The Chandni Chowk (meaning Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest
markets
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
*Marketing, the act of sat ...
in
Old Delhi
Shahjahanabad colloquially known as Old Delhi( Hindustani: ''Purāni Dillī'') is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city and officially named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan decided to shi ...
, India. There is another location in
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
with the name Chandani Chowk. Located close to the
Old Delhi railway station
Delhi Junction railway station (station code: DLI) is the oldest railway station located in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, Delhi, India. It is one of the busiest railway stations in the country, with around 250 trains commencing, terminating, or pa ...
, the Mughal-era
Red Fort
The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...
is located at the eastern fringes of Chandni Chowk. It was built in 1650 by the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
,
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
, and designed by his daughter,
Jahanara. The street spanning the market was historically divided by canals, engineered to reflect moonlight. These canals have since been closed, leaving behind a transformed urban landscape. It remains one of India's largest
wholesale markets
The consumption and production of marketed food are spatially separated. Production is primarily in rural areas while consumption is mainly in urban areas. Agricultural marketing is the process that overcomes this separation, allowing produce to b ...
.
History
The market's history dates to the founding of the capital city of
Shahjahanabad
Shahjahanabad colloquially known as Old Delhi( Hindustani: ''Purāni Dillī'') is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city and officially named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan decided to shi ...
when Emperor Shah Jahan established the
Red Fort
The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...
on the banks of the
Yamuna River
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
, hemming his new capital.
Original Chandni Chowk

The original Chandni Chowk, half-moon-shaped square, was situated before the
Townhall
Townhall is an American conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Katie Pavlich is Editor. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than ...
; its reflection used to shimmer in the moonlit water pool located at the front. A shallow water channel, whose source was the
Yamuna
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...
, ran through the middle of the straight street now referred to as the Chandni Chowk bazaar, with roads and shops on either side of the channel. This road had three bazaars.
[A heritage walk of Old Delhi]
Chandni Chowk ("moonlight square") and its three bazaars were designed and established by Princess
Jahanara Begum
Jahanara Begum (23 March 1614 – 16 September 1681) was a princess of the Mughal Empire. She was the second and the eldest surviving child of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
After Mumtaz Mahal's untimely death in 1631, the 17-ye ...
,
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
's favourite daughter, in 1650. Originally consisting of 1,560 shops, the bazaar was 40 yards wide and 1,520 yards long. The bazaar, fashion to resemble a square, was accorded ample elegance by the presence of a pool at the complex's center. The pool glimmered under the moonlight, a characteristic that inspired its name.
The shops were originally arranged in a distinctive half-moon pattern, a design that has since been lost or altered over time. The bazaar gained renown for its thriving silver trade, leading to its association with silver merchants. This prominence earned it the moniker Silver Street—a name rooted in its
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
counterpart, wherein silver is called ''Chandi''.
The term ''Chandni'', which is closely derived from ''Chandi'', further emphasizes the cultural and linguistic connection to the bazaar's identity. The pool at the square was replaced by a clock tower (
Ghantaghar
Ghantaghar (literally clock-tower) is a location in the center of Chandni Chowk, Delhi, where an iconic clock tower, termed Northbrook Clocktower during early 20th century, stood. The clock tower was built in 1870 and stood there until its parti ...
) in the 1870s. The centre of the market is still referred to as Ghantaghar. Chandni Chowk was once the grandest Indian market. Chandni Chowk was a significant route for Mughal imperial processions, hosting the grand displays of emperors and their entourages, highlighting its importance in the empire's cultural and architectural heritage. The tradition of grand processions through Chandni Chowk continued during the Delhi Durbar of 1903. Meanwhile, the British contributed to the area's architectural heritage by constructing the
Delhi Town Hall
The Delhi Town Hall is a landmark building, at Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. It was the seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from 1866 during the British Raj till late 2009, when offices shifted to the new MCD Civic Centre on Minto R ...
in 1863.
