Haveli Dharampura, Chandni Chowk, Delhi - UNESCO awarded conservation work

This UNESCO-Awarded Dharampua  Haveli in Chandni Chowk of  old Delhi is a good example of how India's vast heritage sites  can be restored and saved for the posterity without any help from the politicians whose agenda and passions rarely cover dying historical and heritage  structures of architectural beauty across the country. 

old Delhi Haveli Dharampura  indiatimes.com

old Delhi Haveli Dharampura lbb.in

old Delhi Haveli Dharampura lbb.in

old Delhi Haveli Dharampura lbb.in
Covering over 500 square yards, in the prime area of Old Delhi the haveli visitors to this place will be struck by its stunning architectural splendor with beautiful but distinctive  Mogul design elements.  
Now turned into a luxurious  boutique hotel, Haveli Dharampura is a late Mughal-style haveli  that came up\around 1887 after the great war of independence of 1857-58. The credit goes to shri Vijay Goel  whose painstaking work is reflected in  every nook and corner of the structure  right from  careful restoration of old ornate design elements, using matching  traditional construction materials, space optimization combined with modern intervention. it took him 7 years to complete the project which apart from others for reasons of proper planning, superior quality workmanship, focus on retaining  the heritage aspects, etc. his interest was so overwhelming, he with dedication and resolute mind, resurrected an old architectural gem from a crumbling state.  finding right technique to repair cracks in 200-year-old walls  adding modernity to the old building,  recreating right old plater work, etc as part of conservation is a tedious one. but sri Goel handled the whole gamut of conservation  with skill and tactics.  
what is inspiring is this three story structure has  60 rooms, which have now been re-designed  into 13 grand rooms with bathrooms and attendant service areas across all floors.  Each  door carrying the names of the gates  such as: Kashmiri, Turkmani, Ajmeri , etc. The next level  has rooms, balconies and little alcoves for sitting and chatting. The rooftop  sit-outs offer  a vista of old historical  buildings - the Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Gurudwara Sisganj, churches, temples and more. 

When you go past the  second heavy door  you are into the huge, light-filled courtyard ringed by three cast-iron balustraded floors. Walls of slim bricks supporting arches, carved brackets, polished wooden doors and inlaid marble floors, old styled  jharokas, jaali  stone windows, etc., - all bring back the old pictures of the 18th century haveli which was common in this part and Rajasthan. 

The grand entrance on the ground floor takes you into  an aangan with a small fountain , fenced off by an art gallery on the left and the restaurant straight ahead. The inspiring features are jharokas and windows carry  stained glass art and decorated balconies with dancers practicing for the evening and an atmosphere full of thumris and ghazals, creating an old style ambiance with a modern backdrop. on certain days --every Saturday and Sunday from 7 pm to 10 pm, guests can enjoy kathak dances,


.