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Tourist
Place
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Neharwali Haveli
(General Musharraf's house)
Location:At Kucha Saadullah
Khan, behind Golcha cinema of Daryaganj
Open: On all days
Admission: Visitors can enter
the haveli by requesting the residents/shopkeepers
How to Reach: Tourists can
either take local buses from various points within the city to reach the
Haveli, or they can hire auto-rickshaws, metro rail and taxis.
Preferred Timings: 10.00
am- 9.00 pm
Photography charges: nil
Nearest Railway Station:
Old Delhi Railway Station
Nearest Metro Station: Chawri
Bazaar
Functional Metro Station:
Chawri Bazaar
An interview broadcast on
a popular news channel by the President of a neighboring country suddenly
created interest in one of the Havelis of the old walled city, located
at Kucha Saadullah Khan, behind Golcha cinema of Daryaganj. Overnight the
Haveli became popular and one of the favorite tourist destinations of Old
Delhi. The Haveli is Neharwali Haveli, the current Pakistani President,
General Pervez Musharraf's ancestral home. It was in this haveli that General
Musharraf was born and spent the first four years of his childhood. Though
now in a dilapidated condition as it has given way to a residential and
commercial complex, Neharwali Haveli was bought by Musharraf's grandfather
Qazi Mohtashimuddin after he retired as the commissioner of Punjab. General
Musharraf's father Syed Musharraf Uddin later moved to Pakistan with his
whole family deserting the haveli during the partition of India.
However, apart from being
associated with Musharraf's family, Neharwali Haveli also has historical
significance as the main minister or wazir of the court of the last Mughal
emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar lived in it. The haveli is located in that area
of the walled city where Muslim culture, traditions and etiquette flourished
as this part housed the havelis of many Mughal noble families who had commanded
much respect and esteem in the court.
At present, the haveli is
occupied by more than 5 families and is situated between crowded clusters
of narrow alleys and it is difficult for anyone to imagine its original
grandeur
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Daryaganj
The busy locality of Daryaganj,
near the Delhi Gate of Shahjahanbad, is known for its unique feature, a
very distinct style of architecture prevalent at the turn of the century.
The influence of modern European architecture is quite prominent in the
buildings of the area. They have mouldings on the façade, circular
pilasters (columns), semi-circular arches and were designed in such a manner
as to encounter the 'riot of light' (heat) as well as the chilly winter
of Delhi. Fireplaces can be found in most houses and they are large and
spacious with lots of space to breathe. However, prior to the British,
the area served as a small open market place for the citizens of Shahjahanbad.
It came to be known as Daryaganj (Darya-river, ganj-market) because the
River Yamuna used to flow near it. |
Today, after so many centuries,
Daryaganj is still a market but now an overpopulated busy and congested
one. Today it has the offices of some of the most well known distributors,
publication houses and organizations of the country apart from good Indian
restaurants and shops selling different kinds of items. Golcha, one of
the oldest cinema halls of the capital, Delhi Book Store, said to be the
Asia's largest medical bookshop, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) Restaurant widely
acknowledged for its Mughlai dishes and Lahore Music House (reputed for
dealing in musical instruments) are few of the popular destinations, which
can be explored on the streets of Daryaganj.
Special Attraction
Daryaganj Old Book Market
Apart from these living
artefacts, Daryaganj at present is extremely popular for its thriving old
book bazaar where book lovers and students come from various parts of the
country to purchase books at throw away prices every Sunday. Stretching
over a kilometer on the pavements of Daryaganj and a source of income for
about 200 pavement booksellers, this interesting book bazaar is a special
feature of the area for the past three decades. A patient buyer never returns
disappointed from here as he will definitely spot some interesting book
among the piles of secondhand books, periodicals and magazines.
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