Chandni Chowk, Delhi

One of Delhi's oldest churches, the Central Baptist Church was built in 1814 by the British Missionary Society. The construction of their church took place a little after Delhi came under the protection of British East India Company (in 1803), but a few decades before the city officially became part of the British Empire. The church is located in the heart of Old Delhi, on Chandni Chowk among a mosaic of temples from different religions represented in India.

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This tiny mosque on Chandni Chowk is one of two mosques in Delhi named Sunehri Masjid, or "Golden Mosque" (the second is Shahi Sunehri Masjid, located just south of the Red Fort). The triple onion-shaped copper domes were once gilded and had earned this mosque its name. It was built in 1721 by Roshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan during the reign of Muhammad Shah. The mosque's prayer hall is elevated above street-level shops and consists of an open interior. A hasty recent renovation had the interior painted in pastel colours, which may be pretty, but it is definitely not true to the original design. Sunehri Masjid is adjacent to Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, the grand Sikh temple.

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Fatehpuri Masjid is located at the western end of the busy Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. It was built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum, a wife of Shah Jahan. It follows the typical Mughal-period design and was built using red sandstone. The enclosed courtyard is surrounded by a portico which seems to serve as a madrassa (theological school) and a residence for the students. Although the mosque is generally well kept, it is clear that in its most recent renovation untraditional materials were utilised. The interior was simply painted over with multiple colours, including faux gold, white and green, which do not conform to the typical Mughal-period colour palette. Still, it is a pretty prayer hall with numerous pillars supporting polyfoil arches.

Built in 1866 by the British, the Delhi Town Hall could have easily been in central London. Its Victorian architectural style stands out in the heart of Old Delhi, near Chandni Chowk. When it was built, the Town Hall was probably in pale sandstone, but at some point since then it was painted over in yellow and white. Note that when it was constructed, the city of New Delhi had not been conceived yet (the capital of the British Raj was Calcutta), which is why the Town Hall seems so far away from the administrative heart of the city in New Delhi. In recent years, the building housed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), but there have been plans to turn it into a heritage museum.

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One of Delhi's major Sikh places of worship, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib lies on Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. The imposing building with its recognisable bulbous golden domes is said to have been built on the site where Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was killed and martyred by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1675 AD. His commemorative temple was constructed a century later, but the present structure dates from a 1931 reconstruction.

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A Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Gauri Shankar Mandir contains an 800 year old lingam (the phallus stone which symbolises Shiva). Although the temple has existed for much longer, the actual structure is from a reconstruction in 1959. It is located on Chandni Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi, right next to the Jain temple, Lal Mandir.

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The principal Jain temple in Delhi, Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, is also its oldest. It was built in 1656, during the reign of Shahjahan, and expanded a few times thereafter, particularly after India's independence when the shikaras (mountain domes) were added. The temple is commonly referred to as Lal Mandir (i.e. Red Temple) due to its red colour. Its interior contains rich decorations, including frescoes, but photography inside is not permitted (also note that shoes must be taken off before entering). This temple is famous for having a bird hospital on the premises.

This street, whose name means Moonlit Square / Market is the main street in Old Delhi (originally Shahjehanabad). It runs through the centre of the old walled city, leading from the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in the east, to the Fatehpuri Masjid at the western end. It may have received it's name from the moonlight reflecting from either a pool in a central square, now vanished, or from the canal that once ran down the middle.

It is a very bustling, busy place, as it is still a thriving market area, and different lanes or 'galis' specialise in different products.

Sadly I was so overwhelmed by it all that I didn't take any photos!