New lease of life for Delhi's oldest police chowki

A 19th-century structure in north Delhi's Sarai Rohilla, believed to be the oldest surviving police post (chowki) in the Capital, has been restored nearly one and a half years after conservation efforts started, officials aware of the development said on Tuesday.

- Sadia Akhtar

Situated in the congested and busy industrial pocket of Sarai Rohilla on Old Rohtak Road, the heritage structure is estimated to have come up in the early 1800s, according to conservation experts. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which carried out the conservation work on the structure, formally handed over the chowki to the Delhi Police on Tuesday.

The conservation process began in March 2022, and entailed the repair of the damaged roof, the removal of trees that were intertwined with the building, and the filling of gaps and cracks that have developed in the structure over the years. A well located in the vicinity of the police station was also restored by INTACH heritage experts.

The project was jointly funded by Delhi Police and INTACH.

According to the Delhi Police coffee table book History and Heritage, the chowki finds a mention in records dating back to the early 19th century. It says the structure is mentioned in Mirza Sangin Beg's book, Sair-ul Manazil (a journey from one destination to another), written in 1827, that was commissioned by the British East India Company.