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Poet's Memorial Haveli

Ghalib ki Haveli

Also Known As · Ghalib Memorial · Mirza Ghalib's Haveli

New Delhi, Delhi · monument

The restored courtyard home of Delhi's beloved poet Ghalib — his verses, portraits and hookah-side replica, in a Ballimaran lane steeped in Old Delhi tehzeeb.

Closed MondayEntry Fee: Free EntryTuesday–Sunday, approximately 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (short lunch break); closed Mondays and gazetted holidays

Ghalib ki Haveli is the restored home of Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan 'Ghalib' (1797–1869), arguably the greatest poet of late-Mughal Delhi — a small, atmospheric memorial museum hidden in the narrow lane of Gali Qasim Jan in the Ballimaran quarter of Old Delhi. Ghalib, who moved to Delhi from Agra, spent the last years of his life in this Mughal-era house, and it is now the principal physical memorial to a poet whose Urdu and Persian couplets are still quoted across the subcontinent.

Get Directions

Where to Eat Nearby

Nearby Vegetarian Eats

Paranthe Wali Gali

0.6 km away
street food

Pure-vegetarian stuffed fried parathas

Old Famous Jalebi Wala, Dariba

0.6 km away
street food

Vegetarian hot jalebi and sweets

Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar

0.6 km away
street food

Vegetarian aloo tikki and papdi chaat

About

Ghalib ki Haveli is the restored home of Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan 'Ghalib' (1797–1869), arguably the greatest poet of late-Mughal Delhi — a small, atmospheric memorial museum hidden in the narrow lane of Gali Qasim Jan in the Ballimaran quarter of Old Delhi.

  • Ghalib, who moved to Delhi from Agra, spent the last years of his life in this Mughal-era house, and it is now the principal physical memorial to a poet whose Urdu and Persian couplets are still quoted across the subcontinent.
  • The haveli is intimate rather than grand — a modest courtyard house that mirrors the genteel decline of the Delhi Ghalib knew.
  • Restored by the Delhi government in period-appropriate lakhori brick and sandstone with a carved wooden gateway, it displays his handwritten verses, printed diwans, portraits and period objects, and a life-size seated replica of the poet with his hookah, with his famous shers mounted on the walls.
  • To step inside is to touch the Ganga–Jamuni tehzeeb — the shared, syncretic culture of 19th-century Delhi — and the surrounding Ballimaran lanes were the very literary world he inhabited.
  • It is a secular literary-heritage site, maintained by the Delhi government's archaeology department.
  • For vegetarian travellers Chandni Chowk is a few minutes away — the pure-veg Paranthe Wali Gali, the iconic Old Famous Jalebi Wala and the chaat stalls are all within reach.

Practical notes

entry is free (no photography charge), and the haveli is open Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM with a short lunch break, closed on Mondays and gazetted holidays. It is a small site inside congested Old Delhi lanes, so go on foot from the metro, watch for two-wheelers and pickpockets, and allow 20–30 minutes. Nearest metro: Chawri Bazaar or Chandni Chowk. For lovers of Urdu poetry it is a small pilgrimage, and even casual visitors leave with a vivid feel for the vanished, cultured world of late-Mughal Delhi that Ghalib immortalised in verse.

Timings & Entry Fee

Visiting Hours

  • • ~11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Tue–Sun)
  • • Short lunch break around midday
  • • Closed Mondays and gazetted holidays
Days OpenTuesday – SundayWeekly OffMondayEntry FeeFree EntryTime Needed20 to 30 minutes

Entry Fee: Free entry, no photography charge. A small memorial museum in a narrow Old Delhi lane.

Verified: July 2026

Location & How to Reach

Address

Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi, 110006

In Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi

📍 Get Directions🗺️ View on map

🚇 Nearest Metro: Chawri Bazaar (Yellow Line) — ~10-minute walk; Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line)

🚶 Walking from Metro: From Chawri Bazaar or Chandni Chowk metro it is about a 10-minute walk into Ballimaran and Gali Qasim Jan.

Distance from

  • • Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL): 20 km (~50 min)
  • • New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS): 3 km (~16 min)
  • • Connaught Place: 5 km (~22 min)

Parking

none · None practical

No parking in the Ballimaran lanes — park near Chandni Chowk and walk, or take the metro.

🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Cabs cannot enter Ballimaran; alight near Chandni Chowk / Chawri Bazaar metro and walk or take a cycle-rickshaw.

How to Reach: Ghalib ki Haveli is in Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi. Nearest metro: Chawri Bazaar (Yellow Line), about a 10-minute walk, or Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line), a similar walk into Ballimaran. Cycle-rickshaws from the metro are easy; cars are impractical in the lanes.

