A landmark's updated perspective

On ways of seeing the capital's tallest building

- Mayank Austen Soofi

At Turkman Gate Chowk, the eye first naturally settles on Turkman Gate—a 17th-century stone fragment holding its ground against traffic, cables, and the chaos of street life.

For years, the view toward the gateway’s west-facing side, overlooking the historic Ramlila Maidan, was choked by construction. The recent demolition of those “encroachments” has opened up the sight-line. While standing at the stone gateway, you can now directly spot the Ramlila Maidan pavilion built to receive Elizabeth II in 1961—a structure so modest it can easily be overlooked.