HT examines how the palace became the most well-known bazaar for electrical goods in the Capital as the building marks its 200th anniversary.
A worn-out building that looks just like the dilapidated buildings that litter the nooks and crannies of this Mughal-era market area is tucked between the busy, chaotic pathways of Chandni Chowk.

The dilapidated structure was formerly the palace of Begum Samru, a strong woman who commanded a mercenary army made up of Europeans and Indians in the 18th century. The HT Archive
The dilapidated structure was formerly the palace of Begum Samru, a strong woman who commanded a mercenary army made up of Europeans and Indians in the 18th century. The HT Archive

The dilapidated structure was formerly the palace of Begum Samru, a strong woman who commanded a mercenary army made up of Europeans and Indians in the 18th century. It is now known as Bhagirath Palace and is the location of one of Delhi’s biggest wholesale markets.

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HT explores how Samru’s palace changed from its past splendor to become the Capital’s most well-liked mart for electrical and technological goods as the building completes 200 years in existence.

Samru’s life, times, and legacy
Begum Samru was a powerful power broker in the early 1800s. She worked her way up and eventually presided over the Meerut principality of Sardhana. In the 1800s, she also held control over the Jharsa-Badshahpur pargana.

In her book Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi, historian and novelist Swapna Liddle claims that Samru bought the plot of land where Bhagirath Palace is now in 1807.
Samru was a staunch ally of the British, according to Liddle, and the East India Company recognized her domain. Farzana, also known as Begum Samru, was a Kashmiri dancer who wed Walter Reinhardt ‘Sombre,’ a military contractor from Europe. Sombre arrived in India in the middle of the 18th century and became wealthy by serving in the military. His nickname, Sombre, was mispronounced as Samru, and his widow is most commonly referred to by this moniker, according to Liddle.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers, including Indians and European mercenaries, were under Begum Samru’s command. Ghulam Qadir, a Rohilla leader, was holding Red Fort under siege in 1787 when Samru broke the siege, forcing Qadir to flee. She instructed her officers to garrison the Diwan-i-Khas and ordered her artillery to be positioned along the Red Fort’s parapets. She impressed the then-emperor Shah Alam with her intervention, earning her the moniker Zeb-un-Nissa, which translates to “jewel among women.”

According to the book Farzana: The Troubled Life and Times of Begum Sumru by author Julia Keay, she passed away on January 27, 1836, in Sardhana in Meerut as a result of age-related issues. She was estimated to be 86 years old.

David Dyce Ochterlony Sombre was Samru’s heir. According to Keay, shortly after his passing, Mary Anne Jervis sold the palace to a bank whose English manager and his family perished in the 1857 mutiny (first war of Independence).

According to Keay, after the fight, Lloyds Bank repaired the palace’s damage, and the name of the company is still visible on the building’s parapets.

A modest plaque outside the palace today describes the structure as Begum Samru’s Palace-Central Bank and declares it to be a historic structure. The final Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, reportedly stayed within the compound after being apprehended for allegedly taking part in the 1857 uprising.

Finally, in 1940, the palace was bought by entrepreneur Seth Bhagirath Mal, who changed its name to Bhagirath Palace.

About how the palace changed from being a private residence to a wholesale marketplace, there is no historical documentation.

Despite having a rich historical past, the structure has been neglected and has received little funding for restoration efforts.

It is home to electronics stores, surgical supply stores, drugstores, and a jumble of other businesses, some of which operate out of enclosures that were once a part of the palace’s original design. The enclosures were allegedly used as stables by Begum Samru during her reign. According to a merchant selling medical instruments who requested anonymity, “The shops that are operating out of the enclosures have not tampered with the original structure of the complex.”

Source- Hindustan times
Link- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhis-bhagirath-palace-once-a-palace-now-a-wholesale-market-101694628589617.html