Shahjahanabad to come alive in Chandni Chowk

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to recreate Shahjahanabad in New Delhi as soon as its headquarters relocates from the Town Hall premises in Chandni Chowk to the newly constructed Civic Centre on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg by May.

Once the civic headquarters moves out of the Town Hall, the Victorian monument the British built in 1866, it will house a museum showcasing the national capital’s rich history, dating back to the Mughal era, just the way London’s famed Madame Tussauds features statues of members of the British royal family.

MCD’s standing committee chairman Vijender Gupta said they want to convert the heritage structure into a “museum, library-cum-convention centre showcasing the rich cultural heritage of historical Shahjahanabad.

The museum would also feature events from Delhi’s recent past, like the British and post-Independence era.

MCD is also trying to get international funding for the project and is toying with the idea of floating global expressions of interest for the same.

“All efforts will be made to get the best consultants to design the museum.

“We are also toying with other proposals for the Town Hall besides construction of the museum and convention centre.

“If possible, we also want to utilise some space of the Town Hall for a heritage hotel, as several suggestions have come to us from the public on these lines,” a senior civic official said.

MCD had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with heritage body Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for construction of a “heritage corridor” across Delhi before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The Delhi government, too, signed a similar MoU with Intach to make the national capital a World Heritage City by redeveloping and conserving about 92 heritage monuments like Humayun Tomb and Red Fort among others.