The foundation stone of Shahjahanabad was laid in the 17th century when the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, decided to shift his capital from Agra - the streets of which had become impossibly crowded and the riverbanks eroded. The new city was on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi and the principal avenue of the city boasted of a market and kept the cogwheels of the empire churning. It is on this street that the emperor’s daughter, Jahan-Ara, built the city’s most sumptuous caravanserai, or traveller’s lodge, Chandni Chowk.

The walk will begin at the Red Fort, with its pavilions of gorgeous marble inlay, architectural features like the Bangladar roof, and the profuse use of red and buff sandstone over Mughal Lakhori bricks. The words attributed to Amir Khusroe: "gar firdaus bar rū-yi zamīn ast: hamīn ast, hamīn ast, hamīn ast!", that is, “if there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here!” were appropriated and inscribed on the walls of the throne room of the fort. It is here that Shah Jahan would address his durbar, seated on his famed peacock throne: an artefact that rivalled the Taj Mahal in its cost of production. We will touch upon the planning principles of the city, how Shah Jahan was deeply invested in its design, his vision as one of the greatest patrons of architecture in Indian history and the ways in which the residential spaces of the elite captured the essence of Mughal architecture. The walk will end at the Jama Masjid, the mosque bestowed upon the city by the emperor himself which cast an enduring shadow on all others. We will sit on its steps, with a touch of 18th-century storytelling and talk about society and life in the city, the places of worship for the royal women, the imperial tasters at the Galli Kebabiyan and the scribes.

Meeting Time: 8:30 am

Meeting Point: Jama Masjid Gate No 3

Nearest Bus/ Metro Station: Jama Masjid (Violet Line), Chawri Bazaar (Yellow Line)

Medium: English

Walk led by Riya Sarkar

Riya is an architect with a background in architectural history and preservation. She has been leading walking tours in Delhi for quite some time. She is interested in the continuity of cities, cultural representations and human interaction with built heritage.

Things to keep in mind:

• Photography allowed.
• Please wear comfortable shoes and carry drinking water.