Original three bazaars

The term ''Chandni Chowk'' previously referred only to the square that hosted the reflecting pool. Today, the entirety of the stretch that runs spans the middle of the walled city, from
Lahori Gate of the Red Fort to the
Fatehpuri Masjid, is known as Chandni Chowk. The road was subsequently trifurcated into the following
bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
s:
[
* Urdu Bazar: the stretch spanning from Lahori Gate of Red Fort to ''Chowk Kotwali'' near ]Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur and was probably expanded aft ...
was called Urdu Bazaar, i.e., the encampment market. The Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
language received its name from this encampment. Ghalib
Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (27 December 179715 February 1869), commonly known as Mirza Ghalib, was an Indian poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language, he also produced a significant body of work in Persian. Ghali ...
noted the destruction of this market during the disturbances of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
and its aftermath.
* Johri Bazar: the ''Chowk Kotwali'' to ''Chandni Chowk'' section of the straight road was originally called ''Johri Bazar''.
* Fatehpuri Bazar: ''Chandni Chowk'' to Fatehpuri Masjid section of the straight road was originally called the Fatehpuri Bazar.
While the contemporary market is blighted with congestion, the market still retains its historical character.[
]
Kucha, katra and havelis
The road now called Chandni Chowk had several streets branching off of it, which were referred to as ''kuchas'' (streets/wings). Each ''kucha'' usually had several ''katras'' (cul de sac or guild houses), which in turn had several havelis
A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, or manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', me ...
. The following terms are generally used to describe the buildings and the streets:
* Mohalla (neighborhood): a residential neighbourhood with ''kuchas'' and ''katras'' within ''kuchas''.[Heritage , The Old Delhi dictionary]
Livemint, 2 March 2013.
* Kucha or ''Gali'' (street): Kucha in the Persian language is synonymous with "Gali" or street in the Hindi language. It is a street or a zone with houses whose owners shared some common attributes, usually their occupation. Hence the names ''Kucha Maliwara'' (the gardeners' street) and ''Kucha Ballimaran'' (the oarsmen's street). Kuchas either had rows of large Havelis or gated cul de sac
A dead end, also known as a ''cul-de-sac'' (; , ), a no-through road or a no-exit road, is a street with only one combined inlet and outlet.
Dead ends are added to roads in urban planning designs to limit traffic in residential areas. Some d ...
(dead end) "Katra" marketplaces along with them.[
* Kucha mahajani: is one of the biggest gold-trading hubs and wholesale jewellery markets in Asia.
* Katra (gated cul-de-sac courtyard market-cum-residential complex in a street): are one-room quarters around a court with a single narrow entrance and inhabited by people of the same caste or occupation i.e. a zone with houses whose owners shared some common attribute, usually their occupation, hence the name.][ Katra refers to a separate wing of tradesmen and craftsmen belonging to the same trade. They usually lived and worked together in a gated ]cul de sac
A dead end, also known as a ''cul-de-sac'' (; , ), a no-through road or a no-exit road, is a street with only one combined inlet and outlet.
Dead ends are added to roads in urban planning designs to limit traffic in residential areas. Some d ...
, the doors of which could be closed at night for the protection of the merchandise, equipment, workers and their families. It is a system similar to the guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
housing in Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
such as Handboogdoelen and Voetboogdoelen.[
* ]Haveli
A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, or manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', me ...
(mansion): A normal haveli has a big courtyard (atrium) surrounded on four sides by spacious rooms and often another walled courtyard around the exterior. Historic havelis include:[
** ]Begum Samru
Joanna Nobilis Sombre ( – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa),. a convert Catholic Christian, started her career as a nautch (dancing) girl in 18th-century India, and eventually became the ruler of Sa ...
's palace built in 1806, now called Bhagirath Palace, see.
** Dharampura Haveli, Gali Guliyan, designed in late Mughal style although parts show the influence of 20 Century architecture. During Mughal and late Mughal Period, a large numbers of Havelis were built by courtiers. With increasing interest in Old Delhi by tourists, and to revive the old world charm of Purani Dilli, Haveli Dharmpura houses an Indian restaurant serving specialities of Mughal era with a contemporary touch, which you can enjoy with classical dance.
