Central Delhi’s Dalhousie Road may be renamed after Mughal king Aurangzeb’s brother

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), has proposed to rename ‘Dalhousie Road’, near Vijay Chowk, after renamed after Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb’s elder brother Dara Shikoh.

The road is named after Lord Dalhousie, who served as governor general of India from 1848-56.

A special meeting of the NDMC has been called on Monday morning to discuss and pass this proposal.

“It has brought to my notice that ‘Dalhousie Road’, which was named on the then British Governor General of India, is situated at the heart of New Delhi. Residents of my constituency have requested to rename this road in the name of ‘Dara Shikoh’,” Lekhi wrote in the letter



dated February 3. A copy of the letter is with HT.

“Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of fifth Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, had promoted the peace and concord between the followers of Hinduism and Islam, and had interest in comparative religions, universal brotherhood, humanism and peace... He was a great patron of fine arts and music, and took his last breath in Delhi,” Lekhi in the letter, which has been addressed to NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar, says.

This is the third road in the Lutyens’ Zone of Delhi to be renamed in recent times.

Two years back, Aurangzeb Road was renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Road after the former president. Last year, Race Course Road got a new name, Lok Kalyan Marg.