Built in 1864, Delhi's Town Hall originally housed a library, the European Club and the Lawrence Institute. There was once a statue of Queen Victoria in the front garden, but after Independence this was replaced with that of Swami Shraddhanand, founder of the Arya Samaj Hindu religious movement.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Delhi Public Library

0.23 MILES

Established in 1951, Delhi's library is open to all those with proof of residency, and has 1.6 million books in various languages.

2. Fatehpuri Masjid

0.28 MILES

Built by Fatehpuri Begum, one of Shah Jahan’s wives, this 17th-century mosque is a haven of tranquillity after the frantic streets outside. The central…

3. Sisganj Gurdwara

0.33 MILES

The icing-sugar-white 18th-century Sisganj Gurdwara marks the martrydom site of the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur, executed by Aurangzeb in 1675 for…

4. Chandni Chowk

0.34 MILES

Old Delhi’s main drag is lined by Jain, Hindu and Sikh temples, plus a church, with the Fatehpuri Masjid at one end. Tree-lined and elegant in Mughal…

5. Digambara Jain Temple

0.56 MILES

Opposite the Red Fort is the red sandstone Digambara Jain Temple, built in 1658. Interestingly, it houses a bird hospital established in 1956 to further…

6. Jama Masjid

0.56 MILES

A beautiful pocket of calm at the heart of Old Delhi's mayhem, the capital's largest mosque is built on a 10m elevation. It can hold a mind-blowing 25,000…

7. Bird Hospital

0.56 MILES

The Digambara Jain Temple complex houses an unusual example of the Jain devotion to preserving all life in the form of this unique bird hospital, with…