** Chunnamal haveli in Katra Neel
** Ghalib ki Haveli
Ghalib ki Haveli (ALA-LC: , ) is a haveli in Gali Qasim Jan (), Ballimaran, in the Chandni Chowk neighbourhood of Old Delhi. It was the residence of the 19th-century Indian poet Ghalib and is now a heritage site. Its Mughal architecture ref ...
of Mirza Ghalib
Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (27 December 179715 February 1869), commonly known as Mirza Ghalib, was an Indian poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language, he also produced a significant body of work in Persian. Ghali ...
, Gali Qasim Jan (Gali Ballimaran)
** Haksar Haveli in Sita Ram Bazar, where Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
was married on 8 February 1916 to Kamla Nehru. She was born here, and her family sold it in the 1960s. Haveli used to host mushairas[Crumbling Haksar Haveli, Delhi-6: Where Nehru Went to Marry Kamla Nehru]
The Quint, 27 May 2017.
** Haveli Banarsi Bhawan with a water well is situated near to Shree Digambar Meru Jain Temple in the Masjid Khajoor area.
** Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008.
Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...
, former president of Pakistan was born and his grandfather sold it to Prem Chand Gola after whom this area is now called Gola Market.[Haveli Naharvali]
the-south-asian.com, June 2001. This was originally owned by the Raja Nahar Khan
Raja Bahadur Nahar Khan was the ruler of Mewat and the progenitor of Khanzada clan who were themselves a sub-clan of Yadav. His original name was Sambhar Pal. He and his brother Sopar Pal (who later became Chhaju Khan) embraced Islam during th ...
a Hindu convert of Mewat who converted to Islam during the era of Firuz Shah Tughlaq
Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 20 September 1388), also known as Firuz III, was Sultan of Delhi from 1351 until his death in 1388. He succeeded his cousin Muhammad bin Tughlaq following the latter's death at Thatta, Sindh. His father was ...
in 1355, hence the name.[
**Khazanchi haveli, the Khajanchi were the accountants of ]Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
. A street is named after them called "Gali Khajanchi", a long tunnel connects the haveli and the Red Fort, so that money could be transferred safely. It is close to the entrance of Chandni Chowk, from the Red Fort walk towards Fatehpuri, turn left on road to Dariba and the haveli is at the end of the road that connects Dariba and Esplanade Road.
** Haveli Raja Jugal Kishore, a grand mansion with an imposing gate, which was adorned with a large ghanta-bell. Located adjacent to the gate, a room in the haveli opening towards the street, was given to Lala Sukhlal by the owners of the haveli as a philanthropic gesture to open a sweet shop, which came to be identified as ghante ke neechewala halwaii. (see Ghantewala). A street is named after the haveli; Kucha-i-Haveli Raja Jugal Kishore between Kucha Maliwara and Kotwali Chabutra.
**Naughara Mansions in Naughara Gali off Kinari Bazaar has 18th century Jain mansions. It is a street with nine (nau) continuous havelies with brightly painted floral designs on the facade. Each of the havelies used to have a gharha
Ghara is an earthen pot made in the Indian subcontinent. It is used for storing drinking water and keeping it cool.
The word ''ghara'' has cognates in Pahari, Bengali and Odia languages that can all be traced to the Sanskrit word ''ghaṭa'' me ...
(water pot) placed at door for the thirsty passersby. There is a white marble Jain Svetambara Temple at the end of the street with stone elephant heads at the door, intricate carvings on walls and pillars, a museum on the ground floor with rare manuscripts embroidered in pure gold and silver threads and a black image of Lord Parasanath in the rare kasauti stone on the first floor. Office of Atma Prakash Aggrawal at the beginning of the street houses numerous antiques and should not be mistaken as an antique shop.
** Zeenat Mahal
Zeenat Mahal (1823 – 17 July 1886) was the only wife and ''de facto'' regent of the Mughal Kingdom on behalf of her husband, the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Biography
Zeenat Mahal married Bahadur Shah II at Delhi on 19 November 1840 a ...
Haveli, Lal Kuan Bazar
Some other commonly used terms are ''Chatta'' (the upper floor which arches over the street below), ''phatak'' (door, usually to a katra or street which could be locked at night), ''mahal
Mahal may refer to:
Places
* Mahal, India, a small town in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India
* Mahal, Punjab, a village in Jalandhar district of Punjab State, India
* Mahal, Paschim Bardhaman, a census town in Pandabeswar CD Block in ...
