Dalmandi: Banaras' Cultural Hub, Home to Legends and Freedom Fighters
Varanasi
N
News18•17-01-2026, 14:30
Dalmandi: Banaras' Cultural Hub, Home to Legends and Freedom Fighters
- •Dalmandi in Banaras was a vibrant cultural hub, known as the 'Street of Music', hosting mehfils of courtesans and performances by legends like Girija Devi.
- •Personalities such as tabla player Lachhu Maharaj, Thumri singer Girija Devi, and Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan had strong ties to Dalmandi.
- •Jaddan Bai, mother of Nargis and grandmother of Sanjay Dutt, was a renowned courtesan from Dalmandi, born in Banaras in 1892.
- •Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib regularly visited Dalmandi and would play shehnai through its lanes on the eighth day of Muharram, drawing large crowds.
- •Courtesans like Dhaneshwari Bai and Gauhar Jaan played a crucial role in the freedom struggle, sheltering revolutionaries and funding their activities.
Why It Matters: Dalmandi was a historic cultural and revolutionary center, deeply connected to iconic artists and freedom fighters.
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