The Delhi-6 house of Mrs.Gandhi family (Indira Gandhi's birthday on Nov. 19)

While Mrs.Indira Gandhi had visited that particular house in Delhi-6 only once after she became the Prime Minister, she was emotionally attached to it.

It was neither her family house Anand Bhawan in Allahabad nor Teen Murti house, where she used to live with her father, Pt.Nehru when he was the Prime Minister of India.

Unlike these two huge mansions, this house was small and modest. But she was attached to it for very emotional and genuine reasons. And the reason is pretty understandable.

Actually that was the house of her mother, Kamala Nehru, in Sitaram Bazar. That was also the birth place of her mother. Even after the ownership of that house was transferred, she used to spend some moments close to it during her election campaigns.

So far so, she used to throw garlands in that direction. This writer is witness that unforgettable moment when she threw garlands in that direction during 1980 Lok Sabha elections.

Old timers of walled city of the capital would still recall that Mrs.Indira Gandhi came to see the haveli of his maternal grandfather in the year 1983 with his two close aides R.K. Dhawan and H K L Bhagat. She spent around 30 minutes in the haveli and became very emotional. Other than her, perhaps nobody from her family ever visited there. 

If you are a Delhiwalla and have fair knowledge of the lanes and by-lanes of Delhi-6, then you would surely know that till eight-ten years ago there was a crumbling haveli in Sitaram Bazar.

That had a very special bonding with Nehru-Gandhi clan. That was known as Haksar haveli. Actually that was the haveli where Pt. Jawaharlal Lal Nehru came in full-fledged barat to marry Kamala on 8 Februray 1921.

Very Naturally Haksar haveli became a landmark for this reason. It is also said that some people made lot of efforts in he past so that Haksar Haveli converted as a heritage property.
 
Unfortunately, now you would not see even the trace of Haksar haveli there. Even not many people in and around Ajmeri Gate and Sita Ram Bazar would able to tell you that Haksar Haveli had ever existed here. 

Pt Jawaharlal Nehru married Kamla Nehru at the Haksar Haveli, where she used to live before tying the knot with him. This marriage was arranged by the parents of both Pt. Nehru and Kamala. Brought up in a traditional Kashmiri Brahmin family of old Delhi, Kamla was simple and reserved girl.

The entire Nehru clan went to the haveli to attend the marriage function, which belonged to Kamla’s father.  Historian says that a very large number of Kashmiri Pandits shifted to Delhi and other places like Agra and Allahabad between years 1850 to year 1900 from their homeland.

Among them were the Kunzrus, Rehus, Dars, Takrus, Kauls, Zutshis, Katjus and Rainas.  The elders of Kamala too migrated to Delhi during those years. They built their big havelies here.

Some of the havelies of those Kashmiris are still there in Sita Ram Bazar and Gali Kashmiriyan areas. The descendents of those Kashmiri migrants speak Hindustani, not Kashmiri.

It is said that the Haksar family later sold their haveli to one Ratan Khandelwal in early 60s. After his demise, his family lived there till couple of years ago before they too sold it to some builder.

Now in place of Haksar Haveli,a commercial building is standing tall. In the hustle –bustle of Delhi-6, even the memories of bygone era have also faded. It is said that Haksar haveli was the centre of cultural activities where mushairas, qawwalis and classical music programmes were held.

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