Flagstaff Tower (Delhi)

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Built in 1857, the flagstaff tower is the highest point of the North Delhi (Kamla Nehru) Ridge and was a focal point of the mutiny of 1857. In this 150 foot high tower, the residents of the Delhi cantonment, many being women and children, gathered in stifling heat, to make a stand during the ‘Indian Mutiny’ of 1857.

Location: on the highest point Kamla Nehru Ridge (Northern Ridge) on the main Magazine Road. It can also be reached from the Flagstaff Road.

Time to Visit: Open on all days from sunrise to sunset.

Preferred Timings: Early morning for bird watching, morning to view the monument.

Admission Fee: Free and open to all

Photography charges: nil

How to Reach: Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach this monument, which is located in Civil Lines, or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or take the metro rail.

Nearest Railway Station: Old Delhi Railway Station

Nearest Metro Station: Delhi University

Functional Metro Station: Delhi University

Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport

Time required for sightseeing: 30 minutes

Located on the highest point of Kamla Nehru Ridge (Northern Ridge) on the main Magazine Road is a ring-shaped octagonal tower, popularly known as the Flagstaff Tower. The tower however no longer has a flagstaff. During British times, the Union Jack was proudly hoisted on this spire. The British built the tower to commemorate the site where British women and children gathered during the First War of Indian Independence on 11th May 1857, before escaping to Karnal. It is also the same place where freedom fighters made their last stand against the British, before they were finally defeated. The tower is believed to be a part of the military cantonment, which lay to the west of the Ridge. The entrance of the tower has been closed to the public but one can still get a close look around this gothic structure.

Bird watchers will have a good time here, as they will enjoy spotting a large variety of birds in the peaceful environment of the Northern Ridge.
Nearby Tourist Attractions

Ashokan Pillar, Hindu Rao house, Pir Ghaib, Chauburja Masjid, Nicholson Cemetery and Qudsia Bagh
Nearby Places to Eat

McDonalds in Kamla Nagar and Model Town, Nirula's, Chacha ke Chole Bature, Baskin Robins and Momo's Point in Kamla Nagar, Vikrant Restaurant in Kingsway Camp, Grant Plaza in Model Town and many roadside Dhabas.
Nearby Shopping Venues

Kamla Nagar Market, Model Town Market and Mukheerji Nagar Market and Ashok Vihar Market
P.S. Please mark monuments precisely to facilitate GIS mapping, etc.