Zeenat Mahal

Lal Kuan, in the back lanes of Chandni Chowk left off Fatehpuri Masjid, lies a structure long forgotten. Its gates still towering over passers by who pay little heed to the history of this area. A part of the façade on the first floor appears as if it is frozen in time, intricate jaali work still intact and home to a million cobwebs. Nobody is sure where exactly Zeenat Mahal begins and ends. If the gates with iron spokes are any indication, this palace of yore is probably 100 metres in length and many hundred more in depth. A part of this structure has been altered beyond recognition and is today home to a government school. As per residents, the palace belonged to one of the wives of a mughal emperor and was later bought by the Maharaja of Patiala who took the initiative of developing it into a government school. Once inside the gates, one can view the intricate brick work that forms the dome and is still intact today. An ornate iron spiral staircase still serves those going up to the first floor that houses shops and godowns today. If you are travelling by metro, take a left from the Natraj Dahi Bhalla shop towards Fatehpuri or simply take a peddle rickshaw to Lal Kuan from Red Fort.