Explore the real-world places that appear in The Girl in the Glass Case by Devashish Sardana. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include India Gate, Connaught Place, Central Forensic Science Laboratory, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Tihar Prison Complex and 4 more.
Rajpath/Kartavya Path — Open public ground where a city's fear is felt
As the Doll Maker and the Clipper compete for headlines, a city under fear and media frenzy is the backdrop of the novel. India Gate stands in for the open public spaces where ordinary families gather. It is the sort of place where the anxiety of parents and the glare of news cameras would collide.
India Gate was designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931 as a memorial to Indian soldiers who died in World War I. It carries the names of more than 13,000 servicemen.
The memorial and its lawns are a popular public gathering spot, especially in the evenings. The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame was merged into the National War Memorial nearby.
Visit: India Gate (monument)
Central Delhi — Media glare and a city on edge
The Clipper, once India's most notorious butcher for nine years, is furious at being displaced by the Doll Maker in the media. Connaught Place stands in for the busy commercial core of the city where headlines are consumed. It represents the public attention that both killers crave and Simone must contend with.
Connaught Place was designed by Robert Tor Russell and built in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a colonial-era commercial center. It was renamed Rajiv Chowk officially in 1995, though the old name remains common.
It is a major shopping, dining, and business district with a Metro interchange beneath it. Its colonnaded circles are open to the public.
Visit: Connaught Place (landmark)
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road — Where evidence is pieced together
Simone knows that time is running out to piece together clues, and the Doll Maker's staged glass-case displays leave behind evidence that must be analyzed. This forensic laboratory stands in for the kind of facility where such material would be examined. It reflects the race between the detective's methods and the killers' escalating violence.
The Central Forensic Science Laboratory in New Delhi operates under the Directorate of Forensic Science Services of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It supports investigations of serious crimes across India.
It operates as a working government laboratory at the CGO Complex and is closed to the general public.
Ansari Nagar — Medical and post-mortem expertise
With corpses piling up as the Clipper and the Doll Maker try to outdo each other, medical examination of victims is central to the investigation. AIIMS stands in for the major hospital and forensic medicine departments where such work would be done. It anchors the grim physical toll of the killers' competition.
AIIMS was established by an act of Parliament in 1956 and is one of India's premier medical institutions. Its forensic medicine department is among the best known in the country.
It is a major public teaching hospital serving patients from across India. It is a working hospital, not a tourist attraction.
Tihar, West Delhi — Where captured criminals are held
Simone would rather spend her days locking up criminals than apologizing for her social skills. Tihar stands in for the high-security confinement that awaits the killers if she succeeds. It symbolizes the stakes of her pursuit and the justice she is determined to deliver.
Tihar Jail was established in 1957 and is one of the largest prison complexes in South Asia. It has held many notorious criminals over the decades.
It is an active prison run by the Delhi government and closed to the public. The outer area is not a tourist site.
Lodhi Road — Quiet parkland amid a frightened city
The Doll Maker targets little kids, so playgrounds and parks become places of dread for parents. Lodhi Garden stands in for the green public spaces of the city where the threat feels most unsettling. It contrasts everyday calm with the horror Simone is trying to stop.
Lodhi Garden contains 15th-century tombs of the Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties. It was landscaped as a park in 1936 and was originally called Lady Willingdon Park.
It is a popular public park for walkers, families, and photographers. Entry is free.
Visit: Lodhi Garden (park)
Old Delhi — Dense markets and tangled lanes
The Clipper, a butcher with nine years of infamy, thrives in anonymity amid crowds. Old Delhi's crowded lanes stand in for the kind of dense urban environment where killers can vanish. It reflects the challenge Simone faces in tracking offenders through a vast and teeming city.
Chandni Chowk was laid out in the 17th century by Jahanara Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan, as the main avenue of Shahjahanabad. It has been a major trading hub for nearly four centuries.
It remains one of India's busiest markets, famous for street food, textiles, and spices. Food and heritage walking tours are widely available.
Visit: Chandni Chowk (landmark)
South Delhi — Everyday shopping, including toys and clothes
The Doll Maker dresses victims as Barbie dolls, so the sources of toys, clothing, and accessories matter to the investigation. This busy market stands in for the type of place where such items could be bought without notice. It represents the mundane trail that Simone must follow.
Sarojini Nagar was developed after Partition as a government housing colony and named after poet Sarojini Naidu. Its market grew into one of Delhi's best-known bargain shopping areas.
The market is a crowded open-air bazaar selling clothing, accessories, and household goods. It is open to the public daily except for a weekly closure day.
Visit: Sarojini Nagar Market (landmark)
Nizamuddin East — Historic monument and open grounds
The killers' crimes unfold across a city of old and new, and monuments like this stand for the historic landscape in which the hunt takes place. It serves as a symbolic setting for the contrast between the city's long history and the modern horror of the Doll Maker's displays. It is used here as a representative landmark rather than a confirmed scene.
Humayun's Tomb was commissioned by Humayun's widow Bega Begum and completed in 1570. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
It is one of Delhi's major tourist attractions, with restored gardens and a museum nearby. Visitors pay an entry fee.
Visit: Humayun's Tomb (historic site)
More by Devashish Sardana: All Devashish Sardana books
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