Things to Do

  • View Ghalib's verses, letters and diwans
  • See the life-size seated replica of the poet
  • Study the restored lakhori-brick courtyard
  • Walk the Ballimaran literary lanes
  • Combine with Chandni Chowk nearby

Best Time to Visit

Best SeasonOctober to MarchBest Time of DayLate morning after openingTime Needed20 to 30 minutesCrowd LevelsUsually quiet; the surrounding lanes are crowded

History & Significance

History

Ghalib ki Haveli is the restored 19th-century home of Mirza Ghalib (1797–1869), the great Urdu and Persian poet, who spent the last phase of his life in this Mughal-era house in Ballimaran, said to have been made available to him by an admiring Hakim.

  • After his death the property was subdivided and partly taken over by shops; in 1999 the Delhi government acquired a portion, restored it in period lakhori brick and sandstone, and opened it as a memorial museum in 2000.

🏛️ Architect: Late-Mughal domestic haveli architecture, restored using traditional lakhori (thin fired) bricks, sandstone dressing and a carved wooden entrance gate — a modest courtyard house reflecting the decline-era Mughal Delhi in which Ghalib lived, rather than a grand palace.

Significance

Ghalib ki Haveli is the principal physical memorial to Mirza Ghalib, the most important poet of late-Mughal Delhi — a rare surviving fragment of the Ballimaran literary world, displaying his verses, portraits and a life-size replica, and a secular window onto 19th-century Delhi's Ganga–Jamuni tehzeeb.

Places to Visit Nearby

Red Fort

1.5 km away

The great red-sandstone Mughal fort of Shahjahanabad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chandni Chowk

0.6 km away

The historic, teeming main bazaar of Old Delhi and its vegetarian food lanes.

Digambar Jain Lal Mandir

1.5 km away

Delhi's oldest Jain temple and its charitable bird hospital.

Family & Accessibility

Kid Friendly3of 5Stroller AccessNoWheelchair AccessNoChanging RoomNoPet PolicyNo

Family Highlights

  • • Ghalib's handwritten verses and printed diwans
  • • A life-size seated replica of the poet with his hookah
  • • Restored lakhori-brick and sandstone architecture
  • • The historic Ballimaran literary lanes

Photography & Drone

Drone PolicyProhibited

💰 Equipment Fees: Free, no photography charge.

📍 The Golden Spot: The carved wooden gateway and the seated Ghalib replica in the courtyard light.

🌅 Best Light Time: Late morning when light falls through the courtyard.

Tips & Safety

💡 Insider Tips

🌅 Secret View: The life-size seated replica of Ghalib with his hookah, ringed by his couplets, is the haveli's quietly moving centrepiece.

🎯 Crowd Hack: The haveli itself is calm even when Chandni Chowk is heaving; go late morning on a weekday.

💎 Secret Fact: The house was restored using traditional lakhori bricks and sandstone and opened as a memorial museum in 2000, over a century after Ghalib's death.

⚡ Express Tour

20 minutes — the exhibits and the seated replica.

🔭 Deep Dive Tour

Half day — the haveli, then a Chandni Chowk heritage and food walk.

🙏 Etiquette & Dress Code

Do's

  • View Ghalib's handwritten poems, letters and diwans
  • See the life-size seated replica and read the wall couplets
  • Study the restored lakhori-brick courtyard
  • Walk the historic Ballimaran and Gali Qasim Jan lanes
  • Combine with nearby Chandni Chowk on foot

Don'ts

  • Do not plan a Monday visit — the haveli is closed
  • Do not bring a car into the lanes
  • Do not be loud — it is a quiet, museum-like memorial
  • Do not lose track of belongings in the crowded gali

👕 Dress Code: No dress code; comfortable shoes for the narrow lanes.

📷 Photography Rules: Photography is free, including the recreated interiors.

Good to Know

💳 Money & Connectivity

UPIPartialCardsNoCashYes

🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs along Chandni Chowk (within 1 km).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Ghalib ki Haveli timings and which day is it closed?

Entry is free. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM with a short lunch break, and closed on Mondays and gazetted holidays.

Which is the nearest metro to Ghalib ki Haveli?

Chawri Bazaar on the Yellow Line is about a 10-minute walk; Chandni Chowk on the Yellow Line is a similar walk into Ballimaran.

What can you see at Ghalib ki Haveli?

The restored home of the poet Mirza Ghalib — his handwritten verses, printed diwans, portraits and period objects, and a life-size seated replica of the poet with his hookah, with his couplets on the walls.

Who was Mirza Ghalib?

Mirza Ghalib (1797–1869) was the celebrated Urdu and Persian poet of late-Mughal Delhi, whose couplets are still widely quoted; this Ballimaran haveli was his home in his final years.

How much time do you need at Ghalib ki Haveli?

It is a small site — allow about 20 to 30 minutes, ideally combined with a walk through nearby Chandni Chowk.

Where can I eat vegetarian food near Ghalib ki Haveli?

Chandni Chowk is minutes away — Paranthe Wali Gali, the Old Famous Jalebi Wala and the chaat stalls are all pure-veg and within reach.

Categories

Heritage & Culture

Related

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Ghalib ki Haveli, New Delhi — TasteYatra