India, Nov. 14 -- The balcony in the super-narrow lane almost touches the opposite building. Its grey railing is filled with a series of little iron spirals-see right photo. Underneath, rows of curved brackets project into the lane. This afternoon, the sun is directly above the gap between the buildings. For a few moments, it lights up the railing's curls and the edges of the brackets.

The lane is part of a larger street. The street's name is written above the gateway facing Chawri Bazar. But who was Dilwali Singh of Old Delhi's Kucha Dilwali Singh? Nobody encountered in the street has an answer, not even a wild guess.

Our weekly series exploring the present and past of the Walled City streets brings us this afternoon to this kucha. The...