Chandni Chowk, Delhi

When you are on Delhi travel then there is an ultimate destination called as chandni chowk which must be visited while spending your holidays in India. It is one of the most oldest market in central north delhi, india. One of the most prominent wholesale and retail markets of India, Chandni Chowk is more than 300 years old.It was from here that the troops of Nadir Shah started their mission of plundering and massacring the 'infidels' at Delhi. It was established in 1650, when Mughal Emperor Shahjahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi, as an accompaniment to the fort. Jahanara, the Emperor's favorite daughter, is credited with designing this market, where an arcade of shops was built in a half-moon shape around a pool. The 'Trafalgar Square' of Delhi, Chandni Chowk is widely known for its century old heritage and meeting point of different cultures and traditions over the centuries.

Chandni chowk is most prosperous trading centers of Delhi, dealing in iron and hardware, paper, utensils of brass, copper and stainless steel. You can see traditional framework of Chandni Chowk consisting of 'Havelis', 'Kuchas' & 'Katras'. The famous street of Chandni Chowk is just opposite the Lahore Gate of Red Fort. Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach this monument, which is located in Old Delhi, or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.

The street of Chandni Chowk originally stretched from Lahore Gate of Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid, and was divided into four parts . The first part was known as Urdu bazaar , which extended from the present Jain temple to Dariba Kalan. The second part stretched from Dariba Kalan to Kotwali (next to Gurdwara Sisganj) and was known as Phool Mandi (flower market) and later Tripolia. From Kotwali till the present Town Hall, the area was the third part of the street and was known as Jouhari bazaar (Jewelers' market) or Ashrafi bazaar. The fourth part was known as Chandni Chowk , which extended from Jouhari bazaar till the Fatehpuri Masjid. There was an octagonal pool in this part of the street where the water of the pool reflected the moonlight and flowed into the canal that ran through the whole street. Thus the whole street came to be known as Chandni Chowk or Moonlight Square. Lined with row of banyan and papal trees on the both sides, the canal was known as Faiz Nahar and brought water from Najafgarh pond till the pavilions, gardens and palaces of Red Fort that served the purpose of drinking as well as irrigation. During the British regime, the street underwent major changes as they filled the canal, constructing a 110 feet high clock tower at the site of the pool (the tower fell in 1951) and extended the area of the market.

The Ghantewala Halwai, Natraj's Dahi Bhalle, Kanwarji Bhagirathmal Dalbhajiwallah, Bikaner Sweet Shop, Chaatwallah, Gianiji ka falooda, Karim Hotel, food stalls near Jama Masjid, Paranthewali gali, Natraj hotel, Chor Bizarre of Broadway Hotel, Daryaganj's Flora, Peshwari, Moti Mahal Restaurant, Worker's canteen of Inter-State Bus terminal and many roadside food stalls are there for refreshment.

Chatta Chowk (traditional and contemporary jewelry and handicrafts), Kinari Bazaar (curios, souvenirs, silver and glass bead jewelry), Dariba Kalan (Jeweler's street), Nai Sarak (books), Chor bazaar (electronic goods) and Daryaganj book market (only on Sunday). It will take near around 2hour to visit the site. From Jain temple (Jainism) to Gauri Shankar temple (Hinduism) to Gurdwara Sisganj (Sikhism) and from Baptist Church (Christianity) to Sunehri Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid (Islam), the street has many other small places of worship and that too within the two kilometers stretch of the street.