A kaleidoscope of sights, smells and colours within Delhi's Chandni Chowk lends a quality of timelessness to this busy marketplace
Get off an autorickshaw in front of Chandni Chowk and you will find yourself overwhelmed at the endless maze of alleys, with colours and sounds vying to get your attention even as the sweat trickles down your back — not caused by the sun which is beating down on you but by the manic chaos that lies ahead. As you walk further into the mayhem, take a deep breath — open sewers abound and your olfactory senses may not be completely prepared for the heady stench. Walk past it, however, and soon you will come across the delicious aromas of frying samosas, jalebis and hot melting butter.
The marketplace was designed by the 16th century Indian emperor Shah Jahan's favourite daughter Jahanara Begum Sahib as part of a water supply scheme. It lies opposite India's famous Red Fort. Built in the shape of a crescent around the canal, which perfectly reflected the moon, Chandni Chowk lived up to its name (moonlit square) until it was replaced by a clock tower (Ghantaghar). This tower was damaged and demolished in the 1960s and its only legacy are the shops that carry its name.
Parade of colours
These days although the market does not betray its rich ancestry, it does have a certain old-world charm. The place has always been divided by Kuchas (zones of houses where the inhabitants share the same occupation) and Kartras (guilds). In times past, the market boasted a design so spectacular that the place invited royal processions.
Today, the streets are surrounded by old mansions which have been divided and subdivided by guilds to house many families in the same building. These homes have partitions that are so paper-thin that the scurrying of a pet rodent at one end of a floor can be felt at the other. Merchants spill on to the street with wares that seem to have been cursed by a duplication spell by the boy wizard Harry Potter. By the time the shop has been set up, each display is a riot of colours, which meld together to form a mesmerising kaleidoscope. And like Hermione's bag of endless treats, one is sure to find whatever one wants.
Walking through these lanes requires a certain strategy. Looking ahead helps. Looking ahead with an expression of knowing where you are and where you want to go is better (this look is like Arthur Dent's towel in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; once you have it, any number of silly questions such as: Where is so-and-so shop? How do I get out of here? Is that a rat that just ran past me? will all be treated with good humour). Here's another tip: calls of loot lo bhai loot lo (steal it, brother steal it) are not to be taken seriously; they just mean stuff is up for sale — not that one should walk off with it.
A maze of delights
This labyrinth can be very confusing, but each turn in the maze will bring you face-to-face with a cavern of delights. For instance, one such turn will get you to Katra Neel (a cloth market famous for silk, satin, crepe, cotton, muslin, etc); another to Kinari Bazaar (famous for zari and zardozi work and Indian bridal dresses). There are also shops where one can find copies of designer creations at half the price (still expensive but more affordable).
For those who are not electronically challenged or for those who are but wish to improve, there is Bhagirath Palace (largest electrical goods market in Asia, also known for their medical equipment and allopathic medicines).
Those who wish their fortunes told must embark on an adventure through the galis (sub streets) and manoeuvre their way through what resembles one of Asterix's 12 impossible tasks.
Finally, there is Parathe Wali Galli, with each shop boasting at least 25 varieties of the stuffed bread. Of the 20 parantha shops that started here (all belonging to branches of the same family), only three remain: Pandit Kanhaiyalal Durgaprasad (1875), Pandit Dayanand Shivcharan (1882) and Pandit Baburam Devidayal Paranthewale (1886). Here you can get varieties which range from the tame (traditional aloo parathas) to the strange (papar/almond parathas). Try a few with a cool lassi (a drink made with yoghurt) and you will never want to leave.
After a day of bargain hunting here, a visit to Chor Bazaar is a must. Chor Bazaar or Thieves' Market is a flea market behind Chandni Chowk, where it is believed that the goods are so cheap, they must have been stolen! And with wares from this market is Chor Bizarre, a restaurant which specialises in Kashmiri fare. Each item in this eatery is unique and has a rich history. Once in the shop, located on Asaf Ali Road, you will be given a guided tour. However, this private shop asks that you not take photographs.
All in all, a trip to Chandni Chowk reveals Delhi's secrets. It is in the elbows that nudge you towards a favourite shop, in the sudden wafts of hot delicious treats that follow you. It is in the new revelation around every street corner and in the heady scent that follows you out.
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