Century-old Delhi haveli gets a ‘golden’ lease of life

Located at an intersection of three alleys, the haveli can be easily identified by the air of newness surrounding it and a giant name plaque at its front gate that announces it as “Golden Haveli Dharampura”

Near Jama Masjid, where the past and present often struggle to co-exist, a 20th century haveli has been given a fresh lease of life.

Inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk, New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Nestled in Gali Anar in the heart of Chandni Chowk, the route leading to Golden Haveli, through narrow streets and alleys, is flanked by historical Jain temples and crumbling mansions with arched gateways, juxtaposed with swanky new multistorey buildings.

However, there is a marked shift in the scenery as one reaches Gali Anar. The dangling electric cables that cover the skyline in most parts of Chandni Chowk disappear here. The street is clean and shiny with newer tiles.

Located at an intersection of three alleys, the haveli can be easily identified by the air of newness surrounding it and a giant name plaque at its front gate that announces it as “Golden Haveli Dharampura”.

A gatekeeper in traditional attire with a Rajasthani turban stands at the entrance, keeping a sharp eye on passersby, including foreign tourists, who often drop by for heritage tours.

However, this haveli, among the several in this lane, did not even invite so much as a curious glance from passersby just three years ago. But in 2019, Vijay Goel, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former member of parliament, decided to restore this haveli. Goel had experience in renovating havelis – he has restored Haveli Dharampura in Gali Guliyan, located just over 100metres away from Golden Haveli.

“I am a heritage lover and have always been interested in heritage conservation. The restoration of Haveli Dharampura motivated me to restore Golden Haveli. It took me more than three years to restore the haveli to its present state. The location of the haveli near Kinari Bazar, Dariba Kalan and Chandni Chowk makes it unique,” said Goel.

But unlike Haveli Dharampura, Golden Haveli is more colourful.

The land for the haveli, spread across 200 square yards, was purchased by Lala Nem Chand Kapur in 1906, a prominent businessman whose ancestors came to Shahjahanabad, as the walled city was then known, during Aurangzeb’s rule, Goel said.

Built in sandstone, the haveli demonstrates Islamic architectural style and stands on a raised plinth. The facade at the entrance is adorned with decorative floral carvings and alcoves and has a wooden door in the centre.

Golden Haveli gets its name from the liberal use of golden fittings – actually brass – on various doors and windows. Objects and elements in the haveli were sourced from different parts of Delhi and in some cases from other states. “This haveli is more colourful and golden colour has been used a lot, so we decided to call it Golden Haveli. We have retained the original aesthetics and elements of the haveli in line with conservation principles. The jaalis and pillars are original. The haveli has coloured glass panels. Wherever the glass panels were damaged, we replaced them with new ones,” said Goel.

The haveli has three floors with a basement, a mezzanine floor and a central courtyard around which the rooms are arranged. Sandstone and marble pillars line the corridors along the courtyard. Other prominent features include arches, brackets and alcoves. A special room on the ground floor has been dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.

Photos of Gandhi, a charkha and replicas of some souvenirs associated with him are installed in this room. Goel, who is the vice-chairperson of Gandhi Smriti, said the Gandhi Room will give visitors a chance to acquaint themselves with the 20th century leader. “Gandhiji visited Chandni Chowk often. The room will give visitors an insight into his life and is the unique selling point of the haveli,” said Goel, adding that visitors will be allowed a glimpse of the room from behind a gallery.

The haveli has 11 rooms and in the future might also serve as a cultural space, he added.

Opposite the Gandhi Room is a special section where one can see the original haveli’s tiled work. This section includes a structure that resembles a fireplace and is adorned with exquisite tiles in floral designs – according to experts, fireplaces are common features in many old Delhi havelis.

To spruce up Golden Haveli, Goel roped in architect Kapil Aggarwal, who also worked on the restoration of Haveli Dharampura.

Aggarwal said the restoration process was less challenging than Haveli Dharampura since Golden Haveli was in better shape as compared to the former. “Since the courtyard of Golden Haveli is very small, our emphasis was on making the place visually appealing. As we go up the floors, we can see a burst of colours,” said Aggarwal.

Efforts have been taken to maintain period aesthetic even where retrofitting has been done or newer elements have been incorporated. For instance, the haveli has an elevator with the interior lined with miniature paintings, while paintings inspired by Mughal art adorn several other rooms.

As one climbs the staircase to reach the first floor, one gets a clearer view of the different floors and rooms. Before restoration, the courtyard had wooden columns on the first and second floors. “The wooden columns were removed so that one could get a more open view of the haveli from the different floors,” added Aggarwal.

The haveli’s open terrace gives a clear view of Jama Masjid and the quintessential Old Delhi experience as flocks of pigeons fly past every few minutes – the tradition of pigeon racing continues to be practised in this part of the city. On the terrace, a viewing deck has been erected that offers a 360-degrees view of the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Digambar Jain Lal Mandir and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.

The exterior of the haveli has also gotten a facelift. The overhead cables have been taken underground, the surrounding streets cemented and fresh sewage lines have been laid. Goel said these measures were taken to make the haveli more appealing.

Golden Haveli can be accessed from multiple routes. One can take a short walk from Jama Masjid’s gate number three or from Esplanade Road that leads to Dariba Kalan, Kucha Seth and then Gali Anar.

The restoration work was completed earlier this month and the haveli will officially open soon.

In sharp to Golden Haveli, the adjacent haveli on Gali Anar is in a state of rapid deterioration. In fact, Gali Anar and its adjoining Kucha Jalla, as well as Chhatta Pratap Singh opposite the haveli, are all peppered with havelis that could do with conservation support.

Goel rued that despite the successful transformation of Haveli Dharampura into a popular spot, people have no incentives for heritage conservation. He said owners of havelis did not have the resources or wherewithal to restore their properties, and they need support from the government.

A wearisome bureaucracy, ownership disputes, increasing population pressure and rampant commercialisation in the area have played a role in owners and custodians of havelis moving out or selling their houses to private builders.

Havelis that used to house multiple families at one point have made way for multistorey buildings in the area that are ever expanding.

“When I restored Haveli Dharampura, I hoped that it would motivate others to take up heritage conservation and preserve their havelis. However, in the absence of any incentive from the government and deterred by obstacles in the process, people are not able to give shape to their ideas. They do not see any profit in heritage conservation,” said Goel, who is also the president of the Heritage India Foundation.

He said his team was ready to offer guidance to anyone wishing to take up similar conservation projects for the sake of heritage preservation. “We will give free advice and necessary resources to custodians of heritage havelis who may wish to take up conservation,” said Goel.