It’s official! Central Delhi’s Dalhousie Road is now Dara Shikoh Road

The NDMC renamed Central Delhi’s Dalhousie Road as Dara Shikoh Road on Monday after BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), had proposed to rename the road near Vijay Chowk after Shikoh, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s elder brother.

The NDMC renamed Central Delhi’s Dalhousie Road as Dara Shikoh Road on Monday. Dara Shikoh was the elder brother of Mughal emperor Aurganzeb.

Workers change the name of Dalhousie Road to Dara Shikoh Road on Monday. (Arun Sharma/ HT Photo)

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), had proposed to rename the road near Vijay Chowk after Shikoh. A special meeting of the NDMC was called on Monday morning to discuss and pass this proposal.

Lekhi had written to the council on February 3 that some residents approached her requesting that Dalhousie Road, named after Lord Dalhousie, who served as governor general of India from 1848-56, should be renamed.

“Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of fifth Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, had promoted peace and concord between the followers of Hinduism and Islam, and had interest in comparative religions, universal brotherhood, humanism and peace... He was a great patron of fine arts and music, and took his last breath in Delhi,” Lekhi wrote in the letter addressed to NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar.

This is the third road in the Lutyens’ Zone of Delhi that has been renamed since the BJP came to power at the Centre.

In 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Road after the former President. In 2016, Race Course Road got a new name, Lok Kalyan Marg.

The NDMC officials say proposals to rename roads can be considered and acted upon at the discretion of the council.

Other roads in central Delhi that have been renamed in the past are Curzon Road to Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Irwin Road to Baba Kharak Singh Marg, King Edward Road to Maulana Azad Road and Kingsway to Rajpath.