‘We were driven out’

This is the earliest of the colonial-style mansions built by Begum Samru, who held a fiefdom in Sardana (Meerut).

This is the earliest of the colonial-style mansions built by Begum Samru, who held a fiefdom in Sardana (Meerut).

HT Image

Lala Bhagirath Mal bought the haveli after her death. Till the 1970s, the family occupied the palatial mansion with 35 rooms, 2 chowks (courtyards) and even a tehkhana (cellar).

But the ghastly-looking building is now a shadow of its beautiful self. Central Bank of India occupies a major portion and ortions occupied by tenants have seen drastic alterations. Outside is the ever-increasing congestion .

Says Atul Gupta, grandson of Lala Bhagirath Mal, “Commercialisation prompted our family to shift to New Friends Colony in 1973-74. Maintenance is a huge problem here.”