Commissioned by Jahanara in 1650, Town Hall (as it is known today) was first known as “Begum ki Serai”. That Shah Jahan personally visited the serai and oversaw the work his daughter had done underscores both its significance and Jahanara’s standing in the imperial family. This two-storey serai covered approximately 1,674 square feet and contained ninety rooms, each adorned with exquisite frescoes. Entering from the Chandni Chowk side, visitors were greeted by a spacious courtyard, complete with a large pool, greenery and a network of water channels. A mosque occupied one corner, while a balcony on the upper level afforded a superb view of Chandni Chowk.
The ground level featured arcaded rooms along with shops offering crockery, toys, bangles and clothing. Tall bastions flanked each side and the entire structure gleamed in white limestone. Two entrances welcomed visitors: one facing Chandni Chowk’s main thoroughfare and another leading to a garden called “Begum ka Bagh”. Jahanara found inspiration for this design in a comparable serai in Isfahan, Iran. In 1658, the French traveller François Bernier, who visited the Mughal Empire, praised the serai in his accounts:
The other edifice in Dehly to which I would draw your attention is what they call the Karuansara of...
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