Shahjahanabad VII: Chelpuri, Roshanpura & Dharampura

This post covers another portion of the area of Old Delhi just south of Chandni Chowk road, enclosed by Chandni Chowk road to the north, Dariba Kalan lane to the east, Chawri Bazaar to the south and Nai Sarak to the west, and contains some really interesting neighborhoods.

General location of area covered

General sequence of areas photographed

Kinari Bazaar and Maliwara lanes

Kinari Bazaar is a colorful commercial lane that is popular with tourists.

Along Kinari Bazaar lane

Naugharana is a lane off Kinari Bazaar with a Jain temple at the end

Back to Kinari Bazaar lane

A lane leading off Kinari Bazaar

Looking into a haveli courtyard

Paranthewali gali

Maliwara lane

A building off Maliwara lane

Roshanpura Area

To the south of Maliwara lane, covering the western part of the area covered in this post is the Roshanpura area. This could be the most interesting part of Old Delhi I’ve visited yet (I haven’t yet seriously explored the southern part of the old city). Roshanpura is a microcosm of Old Delhi as a whole, with haveli entrances, facades and courtyards, some interesting 20th c buildings including some desi deco stuff (which is my personal interest), odd nooks and crannies, and interesting streets and neighborhoods.

Roshanpura area

Haveli courtyard, with newer floors one on top of the other!

Haveli facade and gateway

Ok so I couldn’t choose which photo to put up of this arched street entrance, so I put up all five. Don’t judge me!!

Another arched entrance to a neighborhood, this one with a variety of styles on display, along with desi deco and what I might start calling Trippy Deco (the yellow building with rounded balconies!)

Trippy deco!

“Regular” desi deco

Back to 19th c haveli entrances

Anglo-Mughal architecture (sourced from the same design vocabularies as Indo-Saracenic, but with different patronage and intentions)

Back to regular Shahjahanabading

Along Chelpuri Lane

Chelpuri is a narrow lane running through the center of the area covered in this post, connecting Chawri Bazaar to Kinari Bazaar. Photos are taken in a general south-to-north sequence.