Chandni Chowk Delhi - Markets, Tourist Attractions & Renovation
❤ Chandni Chowk Delhi ❤
Chandni Chowk or “Moonlight Square” is one of the memorable gifts of the Mughal Era that Delhi cherishes till date. Being one of the oldest and busiest markets of the country, Chandni Chowk is a center of attraction for traders as well, besides the tourists who come to visit the city. Chandni Chowk was designed and built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s favorite daughter Jahan Ara Begum in 1650 CE. The marketplace was 40 yards wide and 1520 yards long.
There’s an exciting story behind the naming of the place. Chandni Chowk was built in a square shape and had a pool at the center. The pool radiated moonlight at nights, giving a mesmerizing experience. This is possibly the reason why the marketplace is named as Chandni Chowk
👀History of Chandni Chowk👀
Chandni Chowk is located in Old Delhi, or in Delhi's dialect Purani Dilli. Old Delhi lies in the North-East part of the city. Mughal emperor Shahjahan built this oldest and busiest market in the 17th century and called it Moonlight Square. Jahan Ara Begum, the favourite daughter of Shah Jahan, designed the Chandni Chowk market. Chandni Chowk was initially built in a half-moon square shape, and the moon's reflection was used to light the water pool in front of it. This pond was located in front of the Town Hall. Until the 1950s, the pond remained near the clock tower.
In earlier days, the market gained popularity among silver traders. Many merchants came from different parts of countries like China, Denver, Turkey and many more to trade in silver here. This is the reason why Chandni Chowk is also sometimes known as 'Silver Street' in English.
Places to Visit Near Me From Chandni Chowk
Urdu Park- Urdu park, also known as Lahori Gate, is a vast park between Jama Masjid and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. It is a lush green park which provides space for local professionals like body masseuses, ear cleaners, head massagers etc., to offer services to visitors in the park. You can visit the park throughout the week in the daytime.
jama Masjid- Masjid-i Jehan-Numa is one of India's oldest and biggest mosques. It can occupy 25,000 devotees in its courtyard. Shah Jahan built this mosque in 1656, just 200 metres from the Chandni Chowk market. A Muslim visitor can visit the mosque between 7 AM to 12 PM and 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM, whereas non-muslims can see it between 8 AM to half an hour before sunset.
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir- Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is the oldest Jain temple in Delhi. It is situated opposite Red Fort, which makes it easy to locate. The temple is dedicated to 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanath, whereas it has figurines of Parshvanath, Lord Mahavir, Rishabhdev and others. It is also known as Lal Mandir, owing to its colour red. It is built of red sandstone. A devotee can visit it from 6 AM to 12 noon and from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib- One of the nine historical gurudwaras situated in the country. The gurudwara was established in 1783 by Baghel Singh to mark the martyrdom of the Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur. Anyone can visit this gurudwara throughout the week, it is open for 24 hours, and langar is also offered
Chandni Chowk Markets
In Chandni Chowk, you can shop for almost everything, and dedicated streets/markets specialise in particular items. Most outlets are wholesale shops and hence offer the most economical prices. Following are the different markets in Chandni Chowk Delhi.
Kinari Bazaar- This is the best market to shop for wedding items. From decoration items for wedding functions like sangeet, Mehandi etc., you will find the fanciest varmalas, borders for clothing items, trimming and tinsels, and other textiles. We are sure you will love this market if you have a wedding at home or are going to attend one.
.jpg)
Katra Neel: Another famous market of Chandni Chowk is Katra Neel. In old times it was famous for Indigo cloth traders. In this market, you can get all fabrics like cotton, brocade, silk, crepe, georgette and satin. Also, you will find many shops which sell designer suits, lehengas and Indo western dresses. If you plan to make an outfit from scratch, you must visit this market.
Kucha Choudhary Market: A market that opened in the mid-1970s, is famous as a photo market. It’s a camera haven for budding and professional photographers. Whether you want a vintage camera, a polaroid or a high-tech DSLR, this is the place for you. With cameras, you can also find the best accessories at Kucha Choudhary Market.
Krishna Market: Ladies suits, fabric market, salwar kameez, and so much more, Krishna Market comprises varied shops. Ladies line up here especially to buy trendy suits. No matter what the occasion, Krishna Market can provide you with the best stitched or unstitched suits. Boutique owners and tailors also prefer this market for buying suits.
Khari Baoli- This is the biggest spice market in Asia. It is a famous spice market which sells daily use spices like cardamom, cloves, turmeric, jeera, mirch etc. It also sells fresh herbs like retha, gold varq, silver varq, Kesar and plum. You can get almost any type of spices or dry fruits here.
Bhagirath Palace- Bhagirath Palace is popularly known as the market of lights. All the shops in the market sell chandeliers, lamps, light bulbs, lighting fixtures, and hanging lights. Formerly, Bhagirath Palace was the palace of Begum Samru.
Fatehpuri Market- You will find numerous shops that sell milk-based products like Khoya and Paneer in wholesale. Besides this, you can also find other products like clothes, fruits, wedding stuff and prayer accompaniments in this market.
Ballimaran Market- Ballimaran Market is famous for its affordable shoe market. You can find all types of shoes and sandals in this market. Also, you can find various frames of sunglasses and eyewear at very cheap rates.
