OVERHAUL FOR TOWN HALL DRAWS MIXED REACTIONS
We speak to historians and locals to understand how the plan to lease out Town Hall to a private hotel chain would affect the place
Asimple walk through the alleys of Chandni Chowk and the general area of Old Delhi throws up a multitude of historical sites, including popular attractions such as Red Fort and Jama Masjid as well as hidden gems such as the grave of Mughal empress Razia Sultana. While the area is brimming with more heritage than one can cover in a day, its upkeep (or lack thereof) is disappointing — majestic havelis, elaborate fountains, and towering gates that once guarded the Walled City are now in ruins. So, when the news of Town Hall being leased by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to a private hotel chain, reportedly on the condition that no changes would be made to the original structure, started doing rounds afresh, it created a lot of buzz.
As per Vijay Prakash, engineering chief of NDMC, the plan is to lease it out for 33 years, and add attractions such as dancing fountains, crafts bazaar, museum, and library. “We have made a proposal where a hotel chain can take charge and make it a heritage hotel under a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) model. All expenses for repair and renovation would be borne by the hotel,” says Prakash. What was the idea behind this move? “The building has been lying in neglect. This move will also help the government earn revenue,” he says, adding, “There would be a nominal charge for visiting these places. The work will begin in the next six months.”
Town Hall was originally a caravan sarai built by Jahanara — Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s eldest daughter. She built a water tank in front of the sarai which used to reflect the moonlight, thus, giving the place its name — Chandni Chowk. Later, the British demolished it and built a public library and club for Europeans.
Historian Sohail Hashmi, who was on the committee to develop Town Hall four years back, had proposed to combine these two facets of the place’s history. “We had proposed that this library be expanded to include every book ever written on Delhi. There were plans to set up a permanent exhibition on the remaining area. We had also proposed ideas for restaurants and performance spaces,” he says. “We had planned this space in a way where the public would love to come, not an exclusive heritage hotel with absolutely no connection with the life of the city. It is like selling your heritage, bit by bit,” he adds.
Historian and author Rana Safvi feels that the Town Hall is a testimony to the British rule as well as Indians’ fight against it. “They are not just leasing a building; they are leasing India’s history. If you make it a commercial complex, people will forget its historical value,” she says.
However, when we spoke to the locals to understand how this move would affect the demographic, they seemed quite delighted. 33-year-old Shailabh Jain, whose family owns the two-centuries-old Ghantewala Shahi Halwai in Chandni Chowk, feels that provisions for senior citizens and children should be part of the plan. “Building spare padi hai, and is of no use. Private ownership will prove beneficial for it,” he says.
Muhammad Zubair, a resident of Ballimaran, believes that it is both a good and a bad move. “Good, as we will move towards a new era, and bad as it might come at the cost of losing one’s identity. The way forward is to not tamper with historical significance when adding attractions to keep people connected with it,” he says.