'' (a palace, as in Taj Mahal), ''kamra'' (a room), ''kuan'' is waterwell, etc.[
]
Historic religious buildings
Delhi's most famous mosque, Jama Masjid
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.See:
*
*
*
*
...
, built-in 1650 in the vicinity, is near other religious shrines, belonging to multiple religions. Starting from the Red Fort, the buildings include:
* The Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir () is the oldest and best-known Jain temple in Delhi, India. It is directly across from the Red Fort in the historical Chandni Chowk area.
The temple is known for an avian Veterinary medicine, veterinary hospital, ...
, established in 1656 with a bird hospital established in 1929. A Naya Mandir
Naya Mandir (, lit. New Temple) is a historic Jain temple in Old Delhi in India, in the ''Dharampura'' locality allocated to the Jain community by Aurangzeb.
History
Raja Harsukh Rai, a treasurer in the Mughal Empire during the late Mughal e ...
was built in 1807 in Dharampura, as the first temple with a Shikhar.
* The Gauri Shankar Temple was built by a Maratha general Appa Gangadhar according to one of the legends.
* The Central Baptist Church, it was built-in 1814.
* The Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. The ninth Sikh
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ (Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion and was the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in ...
and his followers Bhai Mati Das
Bhai Mati Das (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 11 November 1675; also known as Dewan Mati Dasa), along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai ...
, Bhai Dyal Das and Bhai Sati Das
Bhai Sati Das (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 11 November 1675) along with his elder brother Bhai Mati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das were all executed at ''k ...
were executed nearby by the Mughals in 1675. The Gurudwaras in the form of memorials were built in 1783 after Delhi, the then Mughal capital was captured by the Khalsa (the corporate body of Sikhs) under the command of Baghel Singh
Baghel Singh (c. 1730s – c. 1800s) was a Sikh warrior and leader in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. He rose to prominence in the area around Sutlej and Yamuna. He joined the Singh K ...
. Present Building was however built later in 1930.
* The Sunehri Masjid was built in 1721 by Roshan-Ud-Daula Zafar Khan in the reign of Mohammad Shah
Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the thirteenth Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the Sayyid ...
. Persian invader Nader Shah
Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...
spent several hours on the top of the mosque on 11 March 1739 to observe the Katl-e-Aam (the killing of everyone in sight) that he had ordered, which resulted in 30,000 deaths.
* The Fatehpuri Masjid was built by Fatehpuri Begum in 1650, one of the queens of Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
.
Present
On both sides of the wide Chandni Chowk are historical residential areas served by narrow lanes (''gali''), several of which are teeming with the peddler
A peddler (American English) or pedlar (British English) is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of good (economics), goods. In 19th-century United States the word "drummer" was often used to refer to a peddler or traveling salesman; as exem ...
s, street vendor
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...
s, street food
Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
and bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
s.
Shops
Chandni Chowk's speciality is its variety and authenticity: food, delicacies and sweets of more than 1,000 kinds, sarees with chikan and zari
Zari () is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make intricate pat ...
. Narrow lanes host shops that sell books, clothing, electronics, consumer goods, shoes and leather goods. It is the location of the original Haldiram's and brands such as Giani's. A particular local delicacy is the jalebi
''Jalebi'' is a popular sweet snack in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia and some parts of Africa. It goes by many names, including ''jilapi'', ''zelepi'','' jilebi'', '' jilipi'', ''zulbia'', ''zoolbia'', ''jerry'', ''mushabak'', ''z'labia'' ...
s, which are fried in pure ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals.
Description
Ghee is typically prepared by ...
(clarified butter).
