Weddings At Delhi's Historical Monuments May Soon Become A Reality

Wedding at Delhi's several historical sites will no longer be a dream, as the city government is planning to open them to a host of events.

A scheme allowing bookings of select heritage monuments for weddings and cultural events is in the works, an official said.

Several monuments under the Delhi Archaeology Department have been shortlisted for the initiative.

Mutiny Memorial at Northern Ridge, built in 1863 to commemorate soldiers who died during the Revolt of 1857, the Dara Shikoh Library at Kashmere Gate, once the residence of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh and later a British office, Maqbara Paik near the GTK bus depot, a Mughal-era tomb believed to belong to one of the imperial couriers, are some of these monuments, the official said.

The tomb in Sadhana Enclave, a Lodi-period structure reflecting early Indo-Islamic architecture, and the pavilions at Qudsia Garden, part of an 18th-century palace complex built by Qudsia Begum, wife of Emperor Muhammad Shah, are in the list of places where civilian affairs will be consummated.

Such sites in Vasant Vihar as remains of medieval tombs and walls from the Lodi and Sayyid periods, Ghalib Haveli in Chandni Chowk, the 19th-century residence of celebrated Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, and the 14th-century Bara Lao ka Gumbad, a domed structure believed to have served as a traveller's rest house, too, may grace wedding parties.

The official said the plan is in its initial stage, and discussions are still underway on implementation and venue selection.

"Extra security measures will be introduced to ensure that heritage structures are not damaged during private or cultural events," the person said.

"The government is also considering providing relaxation in GST on booking fees for such heritage venues," he told PTI.

The official said that about 80 monuments may be chosen for hosting cultural and private events under a public-private partnership model.

The plan was earlier aired by Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra.

Mishra said that his department was working on building basic infrastructure and obtaining approvals to make these sites more accessible to the public. 

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