Flag Staff Tower

 Delhi  Heritage  Trail : 21

         Flag Staff Tower

        The area to the  north  of  Shahjahanabad  (old Delhi)  was where the British who occupied Delhi around  1803 had their  residences in the  middle of 19th century.  This area was the  former Cantonment  now called  Civil Lines. It has more than hundred year old  beautiful colonial  buildings.  This  was the  posh area of Delhi  before  independence and even now has lavish  independent bungalows maintaining  it's character. 

         The  Flag Staff Tower  is in the midst of Kamala Nehru  Ridge in Civil  Lines .  It was a signal  tower  erected in 1828 in Gothic  architecture  with castellated  parapets.  The ridge  in those  days as seen  in the  old  photograph was a barren land with low scrubs  and the  tower was the  highest point in the  ridge and signals  were  sent without  hindrance.  The  afforestation of the  ridge started around  1910 and it is now a thick  urban forest.  One  should  be  careful  with the monkeys which are  in good  numbers  and everyone walking/jogging  in the  forest has a stick in the  hand to protect themselves. 

           The  Flag Staff Tower is more famous for  it was here on 11th May 1857 when the Mutineers captured  Delhi  many  of  British residents of the  Cantonment took refuge waiting for  the  reinforcements from  Meerut. I tried to take the photograph more or less from the same angle it was taken 160 years ago.It  has a spiral staircase inside to the top.

Old picture :  Felice Beato