New Delhi, Delhi · monument
A weathered Mughal-era arch marooned amid modern traffic — brief, atmospheric and best appreciated as a heritage sighting on the move.
The Ajmeri Gate is one of the last standing gateways of Shahjahanabad, the walled city that Emperor Shah Jahan raised in the 1640s as his new capital. Built around 1644 at the south-western corner of the city, it took its name from the road that ran out through it towards Ajmer in Rajasthan — the great pilgrim-and-trade artery of the western plains. Squat and square in plan, the gate rises in warm rubble and dressed sandstone to a tall pointed archway flanked by smaller openings, its parapet once continuous with the crenellated wall that ringed the whole city.
Raj kachori, chhole bhature and fresh mithai
Chaat platter, samosa and boxed sweets
Hing kachori with aloo sabzi
The Ajmeri Gate is one of the last standing gateways of Shahjahanabad, the walled city that Emperor Shah Jahan raised in the 1640s as his new capital.
Delhi's winter air (November to January) is genuinely poor, and this open, traffic-heavy junction offers no shelter from it — an N95 mask is sensible on smoggy days. The gate is fully exposed, so pair the stop with a cooler month or an early hour, and treat it as a heritage sighting rather than a lingering destination.
Entry Fee: No entry fee — the gate is a protected monument viewed from the surrounding pavement and park; there is no interior access or ticket.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Ajmeri Gate, Ajmeri Gate Road, near New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, 110006
🚇 Nearest Metro: New Delhi (Yellow Line) and Chawri Bazar (Yellow Line), both within walking distance
🚶 Walking from Metro: About a 7–10 minute walk from New Delhi Metro station; slightly longer from Chawri Bazar.
Distance from
Parking
street · Varies; roadside and station-area paid parking
Parking is limited and congested near the station; arriving by Metro or auto is far easier.
How to Reach: Ajmeri Gate stands beside New Delhi Railway Station's Ajmeri Gate side, at the southern edge of Old Delhi. Take the Metro to New Delhi or Chawri Bazar (Yellow Line) and walk, or reach it by auto/taxi from anywhere in central Delhi; the station forecourt is a few hundred metres away.
History
The Ajmeri Gate was raised around 1644 as one of the gateways in the rubble-and-sandstone wall that Emperor Shah Jahan built around his new capital, Shahjahanabad.
Significance
Ajmeri Gate is significant as one of the last surviving gateways of Shah Jahan's 17th-century walled city, marking where the historic Ajmer road left Delhi.
Old Delhi's historic market spine, packed with mithai and heritage lanes
Shah Jahan's monumental sandstone palace-fortress, a UNESCO site
Another surviving 17th-century gate of the walled city, a sibling monument
Colonial-era colonnaded shopping circle of New Delhi
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: None for casual handheld photography from the pavement.
📍 The Golden Spot: The north-eastern pavement, catching low morning sun on the sandstone arch.
🌅 Best Light Time: Early morning, shortly after sunrise, before haze and traffic build.
🌅 Secret View: Frame the gate from its north-eastern pavement in early morning, when low sun rakes across the sandstone and the traffic island is briefly quiet.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Come soon after sunrise on a weekday — the surrounding roads and the station forecourt are calmest before the commuter rush builds.
💎 Secret Fact: The gate is one of only a handful of Shahjahanabad's original city gates still standing; most of the wall it belonged to was demolished after 1857.
⚡ Express Tour
A five-minute pavement stop and a couple of photos on your way to or from New Delhi Railway Station.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Pair the gate with a walk up to Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk, adding the nearby Ghaziuddin Khan madrasa (Anglo-Arabic school) and Turkman Gate for a half-morning of walled-city history.
📷 Photography Rules: Casual photography from the pavement is unrestricted and free; there is no interior to photograph. Be mindful of moving traffic when framing shots from the road edge.
🏧 Nearest ATM: Several ATMs around New Delhi Railway Station and along Ajmeri Gate Road, within a few hundred metres.
👮 Tourist Police: Delhi Police tourist assistance is available near New Delhi Railway Station and Connaught Place; dial 1363 for the tourist helpline.
🎒 Lost & Found: Report lost items at the nearest police post or, for train-related losses, at New Delhi Railway Station's station-master office.
💊 Nearest Pharmacy: Pharmacies operate around New Delhi Railway Station and along Ajmeri Gate Road, within a short walk.
Air Quality: Delhi's air quality is genuinely poor in winter (November–January); this open, traffic-heavy junction offers no shelter, so carry an N95 mask on smoggy days.
Water Safety: Avoid tap and unbranded water; carry sealed bottled water, especially given the crowded station surroundings.
No. It is a protected monument enclosed by railings and viewed from the surrounding pavement and small park. There is no interior circuit, staircase access or ticket — it is an exterior sighting only.
No. The gate is a free roadside monument. You simply walk up to the railings and view it; there is no booth or charge.
It was built around 1644 as part of Shah Jahan's walled city of Shahjahanabad. It is named for the road that once passed through it towards Ajmer in Rajasthan.
New Delhi and Chawri Bazar stations on the Yellow Line are both within walking distance. New Delhi Railway Station's Ajmeri Gate side is only a few hundred metres away.
About 10 to 15 minutes. It works best as a short heritage photo stop while moving between Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk and the railway station rather than as a standalone destination.
Yes. Old Delhi around Chandni Chowk, a short ride north, is full of pure-vegetarian halwais, chaat and thali houses. Carry your own water and skip the improvised stalls right by the station.
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