exclusivity of this architectural marvel intact, raw materials were sourced from various parts of the country. For instance, the cast iron railings, replica of Shahjahani design were made in Jaipur, the entrance wooden door carved in Shekhawati, brass came from Moradabad and glasswork from Ferozabad. Around 50 specialist masons and labourers were hired to work on the exterior and intricate details. The restoration and conservation efforts took six years to come to fruition,“ says Goel.
Goel plans to make this structure a model haveli in the walled city which houses 500 havelis from Delhi sultanate, Mughal era and colonial times. Most of these havelis are owned privately and are situated in packed lanes of Sitaram Ba zaar, Kinari Bazaar and Jama Masjid area While some are in good condition, many are going to ruins because their owners have not been able to maintain them. The municipal bodies are trying to incentivise the owners of these havelis by giving them funding assistance for restoration.
The revival of the haveli is a bid to offer glimpses of the dying cultures of Old Delhi and give tourists a fresh outlook when it comes to Chandni Chowk area.The restored haveli will act as a culturecum-heritage centre. There are plans to enthrall visitors with dance performances and culinary heritage native to Old Delhi. Visitors will also be able to stay in the haveli and experience life of Mughal times. The haveli will also act as a centre to provide professional assistance to other restorers
