Metro's Heritage line to retell story of Shahjahanabad

NEW DELHI: A series of panels installed at four Delhi Metro stations will seek to narrate the story of Shahjahanabad. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has tied up with Intach to showcase the rich heritage of the Walled City, especially the aesthetic and architectural marvels that marked the capital in the 17th century.

The four stations—Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, and Kashmere Gate—have been thematically connected for this purpose as part of the Metro's Heritage line. This line is an extension of the Central Secretariat corridor, which now terminates at Escorts Mujesar, Faridabad.

It will begin from Delhi Gate Metro station. "The first set of panels will tell the story of south Shahjahanabad that escaped the destruction that struck the rest of the city in the aftermath of the 1857 Uprising. Although the city wall was completely demolished, the three gates—Ajmeri Gate, Turkman Gate, and Delhi Gate—survived," said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

The panels will also try to paint a vivid image of the bustling city in all its hues: people, food, arts and crafts, and most importantly, the distinctive architecture of Shahjahanabad. A visual tour through the gullies of Old Delhi like Chawri Bazaar, Phool Mandi, Paranthewali Gali, among others, which have stood the test of time, will also be showcased.

"The second panel will deal exclusively with the architecture of this period. It will start with a Nolli map of Shahjahanabad and include all the existing as well as lost landmarks of Old Delhi," said Dayal. The architecture of the time will be replicated using 3D structures. A montage will also try to capture the evolution of old buildings like Bhagirath Palace (Begum Samru's Palace), Chunamal's Haveli, etc. through time.

At the Jama Masjid station, the exhibit will be dedicated to Islam and its varied influence on the art, architecture, language and life of the people in Shahjahanabad. The first panel will focus on the congregational aspect of Jama Masjid and its architectural elements, including the arches, minarets, jharokhas, domes, and marble inlays.

"Different views of the mosque complex will also be used to help people understand the architectural wonder that Jama Masjid is," added Dayal.

The second panel will present a montage of various places of worship, including the Jain temple, two Sunehri Masjids, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, the Fatehpuri Masjid, and the lost Akbarabadi Masjid.

The panels at Red Fort Metro station will be a tribute to the imperial lifestyle and grandeur of the royalty. A model of the whole complex with reference to scales will be exhibited to understand its massive expanse. The first panel will explain the architecture of the fort while the second will tell the story of the royalty. On display will be their clothing and jewellery as well as depictions of the educational practices of the Mughal dynasty.

"Kashmere Gate, one of the original gates built by Shah Jahan around his newly-founded city, also marks an area that is truly representative of the changes brought about by the British in the 19th century," said Dayal.

Kashmere Gate offers a unique glimpse of Delhi's colonial past. The two panels at Kashmere Gate will centre on the era of transition that took place after 1857.