Delhi : The Built Heritage—A Listing/Ratish Nanda, Narayani Gupta and O.P. Jain. Delhi, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, 1999, 2 Volumes, 737 p., maps, photographs, $250 (set). ISBN 81-900281-9-7.

Contents: Volume I: Preface. Foreword. Introduction. Acknowledgements. How to read this list. 1. Shahjahanabad (Zone A). 2. Karol Bagh (Zone B). 3. New Delhi (Zone D). 4. West Delhi (Zone G). 5. North-West Delhi (Zone H).

Volume II: 1. How to read this list. 2. Civil lines (Zone C). 3. South Delhi (Zone F). 4. Mehrauli (Zone F). 5. Conservation areas. Bibliography. Glossary. List of maps. Index.

From the Preface: "Delhi is a city of continuity. The excavations at purana Qila indicate that the history of Delhi goes back to the first millennium B.C. Delhi is, therefore one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is a city of many layers, each with its own story, where many-a city were built, destroyed and then rebuilt. Many of Delhi’s rulers played a dual role first as destroyers and then as builders. It is ironic that even after independence, we continue to destroy our heritage in the name of ‘development’.

"This publication by INTACH Delhi Chapter is part of this process. In this publication, we have listed over 1200 buildings that are of archaeological, historical and architectural importance. We have surveyed the many ‘pasts’ of Delhi’s long history and found buildings that are part of that multi-faceted story: the co-existence of diverse sacred centres, educational institutions and administrative structures, homes and palaces, political strongholds, markets, pleasure gardens, memories of war and monuments to peace. This publication contains a varied sample of the multiple layers of Delhi’s ancient history, material evidence of the richness of life and human creativity. However, as listing is a continuous process, we hope to build upon this effort."

Return to Arts of India Catalogue

Return to Archaeology of India Catalogue

Return to Architecture Catalogue