In Photos: A ‘New’ Delhi Takes a Trip Down its Nostalgic Bygones

A 24-year-old lawyer and photographer has been juxtaposing old photos of Delhi within the new.

India Gate being constructed in 1931. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

“Photography saves an image frozen in time and for that reason, an old photo will always give you a glimpse of the past,” Yuvraj Khanna says. He has painstakingly been collecting old photos of Delhi’s popular places and monuments, for his photography project that juxtaposes the past within the present.

An Army tank crossing Outer Circle, Connaught Place to curb riots taking place in Delhi in 1947. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

The same old Connaught Place, India Gate, Qutub Minar are seen alongside their refreshingly younger selves in old black and white and sepia-toned photos from the 20th century.

This is what PVR Plaza looked like in the 1950s. The huge tiranga in Central Park is CP’s newest installation. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

“New Delhi – as we know it – is the 11th city of Delhi. As a result, history is always a stone throw away in this city. I always had a penchant for history and all things old, so I’ve always been curious how the city has changed over the centuries,” Yuvraj, who has spent five months on this project, said.

This photo in front of Rashtrapati Bhawan shows the change in the common mode of transport from cycles to cars. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

His photos show that it isn’t only the cityscape which has ripened with age, but it is also Delhi’s sparse population that has gotten thicker, their costumes and vehicles too have changed with age.

The now endless green gardens of Humayun’s Tomb being used as farm land in the early 1900s. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

For the 24-year-old lawyer and photographer, a photograph provides insight into people’s lives.

“The city has with time become more representative of the country with people from different states and backgrounds, the canvas of opportunities has greatly increased with better reach of education and cultural exposure. Everything from the flyovers, the metro , the malls have all transformed the character of the city,” Yuvraj notes.

To think that in the 19th Century, the Iron Pillar of Qutub Minar Complex was used as a shoulder rest! (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

Armoured cars passing through India Gate in the 1930s vis-a-vis the electric toy cars that ply there now! Note the absence of the Amar Jawan Jyoti. (Photo Courtesy: Yuvraj Khanna)

For more photos, check out his Instagram.