House No. 1784: An Agra Building That Hosted Bhagat Singh And His Comrades
There is a demand from various corners that the government renovate this dilapidated building in Noori Darwaza area and develop it into a memorial
Published : March 23, 2026 at 4:14 PM IST
Agra: In the Noori Darwaza area of the old Agra city stands an old dilapidated building bearing House No. 1784. This building played a very important role in India’s struggle for independence. It was the house that hosted the brave revolutionary Sardar Bhagat Singh and his comrades Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Chandrashekhar Azad, along with others, after they had assassinated British Police officer John P. Saunders in November 1928.
Bhagat Singh and his comrades had come to Agra after the killing and had rented this house from Lala Chhanno Mal, having paid him Rs 2.50 as an advance for a monthly rent of Rs 5. They had lived here as students.
The revolutionaries lived in the mansion for about a year. It was in this building that the revolutionaries learnt to make bombs. It was a bomb made in Agra that was detonated in the Delhi Assembly by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt on April 8, 1929.
Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who were martyred on March 23, 1931, at Lahore, had a deep connection with Agra. Revolutionaries devised strategies and made bombs here that shook the foundations of the British regime.
Historian Rajkishore ‘Raje’ related that the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army made Agra its safehouse. When Lala Lajpat Rai was assassinated in Lahore, Bhagat Singh and his comrades killed Saunders in November 1928.
"This prompted the British government to pursue the revolutionaries who secretly moved to Agra. They rented rooms under assumed names in various locations, including Noorie Darwaza, Hing Market and Nai Ki Mandi. Agra was a major centre for revolutionaries from 1926 to 1929," he said.
He added that Chandrashekhar Azad adopted Balraj as his name, Bhagat Singh became Ranjit Singh, Rajguru became Raghunath and Batukeshwar Dutt became Mohan. Chandrashekhar Azad trained the revolutionaries in shooting and other activities.
He said that Yatendra Nath Das came from Bengal to train Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary comrades in making bombs. It was at House No. 1784 that the revolutionaries learnt how to make bombs.
Raje said that they used to test low intensity bombs in the Kailash area, foothills of Yamuna and the forest of Keetham. Meanwhile, the high intensity bombs were tested in the forests of Bharatpur and Jhansi.
The historian went on to explain, "During their stay in Agra, the revolutionaries had established a strong network. Every activity of the British government was monitored. As part of their strategy, the revolutionaries began protesting against the British government's repressive laws such as the Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. In protest, Sardar Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt reached the Assembly (Delhi) on April 8, 1929, where they detonated bombs made in Agra while shouting ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ and throwing pamphlets. Both supposedly had enough time to escape but got arrested."
Raje said that when the Police investigation found that the bombs that exploded in the Assembly were made in Agra, there was testimony of 12 people from Agra in the Saunders murder case and the Assembly bomb blast in Lahore on July 28 and 29, 1930.
"Lala Chhanno Mal, the owner of the Noori Darwaza mansion where Bhagat Singh and his fellow revolutionaries had stayed, admitted in the court that he had rented a room to Bhagat Singh. The shopkeeper at whose shop the revolutionaries drank milk also testified along with others," he said.
The building of House No. 1784 is now in ruins. There is a demand from various corners that the government renovate it and develop it into a memorial. The purpose is that the coming generations should know about the sacrifices made by the revolutionaries for the independence of the country. A temple of Shaheed Bhagat Singh has been built in close proximity to this mansion.
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