Well-rounded

Traditional eatery in Old Delhi goes down well with customers through the generations

Since over a century tourists visiting Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, make it a point not to give the Parathewali Gali a miss. The visitors are as assorted as the sizzling parathas (fried bread) made in the bylanes here.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, and other prime ministers like his daughter Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and a host of leading political luminaries of the day were drawn to the Parathawali Gali that earned its name for the famous parathas found here.

Over the years, the original paratha eatery Pt. Gaya Prachad Shiv Charan branched out into several smaller outlets in the bylane but its popularity remains just the same.

Today, present Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee is so fond of the parathas made here that he often invites the owners over to the Prime Minister's House to prepare them for his guests at parties.

Bollywood stars, socialites, gourmets have all been here for their special paratha treat. Foreign tourists too have heard about the eatery and are seen picking their way among the congested Chandni Chowk lanes to reach the outlet.

The shop, Pt. Gaya Prashad Shiv Charan, takes its name from its two founders. Pt. Gaya Prashad started the shop in 1882 and with his son, Shiv Saran, made it a famous paratha outlet it is today. It is now managed by Shiv Saran's two grandsons, Manish (22) and Rajiv Sharma (32).

Their father Ramesh Chand (54) had been managing the shop until recently but is now down with illness.