Starting from the Red Fort end one finds the State Bank of India
State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Public sector undertakings in India, public sector bank and financial service body headquartered in Mumbai. It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market shar ...
building. A short distance away is Bhagirath Palace Begum Samru
Joanna Nobilis Sombre ( – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa),. a convert Catholic Christian, started her career as a nautch (dancing) girl in 18th-century India, and eventually became the ruler of Sa ...
which has an intriguing history. Bhagirath Palace and the adjoining area have perhaps the biggest market in India for electrical goods, lamps and light fixtures. Dariba Kalan
Dariba Kalan (Hindi: दरीबा कलान, English: ''Street of the Incomparable Pearl''), is a 17th-century street in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi or Shahjahanbad. It lies within the walled city of Delhi, and connects the Chandni ...
is the market for silver and gold jewellery. This market also offers trophies, shields, mementos and related items. At its Southern end (and close to the Jama Masjid, Delhi
The Masjid-e-Jehan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid () of Delhi, is one of the largest Sunni mosques in India.
Its builder is the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1656, and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor ...
) is Bazaar Guliyan where about a hundred shops selling metallic and wooden statues, sculptures, bells, handicrafts are located. Nai Sarak is the wholesale market for stationery, books, paper and decorative materials. Chawri Bazar
Chawri Bazar is a specialized wholesale market of brass, copper and paper products. Established in 1840, with a hardware market, it was the first wholesale market of Old Delhi it lies to the west of Jama Masjid, Delhi, Jama Masjid in Delhi.
...
is a big market for greeting and wedding cards as well as plumbing items, sanitary ware, and accessories. Located at the western end of Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli
Khari Baoli () is a street in Delhi, India known for its Wholesale marketing, wholesale grocery and Asia's largest wholesale spice market selling a variety of spices, nuts, herbs and food products like rice and tea. Operating since the 17th ...
is a street entirely dedicated to all kinds of spices, dried fruits, nuts, herbs, grains, lentils, pickles and preserves.
Restaurants and eateries
Chandni Chowk is home to several notable restaurants and (confectioners), most well known among them is Gali Paranthe Wali.
* Paranthewali Gali with paratha
Paratha (, also parantha/parontah) is a flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, with earliest reference mentioned in early medieval Sanskrit, India. It is one of the most popular flatbreads in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
...
shops from 1875 to 1886.
* Annapurna Bhandar established in 1929 by Late Mr.Purna Chander Modak is popular for Bengali sweets.
* Bikaner Sweet Shop, known for rasmalai
Ras malai, also known as rasamalei, or roshmalai, is a dessert that originated in the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. The dessert is called ''roshmalai'' in Bengali, ''ras malai'' in Hindi, and ''rasa malei'' in Odia. It is popular in Ind ...
.
* Chaatwallah, established in 1923, known for fruit chaat.
* Chaina Ram Sindhi Halwai, established in 1948 serves besan ke laddoo, ghee patisa and ghevar like none in the city.
* Giani's, serving icecreams and Rabri Falooda
A ''falooda'' () is a Mughlai cold dessert made with vermicelli. It has origins in the Persian dish '' faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, South and Southeast Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ver ...
, established around 1947.
* Gol Hatti, established in 1954, serves kullhad wale chhole chawal.
* Hazari Lal Khurchan Wale, Kinaari Bazaar. This shop, established 90 years ago, arguably makes the best khurchan in Delhi. Khurchan means ”scraped leftovers" in Hindi. The preparation sounds simple: boil the milk, scrape off the cream as it appears on the top, and eventually mix it with , or powdered sugar.
Kanwarji's
Bhagirathmal Dalbijiwallah established in the mid-19th century.
* Meghraj and Sons, since the 1950s
* Natraj's Dahi Bhalle, established in 1940.
* Shiv Mishtan Bhandar, established 1910, is well known for their bedmi pooree with aloo sabzi with crisp jalebi or imarti. A limited menu but every item is freshly prepared and full of flavour.
* Tewari Brothers Confectioners, (known for Motichoor Laddoo, Samosa) established in 1987
* The Old Famous Jalebi Wala, which is situated in Dariba Kalan, serves city's crispiest jalebis.
Redevelopment
Chandni Chowk was redeveloped as heritage trail
Heritage trails are walking trails and driving routes in urban and rural settings that are identified by signage and guidebooks as relating to cultural heritage. The heritage might be architectural, or it can be associated with a person or histor ...
to stimulate tourism, seeking inspiration from the inception of the Heritage Street in Amritsar. The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation, under the auspices of the Government of Delhi
The Government of Delhi, officially the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD; ISO: ) is the governing body of India's National Capital Territory of Delhi, whose urban area is the seat of the Government of India. It also ...
