Delhi’s true history and heritage lie within its walled areas. In fact the whole walled city is a big heritage site. It is here that the Moughal emperors, queens, princes and princesses lived, ruled, held their courts, walked and shopped. Mushairas—Urdu poetry recitation concerts— were held in the Red Fort and were presided over by the emperors particularly the last Moughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. The star writers of Urdu poetry regaled and enthralled the listeners with their witty and   soul stirring poetry recitations.

 It was in this area that the greatest poet of Urdu literature, Asadullah Khan Ghalib lived, drank, wrote and loved. When advised to leave Delhi and move to some safer haven as the city was being marauded and plundered by the angry British soldiers, Ghalib is reported to have said: Kaun Jaye Ghalib Dilli ki galiyan chhor kar? –who would like to leave the streets of Dilli?

The walled city hosts some of the greatest monuments of Delhi such as Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Gurudwara Sis Ganj, Jain Mandir, Hindu temples, mosques, churches famous havelis and many more. The Haveli where Mirza Ghalib lived is also located in the walled area. The streets and kuchas of Chandni Chowk, Daya Ganj, Fateh Puri, Sadar Bazar are eloquent reminders of who once lived and walked over them. Paranthe wali gali, Balli Maran, Bazar Sita Ram, Urdu Bazaar and numerous other streets and roads contain some of the oldest shops and heritage buildings such as the once famous Delhi College and now Anglo Arabic School.

You can go for shopping for an array of electronic goods and traditional wares.
Some of these shops have been working since generations. There are specialty shops that sell mouth watering golgappas, alloo tickies, faluda kulfis, jalebis, gulab jamuns and much more.  These centuries old eating joints are known for their delectable specialties worldwide. People from far and wide come here to enjoy their very special taste and flavor that are typical the old Delhi.

The chaotic traffic in the walled city, the  rickshaws, hand driven carts, the fast moving, jostling pedestrians infuse it with a kind of  liveliness  that  makes this area all the more beautiful and attractive.

If you want to savor the old-world charm of historic Delhi, you must visit its walled area.

While Dilli is the heart of Hindustan, its walled area is the heart of Delhi.