Located in Chandni Chowk in the city of Shahjahanabad, Chunnamal Haveli was built by a prosperous cloth merchant, Lal Chunnamal in 1864 and is still inhabited by his descendants. He was the first municipal councillor of British India and on such good terms with the British that he bought the entire Chandni Chowk area (and more) for a small sum. He was apparently the first in Delhi to own a car and telephone
The mansion, spread out over an acre, has more than 130 rooms on 3 floors with a large terrace to the sky with 3 sides open, for which once the world-renowned poet, Mirza Galib had said, “while the rest of Delhi plunged into darkness, Chunnamal Haveli was so flooded with light that it made the night look like day.” The ground floor was meant to host grand family functions but was later rented out as commercial space to small shops. The drawing room built in 1848 in the theatrical baroque style with high ceiling and arches and its Osler glassware chandeliers, candlestands, clocks and life-size Belgian mirrors are preserved even today. The original fireplace remains intact, including its stylised maintenance tools. The intricate tile work with glass panels from the 19th century can still be seen on the walls. Indian craftsmanship at its opulent best was used for interiors with clay tiles from Sindh that provided a carpet look, gold plated stucco work along the ceiling with an offset of the original indigo and ceilings decorated with cloth gave an aura of grandeur. The mansion was used to host princes and political leaders from the British and independence movements. Today, however, it bears sad testimony to the ravages of time and neglect with its pan-stained ground floor shops peddling cheap wares.