Walled City: From a 200-year-old haveli to a modern cafe and lounge

Every time we think of ‘the walled city’ in Delhi, a vision of the beautiful Jama Masjid and the majestic Red Fort is quickly followed by another, less awe-striking thought of cluttered, dilapidated havelis and dark, narrow lanes. It seems that a city that once served the royalty has been forgotten by the time itself.

Amid this rubble of the past, however, a family has revived their 200-year-old haveli to turn it into a modern cafe and lounge, named Walled City, while preserving its rich heritage.

One can sit on the rooftop, sipping a Nutella peanut butter shake while looking at kids flying kites on nearby terraces and men indulging in kabootarbaazi. It is common to play board games or hog on steaks and pizzas, while listening to melodious Azaan calls from the Jama Masjid, which is just 200 m away. Thrown open to the public in December 2016, Walled City has already become a favourite among those who like to visit the Purani Dilli.

“All the places in the area are very food-focussed. We wanted to provide a space where people could have conversations, read books, or just stop by for comfort breaks during shopping or heritage walks in Old Delhi,” said Sheeba Aslam Fehmi, owner of the cafe, who has a PhD in ‘Absence of Protest Among Indian Muslim Women post-Shah Bano’. 

The haveli, originally owned by a Nawab Faiz, was given to his sister in dowry (she won a court case against her brother). Fehmi and her husband, along with their son Omair, a Politcal Science student at the Delhi University (DU), decided to convert it while still maintaining the original structure. “Whatever is left has to be respected. We have not touched the original Lakhori bricks or floors here,” she said.

For the past many years, heritage activists and the Delhi government have been working to conserve the havelis in the walled city. In its last list for buildings needing conservation and protection, the government had mentioned 550 monuments in the walled city. The number rose to 767 after the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) added a few more havelis to the list. Most of these are privately-owned properties, where owners have either moved out or do not have the resources to maintain these huge structures.

“A lot of these havelis are in shambles. A good example has been set here. If people around can learn from this cafe, these buildings can see a new future,” said Ajay Kumar, Director of Projects, INTACH, Delhi Chapter. “While reviving these buildings, the owners need to show sympathy towards the rich heritage. Without that, the renewal and remodelling, in their best sense, cannot be achieved,” he added.

The Delhi government will provide funds to maintain the structures mentioned in the list, which will also encourage people to keep their mansions in a better condition. Also, these buildings will be exempted from property tax or conversion tax, if the originality is maintained.

Another such cafe in the old Motor Gali in Choori Walan, Chandni Chowk, is becoming a hotspot for people to stop by in old Delhi. The cafe serves European food, has clean washrooms and basins (a rarity in the area), and boasts of calm amid chaos, making it a place loved by people of all generations.

One such cafe in the neighbouring Pakistan, Cucoo’s Den, had made it to several news platforms in 2012. Situated in the hustle-bustle of Hira Mandi, the heritage haveli is owned by Iqbal Hussain, son of a courtesan and an internationally-acclaimed painter. He preserved the original haveli passed to him by his family and converted it into an eatery. Just a few hundred meters from Badshahi mosque and the Lahore fort, this building has beautiful rooftop views, paintings, and sculptures.