[jyotirmoy]

General Ochterlony had thirteen wives. The youngest of them was Mubarak Begum. She was originally a dancing girl slave in Pune who later converted to Islam and was taken on by the general. Being far younger than this old general and also because of her skill in singing & dancing she had great influence on the aging general. In no time she began to direct things within the walls of the residency. After general’s death he was buried in a garden tomb located at the poshest area of Delhi at that time. Mubarak Begum inherited a large fortune and built herself a haveli and a mosque in the garden. She was getting quite unpopular due to her haughtiness and angered both the British & the Moghuls. The British were angry as she was signing her letters as Lady Ochterlony and the Mughals were unhappy as she had assumed the name of Quidisi Begum which was Emperor’s mother’s name. This implied that no Mughal gentry would ever set foot in her premises. An once powerful lady lived the life of a loner hated by all. People treated her as a nautch girl due to her background.
This mosque is located at Hauz Qazi in old Delhi and the locals refer to it as “Rundee ki Masjid” Rundee means prostitute.

[batistuta]

That is a Very Interesting story associated with this Mosque, jyotida.

[dzibead]

Mubarak Begum sounds like a sort of Eva Peron-like figure.

I am collecting all of Jyoti Da's Delhi history pieces into a Word document on my hard drive so I can have my own personal historical travel guidebook next time I'm in Delhi.  I also plan to add maps and photos from Internet sources if I can find them.  All in my "spare time", of course.    

[jyotirmoy]

dzibead you can lure a talking guide too....