Chor Bazaar- It is an exciting place to visit if you are visiting Chandni Chowk Delhi. You will find very low prices for second-hand products like cameras, phones, shoes, gym equipment, and branded clothes. If you find scope for more bargaining, you can go ahead because there are no boundaries! Remember to visit the market early in the morning, like 6 AM.
Chawri Bazaar- Looking to buy a wedding card? Then this is the place for you. You will get a wide variety of wedding cards which start from Rs 10 and go up to even lakhs. Customise a card as per your choice, size and shape. Apart from this, you can find several printing shops as well.
Nai Sarak- Nai Sarak houses books for school, college, or any competitive exam. Also, numerous stationery shops are available in the market. A buyer can purchase a product in resale or wholesale. Besides educational books, you will also find fictional and nonfiction books at Nai Sarak.
Dariba Kalan- Darbi Kalan is a market famous for jewellery, from necklaces, earrings, bangles, nose pins, etc. The market is famous for silver jewellery. However, you can get gold and diamond jewellery as well. Other things which you will find in the market are silver utensils and silverware for households at an affordable price. You can also find Indian perfumes called Itar.
👀Top 10 Eating Spots in Chandni Chowk👀
Chandni Chowk has served mouthwatering food for ages. While the rest of Delhi is busy spurring aesthetically lovely cafes, Chandni Chowk market proudly owns small stalls and kiosks. All the foodies out there, you should try these top 10 eating spots for sure.
Parathe Wali Gali: Chandni Chowk is famous for its Parathe Wali Gali; it is a street where you will get many shops selling more than 100 varieties of Paratha. It is a wholesome meal in itself, plus it is budget-friendly too.
Natraj Dahi Bhalle: A shop selling Dahi Bhalles since the 1940s. It is one of the best shops selling this dish in town.
Lala Babu Chaat Bhandaar: If you are a chaat lover, you must visit this authentic Chaat seller. Along with Aloo Tikka, you must also try their cauliflower peas samosa.
Karim's: Karim's has been serving delicious non-vegetarian dishes for ages all over the Delhi NCR. However, the original Karim is at Chandni Chowk and is a must-eat place for non-veg lovers.
Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale: You will get to taste different varieties of Kulfi here, and we bet this place serves the best Kulfi in Chandni Chowk
.jpg)
Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala: The people of Chandni Chowk generally have kachori sabji as their breakfast. You must try this place if you love eating crisp kachoris with aloo sabzi.
Meghraj and Sons: Jalebis of Meghraj and Sons are irresistible, and the USP of the shop is that it cooks jalebis in desi ghee. It is a guilty pleasure, and you will thank us later!
Amritsari Lassi Wala: To keep you hydrated, you can find the Amritsari Lassi Wala. This delicious drink will pamper your taste and work as a wholesome meal.
Giani Di Hatti: If you are in Chandni Chowk and do not eat Chole Bhature at Giani di Hatti, your trip will be wasted. You can end it with faluda topped with creamy rabri.
Kake Di Hatti: You must try the oversized lip-smacking naans from Kake Di Hatti. It is an iconic Dhaba which always lives up to its reputation for good food.
Days and Timing to Visit Chandni Chowk
Best Seasons to Visit Chandni Chowk
How to Reach Chandni Chowk: Nearest Metro Station
Chandni Chowk can be easily reached by various modes of transportation.
Metro: To reach Chandni Chowk, you can take either the yellow metro line or the violet metro line. If you take the yellow line metro, deboard at Chandni Chowk Metro station; if you take the violet line, then deboard at Lal Qila metro station. You can easily walk or take an electric rickshaw from these metro stations.
Auto/taxi service: You can use an auto or Ola/Uber from any part of the city to reach the Chandni Chowk market.
Bus: There are various DTC buses which go to Chandni Chowk from different parts of the city. These are bus numbers which you can take 138, 442, ML-96, ML-11, 567, 861A, 753 and 159.
Chandi Chowk’s Bollywood Connection
Chandni Chowk is Delhi’s heritage market - from incredible monuments to narrow roads, it makes you travel back in time. So much so that our Bollywood directors have scripted their movies based on the Chandni Chowk market. Here is a list of a few films shot in this unique locality.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan: The movie starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor shows the couple roaming around different parts of Chandni Chowk market. The romantic number ‘Tu Chaiye’ from the movie is shot in the busy streets of Chandni Chowk.
Band Baaja Baaraat: Shruti (Anushka Sharma) was seen in Kinari Bazaar looking for wedding decors.
Delhi-6: Delhi-6 starring Abhishek Bacchan and Sonam Kapoor, gives a relatively great view of Chandni Chowk.
Chandni Chowk to China: Another movie which is based on Chandni Chowk. This movie starring Akshay Kumar is purely based on this locality.
Black and White, PK, Kurbaan and many more movies are shot in this area. Many TV soap operas show the Chandni Chowk area too.
Tips to Keep in Mind While Visiting Chandni Chowk
When you are visiting Chandni Chowk market, you need to take care of these mindful tips:-
- To keep yourself hydrated on the chaotic streets of Chandni Chowk Delhi, carry water bottles.
- Always ask for permission from the shopkeeper before taking a picture. Many shopkeepers do not allow photography because of the copyright of designs.
- Beware of pocket pickers and bag snatchers in the market. Keep your belongings with utmost care.
- Check the genuineness of the product before buying it.
- To get the best deal, bargain well, as there is no boundary for bargaining.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment