Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
Under the canopy of grand maulsari tree, may be as old as the Qaiser Manzil, Jahanaanuma’s first mehfil unfolded in the sehen, the courtyard of the haveli, earlier this month. The doors of the haveli, beautifully lit with candles and flowers captured the attention of every guest, as they stepped into the haveli to sounds of the shehnai.
The Qaiser Manzil haveli, tucked away in Purani Dilli’s Kucha Chelan, finds its mention in the British survey in 1850, as one of the havelis belonging to the nobility of Shahjahanabad.
Each guest was welcomed with a rose petal shower and refreshing glass of khus.
Welcome drink at the mehfil – khus!
The Qaiser Manzil haveli, tucked away in Purani Dilli’s Kucha Chelan, finds its mention in the British survey in 1850, as one of the havelis belonging to the nobility of Shahjahanabad. “Yeh wahid haveli bachi hui hai, jo ki living haveli hai. It was gifted to Qaiser Jahan in dowry. While the area was looted in 1857 uprising, the family survived,” says culture revivalist Abu Sufiyan as he began sharing snippets about curating an evening immersed in culture in a living haveli, belonging to the Bakht family.
Qaiser Manzil is a 170-year-old haveli in Kucha Chelan
Abu continues, “The evening is curated to give a glimpse of Dilli ki tehzeeb, where every guest is honoured. This mehfil isn’t about revival, it is about creating a culture. Mehfils are meant to be intimate, and that’s why we chose to keep it intimate, in a living 18th-century haveli. It is a celebration of tehzeeb, memory, music, language and culinary heritage of Shahajahanabad.”
A love letter to Old Delhi’s tehzeeb, memory and culture
The stately arches and silent corridors whispered stories of a bygone era, setting the tone for an immersive cultural experience. The mood enlivened with Dastangoi by Sunil Mehra and Pallav Mishra, followed by an engaging conversation with Suboor Bakht, son of the patron of the haveli MM Bakht, who offered a thoughtful reflection on the legacy of Qaiser Manzil and the tehzeeb of Kucha Chelan.
Suboor Bakht, son of the patron of the haveli MM Bakht, who offered a thoughtful reflection on the legacy of Qaiser Manzil
The evening then flowed into Shaam-e-Ghazal with Shaheen Salmani, where timeless melodies like Ranjish Hi Sahi, Hothon Se Chhu Lo Tum, Salona Sa Sajan Hai Aum Main Hoon and Rafta Rafta Woh Humare Dil Ke, evoked emotions of longing and love.
Shaheen Salmani, where timeless melodies like Ranjish Hi Sahi, Hothon Se Chhu Lo Tum, Salona Sa Sajan Hai Aum Main Hoon and Rafta Rafta Woh Humare Dil Ke
This was a perfect opportunity to experience the culture of Delhi of bygone era. What I am appreciating the most is that even if I am not able to understand the words, I can feel and connect with the music
Rachael, from the World Bank, who attended the mehfil
Guests enjoyed a Dastangoi session, followed by ghazals
The evening culminated with an elegant spread of culinary gems like nahari with sheermal, biryani, phirni, and paan.
The evening culminated with an elegant spread of culinary gems like nahari with sheermal, biryani, phirni, and paan
It connected me to history in so many ways. It is all about being one family and appreciating the shared heritage that we all have. I absolutely enjoyed
Aprajita Mathew, an attendee
Mayank Rawat
