THE STORY OF DELHI's CONNAUGHT PLACE :-by Mr.Sandeep Uppal thru FB :-Grand Ole Times

Till the early years of the 20th century, Connaught Place was one large patch of wilderness. Or rather, a patchwork of villages surrounded by Delhi’s native trees such as Babool, Ronjh, Ker, Sangri, Hingot, Meswak, Khajoor, Dhaak, Palaash, Peepal, Banyan, Gular and Amaltas.

On Tuesdays the residents of Shahjahanabad, would venture out this far to visit the Hanuman temple. Besides devotees, hunters came this way, seeking Partridges and Quail in the forested patches which also had jackals and wild boar.

In 1912, a process of acquisition of several villages, including Jaisinghpura and Raja Ka Bazar began. The rulers of Jaipur, who owned the land, declared they were willing to part with their properties but it took more than a decade for the paperwork to be wound up.

The largest plot of land was Jaisinghpura, as it was owned by Sawai Jaisingh. He built Jantar Mantar and the Hanuman Temple on this land. The peasants and retainers, who had settled on these properties, were relocated in Karol Bagh and Pahar Ganj.

The area around the Raisina Hill was finalised for locating the Viceregal Lodge, the Secretariat and the Council House. The foundation stone of the Council House, now known as Parliament House, was laid by the first Duke of Connaught.

The area to the northeast of this central hub, consisting of land belonging to Jaisinghpura and some other villages, was chosen for a high end market and residential complex.

To be continued...

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