India, Dec. 13 -- Some 400 years ago, Shahjahan founded the Walled City of Shahjahanabad, today known as Old Delhi. Waiting for the completion of his Red Fort, the Mughal Emperor meantime built a palatial mahal out of earth as his temporary residence. The palace was called Matia Mahal-matia being derived from Hindustani word mitti for earth/mud. Today, the palace is nowhere to be seen, but the site on which it stood continues to be known as Matia Mahal.

If you recall, dear reader, a version of these words appeared on this space a few weeks ago, as part of our "This way to" series, aimed at creating a definitive encyclopaedia of every Old Delhi gali, kucha and bazar. But that was a dispatch on Matia Mahal Bazar. This is a dispatch on Gali...