, is the agency entrusted with this ambitious task. The redevelopment plan includes the incorporation of walkways to render the area more pedestrian-friendly. No motorized traffic will be allowed to ply on Chandni Chowk from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid during daylight hours. Certain streets will be barricaded. The redevelopment plan was supposed to have been completed before the inauguration of the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth that was held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 201 ...
, but got delayed. The plan also envisions parking space for 1500 cars.
As a part of the redevelopment, the construction of a multilevel parking-cum-commercial complex is underway at Gandhi Maidan in Chandni Chowk.
This multilevel parking-cum-commercial complex, an eight-story building with three basements spanning 18,524 square meters, is being developed at a cost of ₹1,000 crore under a PPP model in collaboration with a real estate developer. The project will have the capacity to accommodate over 2,300 cars.
Popular culture
Chandni Chowk has served as a prominent backdrop in several Bollywood films over the years:
* In 2001, ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (transl. ''Sometimes Happiness Sometimes Sadness...''), also abbreviated as ''K3G'', is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by his father Yash Johar. ...
'' featured Chandni Chowk as the residence of leading characters Anjali (Kajol) and her sister Pooja (Kareena Kapoor).
* In 2008, '' Black & White'', starring Anil Kapoor, Anurag Sinha, Shefali Chhaya, and Aditi Sharma, was set in Chandni Chowk.
* In 2009, ''Chandni Chowk to China
''Chandni Chowk to China'' (shortened to ''CC2C'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language martial arts action comedy film directed by Nikkhil Advani and stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, with Mithun Chakraborty and Hong Kong action cinema acto ...
'', featuring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty, and Ranvir Shorey, included scenes depicting the area.
* In 2009, ''Delhi-6
''Delhi-6'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan as an NRI who arrives in India with his ailing grandmother (played by Waheeda Rehman) and begins discovering his roots ...
'', starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni, and Divya Dutta, was filmed in the Walled City of Old Delhi, with Chandni Chowk as its focus.
* In 2016, ''Saat Uchakkey
''Saat Uchakkey'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, wit ...
'', starring Manoj Bajpayee, Kay Kay Menon, Annu Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Anupam Kher, Aparshakti Khurana, and Aditi Sharma, was entirely shot in and around Chandni Chowk.
* In 2018, '' Rajma Chawal'', starring Amyra Dastur, Rishi Kapoor, and Aparshakti Khurana, had extensive sections filmed at Lachu Ram Ki Haveli in Chandni Chowk.
* In 2019, ''The Sky Is Pink
''The Sky Is Pink'' is a 2019 biographical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Shonali Bose and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ronnie Screwvala and Priyanka Chopra Jonas under their production companies Roy Kapur Films, ...
'', starring Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, and Rohit Suresh Saraf, was partially shot in Chandni Chowk, as the lead characters, played by Priyanka and Farhan, lived there.
See also
* Dariba Kalan
Dariba Kalan (Hindi: दरीबा कलान, English: ''Street of the Incomparable Pearl''), is a 17th-century street in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi or Shahjahanbad. It lies within the walled city of Delhi, and connects the Chandni ...
* Gali paranthe walee
Gali Paranthe Wali or Paranthe wali Gali (, literally "the bylane of Paratha, flatbread") is a narrow street in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi, India, noted for its series of shops selling paratha, an Indian flatbread.
History
Gali Paranthe ...
References
Further reading
* ''Delhi, the emperor's city: rediscovering Chandni Chowk and its environs'', by Vijay Goel. Lustre Press, 2003. .
External links
Old Delhi dictionary and introduction to the names of places
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir - Birds Hospital
Shri Shiv Navgrah Mandir Dham
Shri Gauri Shankar Mandir
Chandni Chowk's website
Bhavana Muttreja, ''Traditional Dwelling Analysis of Chandni Chowk''
Archinomy website
{{Neighborhoods of Delhi
17th-century establishments in India
Bazaars in India
History of Delhi
Neighbourhoods in Delhi
Populated places established in the 17th century
Retail markets in Delhi