| Metcalfe House | |
|---|---|
Dilkhusha | |
 Dilkhusha or Metcalfe House in Qutb Archaeological Village, in ruins as on date | |
  Location within Delhi | |
| Former names | Quli Khan Tomb |
| General information | |
| Type | Mansion |
| Architectural style | Mughal and European |
| Location | Qutb Complex (Mehrauli Archaeological Park) |
| Coordinates | 28°31′21″N 77°11′13″E / 28.52244°N 77.18695°E |
| Current tenants | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Destroyed | 1857 |
| Client | Sir Thomas Metcalfe |
| Landlord | Government of India |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | stones and brick |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Sir Thomas Metcalfe |
Metcalfe House is the name given to two residential houses built in the 19th century in Delhi; one is near Old Delhi Civil Lines and the other is in Mehrauli, South Delhi. These were built by Sir Thomas Metcalfe (1795–1853), a civil servant, when he was the Governor General's last British resident (agent) at the Mughal court of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.[1][2][3]
The first house near the Civil Lines, called the 'town house', was built in 1835 in colonial style, near the present day Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT). He resided there till his death in 1853. It was badly damaged during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (well known as the Uprising). It was repaired subsequently. His son Sir Theophilus Metcalfe (who had a major involvement in the British suppression of the uprising) inherited it. The house exchanged hands several times before it finally came under the possession of the Government of India. Between 1920 and 1926, it also remained the seat of the Council of State of the Imperial Legislative Council, which eventually paved way for the present Rajya Sabha, till the inauguration of the Parliament House in New Delhi.[4] It now houses the highly secured offices and residences of the Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre (DESIDOC) and Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL), and many other divisions of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). It is out of limits for visitors and photography.[2][3][5]
The second Metcalfe House, known as 'the retreat' or 'Dilkhusha', was also built by Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe as a country house in Mehrauli in South Delhi in Qutb Complex. 'Dilkhusha' in Urdu language means "Delight of the Heart". He refurbished the 16th century Mughal tomb of Quli Khan in true English style as a pleasure retreat by surrounding it with many rest houses, follies and gardens. He used to lease out his retreat as a guest house to honeymooning couples, as it provided an idyllic view of the Qutub Minar with its surrounding structures. An inscription at site (photo of plaque in the gallery) testifies that Metcalfe rented out this house to honeymooning couples.[1][3][6][7]
- ^ a b "Grand designs in Delhi: Mughal tombs converted into palatial mansions, lighthouses built in city gardens and pavilions floating on water. William Dalrymple explores the eccentric architectural legacy of colonial Delhi". The Times of India. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ a b Ronald Vivian Smith (2005). The Delhi that no-one knows. Orient Blackswan. p. 126. ISBN 9788180280207. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b c Y.D.Sharma (2001). Delhi and its Neighbourhood. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. pp. 49, 60, and 141. Archived from the original on 31 August 2005. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "Old Secetariat". Legislative Assembly of Delhi website.
- ^ Addresses[usurped]
- ^ Fiona Hedger-Gourlay; Lindy Ingham; Jo Newton; Emma Tabor; Jill Worrell (13 September 2006). "Lal Kot and Siri" (PDF). pp. 4–11. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
- ^ "Houses in Delhi in the 1840s". British Library: Help for Researchers. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
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