Town Hall gets facelift, mayor urges tourists to witness Delhi’s heritage

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi visited the iconic British-era Town Hall and Ghalib ki Haveli in the Walled City on Monday and said tourists who will come to Delhi during the G20 Summit should be able to see the rich heritage of the city.
The over 160-year-old landmark—the original headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi—has received a basic facelift in the last few months.
Mayor Oberoi, accompanied by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, visited the sprawling heritage building situated in the Chandni Chowk area.
They later also went to the historic Ghalib ki Haveli in Old Delhi›s Ballimaran area, where poet Mirza Ghalib once lived.
India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi, which is a matter of pride for all of us. Roads and parks (under the MCD area) are being cleaned and beautified, and tourists coming here during the G20 Summit will be able to see the rich heritage of the city and go back with fond memories,» she said.
The summit is slated to be held in the national capital from September 9 to 10.
Oberoi and Bharadwaj also sampled some delicacies of old Delhi and took a rickshaw ride in the pedestrianised stretch of Chandni Chowk.
Bharadwaj said that as this structure was built during the British era, people have an interest in this building and its history.
The Town Hall premises include the main building, which has lawns on the front and back sides and is flanked by a press building and a dispensary building, which have also been freshly painted from outside. Built in yellow-painted brick and stone with carved white stone trim, the Victorian-era Town Hall, built in the early 1860s, was originally used by the British to hold public meetings.