This exploratory walk is woven around the central role of Delhi in the Indian uprising of 1857 – its take over by the rebel soldiers, their volley of battles with the British, the eventual recapture of Delhi, and the aftermath which changed Old Delhi forever.

We witness the various battle scars left on the city in the form of half-blown gates, ruined buildings, and a lost cultural oasis. Listening to first-hand accounts of the then citizens, court-poets, army generals, along with interesting, at times unbelievable, trivia will help you get an intimate introduction to the history of the war and its impacts on the city’s inhabitants. The narrative also touches upon related events from the wider theatre of war across north India, and the aftermath of this important conflict which laid the foundations for the freedom struggles against colonial rule across the globe.

Kashmiri Gate, British Magazine, Telegraph Memorial, and other ruins of monuments that bore witness to the war

The lush-green Delhi Ridge with the imposing Mutiny Memorial

Contemporary City Maps showing movement of armies, Timeline of the war, Pivotal events

Documented strategies employed by the warring sides – Artillery positions, Weapons and tactics

Catastrophic changes to Old Delhi post-war by the British – Old photographs, sketches and letters to help re-imagine the travails of inhabitants