The Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk

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. 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 but 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. ...read more

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Published on Feb 26, 2023 09:49 PM IST

A view of Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi, India. 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. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi, 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. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk, in New Delhi. Photos of Gandhi, a charkha, and replicas of some souvenirs associated with him are installed in this room.(Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of a room inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. Unlike Haveli Dharampura, Golden Haveli is more colourful. It 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.(Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of a room inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. Prominent features of the Golden Haveli include arches, brackets, and alcoves. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. In 2019, Vijay Goel, a 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.(Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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Vijay Goel (on the right), a politician and former member of parliament is seen talking to foreign tourists inside the Golden Haveli. “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 in an exclusive interview with HT. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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.(Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A top-angle view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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”. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside a room of Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of a room in Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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 in an exclusive interview with HT.(Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of a washroom in Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of a room inside Golden Haveli. The haveli has 11 rooms. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk. 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. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view of the interior design of Golden Haveli. 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 practiced in this part of the city. On the terrace, a viewing deck has been erected that offers a 360-degree view of the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

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A view inside Golden Haveli at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi.  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, said Goel in an exclusive interview with HT. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)