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If you have ever wandered through the bustling lanes of Chandni Chowk, you know the charm of Old Delhi’s streets but staying here is a whole different experience.
Tucked away in the narrow alleys near Jama Masjid lies Haveli Dharampura, a 200-year-old mansion transformed into a beautifully restored heritage hotel. Located in Old Delhi, in Gali Guliyan, Dharampura, a short walk from Jama Masjid, it is originally owned by a family dating back to the Mughal era, the haveli carries centuries of history within its walls.
It is a three-storeyed 19th century haveli that had fallen into a bad state of neglect till it was purchased and restored by Vijay Goel with help from restoration architects, masons and craftsmen.
The meticulous restoration of Haveli Dharampura spanned seven years, turning a once-forgotten ancestral home into an elegant heritage property. Visitors are welcomed through grand brass gates into a three-storey structure centered around a charming courtyard, complete with a fountain reminiscent of 18th-century residences. Ornate windows and jharokas feature delicate stained glass, showcasing the intricate artistry preserved throughout the restoration.
In 2017, the restored haveli won recognition in UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation
Architecture: Style, Features & Original Fabric
Haveli Dharampura exemplifies traditional architecture of Old Delhi / Shahjahanabad, combining Mughal, Rajasthani, and some European elements in its design and ornamentation.
Some of the key architectural features include:
- Balconies, Jharokas, Antique Balconies: The haveli has many jharokas (overhanging enclosed balconies), antique balconies, carved wooden and stone elements.
- Woodwork, Ceilings, Doors & Windows: Intricate woodwork on rooftops, old sal-wood joists and planks for ceilings, wooden doors and windows, with some stained glass pieces.
- Stone & Brick: Use of traditional materials like Lakhori bricks, stone columns/pillars (e.g. Dholpur stone), carved stone brackets and stone facings.
- Plaster & Mortar Work: Traditional lime plaster / mortar techniques, including additives such as Belgiri, jute fiber, husk etc, rather than modern cement in exterior/interior finishes.
- Courtyard & Spatial Configuration: The layout retains a central courtyard; original spatial configuration was altered over the years (many partitions added) but was reestablished during restoration.
- Ornamentation: Sculptures, engraving of Hindu goddesses (in stone/steel), carved arches (including cusp arches), jaalis, chhatris etc. The facades have decorative elements, multi-foliate arches, carved sandstone facades.
Given its location, it also integrates well in the dense urban fabric of Old Delhi: accessed through narrow alleys such as Gali Guliyan, Gali Anar, Dariba Kalan, etc.
The State Before Restoration: Challenges & Decay
By the time restoration began, Haveli Dharampura was in a state of severe deterioration. Dampness had affected all floors due to rising moisture, which weakened the wooden elements of the structure.
Large sections of the original roof had collapsed, adding to the instability. Over the years, numerous partition walls, toilets, and kitchens had been inserted in places that were never part of the original design, disrupting the circulation and compromising the building’s layout.
The situation was worsened by open pipes and exposed wiring that created unsafe service connections, while decorative plasterwork remained hidden under layers of lime wash. Stone columns were disfigured with synthetic paint, and many glass panes were either broken or missing. Altogether, these conditions made it clear that the restoration required much more than cosmetic repair—it demanded structural intervention, careful conservation, and the involvement of skilled craftsmen and specialist labour.
Restoration / Reviving Glory: Process, Philosophy & Execution
The restoration process was lengthy and painstaking, spanning six years of continuous work, with a team of about 50 workmen under personal supervision.
Key elements of the restoration include:
- Conservation Philosophy: Minimum Intervention & Respect for Historic Evidence
The approach was to retain as much of the original material and form as possible, intervene minimally, and respect all surviving architectural evidence. - Structural Reinforcement & Foundations
First tasks included strengthening the foundation, erecting scaffoldings, taking out dangerous elements, and making sure the basement / lower structures could bear load again. - Removal of Unsuitable Additions & Restoration of Spatial Layout
All later partition walls and ad-hoc additions (rooms, bathrooms etc) were removed to bring back the original spatial layout. - Materials & Techniques
Haveli Dharampura’s restoration used Lakhori bricks to match the original fabric, with lime mortar and lime plaster strengthened by natural additives. Skilled masons, some from Red Fort projects, worked alongside local craftsmen and Rajasthani artisans, whose expertise in carving and traditional techniques helped revive the haveli’s authentic architectural character. - Ornamentation & Decorative Work
Many decorative stone carvings, brackets, jaalis, jharokas and woodwork were cleaned, restored or replicated where missing. Broken or missing glass panes were replaced in the original design. - Interior Renovation and Modern Amenities
Out of ~60 rooms (on three floors), a number were redesigned as suites / rooms with ensuite bathrooms, keeping in mind luxury boutique-hotel comforts, but in a way that did not compromise the heritage character.
Service lines (electricity, plumbing), safety features (fire detection, sprinklers) were added. - Documentation & Monitoring
Archival-quality drawings and photographs were maintained throughout. Regular inspections by the restorer (Vijay Goel) and the conservation architect.
Outcome: How the Glory is Revived
The restoration of Haveli Dharampura has brought the building back to its former splendour while ensuring it remains usable and sustainable. The original spatial configuration with open courtyards, rooms, and circulation has been revived, undoing years of ad-hoc partitioning.
Ornamental features such as jharokas, carved wooden windows, and stone facades are once again visible, either carefully restored or faithfully replicated where they were lost.
Transformed into a boutique heritage hotel with around 13 rooms and suites, the haveli now blends modern amenities with preserved aesthetic integrity. Structural stability and safety have also been secured through strengthened roofs and floors, updated plumbing and wiring, and fire-safety systems. In recognition of this effort, the project received the prestigious UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award fo
Challenges & What Was Hard
The restoration was not without difficulties:
- Sourcing original materials such as Lakhori bricks, Dholpur sandstone, carpentry for wood etc was difficult and expensive. Many materials or skilled craftsmen are rare or expensive.
- Labour & expertise: Some tasks required masons trained in traditional techniques (lime plaster, pozzolanic mortar, etc.), which are less common today. Finding them and maintaining quality was challenging.
- Structural risks during restoration: because decay was advanced, parts of the roof had collapsed; walls were cracked; dampness threatened structural timber; safety in working in such environments.
- Balancing modern amenities with heritage integrity: adding bathrooms, plumbing, electricity, fire safety etc, while making sure that interventions did not compromise visual, material, structural fabric.
- Urban pressures: narrow lanes, overcrowding, electrical wires, open pipes, etc around old Delhi make it hard to isolate the building; environment is harsh (pollution, moisture etc).
Haveli Dharampura stands today as an exemplar of how a decaying heritage building can be resuscitated, not just in appearance but in spirit. Through careful architectural restoration, use of traditional materials, respect for the original spatial form, and combining heritage with modern functionality (as a boutique heritage hotel), its glory has been largely revived.
It also serves as a model for many other havelis in Shahjahanabad and Old Delhi that are in various states of decay. The project reaffirms that heritage is not just about the past; it can be part of a living, breathing urban fabric, if restoration is done with skill, patience, and love.
