India, Jan. 31 -- Virtually every old building in Old Delhi is of slim, narrow bricks known as lakhori. A defining component of Mughal-era architecture, these burnt clay bricks once constituted the weight of entire edifices-havelis, gateways, temples, and mosques. Their decline mirrored the decline of the Mughal Empire, though their era ended much later.

One such building dominates Chatta Girdhar Lal, a lane that forms part of the larger Gali Arya Samaj (already been chronicled on these pages). While the lane is mostly lined with well-kept modern houses, this old, dilapidated structure stands abandoned. A broken window gapes onto the street, and an arched niche below is filled with discarded plastic bags, sacks, and broken bricks. The pl...