MCD approves draft agreement for Lahori Gate museum

The Lahori Gate haveli, a 1929 mansion at the meeting point of lanes from Khari Baoli, Sadar Bazar and Old Delhi Railway Station, is being prepared for a new role: a ticketed museum of Shahjahanabad.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has cleared a draft agreement with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) to create the museum and interpretation centre. MCD will provide the restored building, while IGNCA will design its galleries and select artefacts. The restoration was completed last year, and IGNCA had already granted in-principle approval for the project.

The haveli previously operated as a municipal dispensary and later served as a storehouse. Its damaged roof, jharokhas and balconies have been repaired, along with electrical and civil work.

Plans include galleries on the evolution of Shahjahanabad, the history of Delhi and the Mughal period, alongside displays on the Walled City’s present-day language, food and customs. Visitors are also expected to find representations of the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Town Hall, traditional havelis and places of worship, as well as material on Chandni Chowk’s markets and Meena Bazaar.

The first floor is planned to include an audio-visual space, a gathering area and a cafeteria. A souvenir shop, digital heritage database, interactive map and reconstructions of historic structures such as the old clock tower are also proposed.