The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in

Old Delhi Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor at the time) decided to shift the Mughal capital from Agra. Th ...

, India. It is located close to the

Old Delhi Railway Station Delhi Junction railway station is the oldest railway station in Old Delhi, Delhi, India. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India in terms of frequency. Around 250 trains start, end, or pass through the station daily. It was establish ...

. The

Red Fort The Red Fort or Lal Qila () is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift ...

monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor of India

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

and designed by his daughter Jahanara. The market was once divided by canals (now closed) to reflect moonlight and 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 Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor at the time) decided to shift the Mughal capital from Agra. T ...

when Emperor Shah Jahan established the

on the banks of the

Yamuna River The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, 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 Ban ...

besides his new capital.

Original Chandni Chowk

The original Chandni Chowk, half-moon-shaped square, was located in front of the Municipal

Townhall Townhall is an American politically conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than 80 columns (b ...

and its reflection used to shine in the moonlit water pool located in front of it. A shallow water channel was built from

Yamuna The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, 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 ...

, which ran through the middle of the straight road currently known as the Chandani 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, or the Moonlight Square, and its three bazaars were designed and established by Princess

Jahanara Begum Jahanara Begum (23 March 1614 – 16 September 1681) was a Mughal princess and later the Padshah Begum of the Mughal Empire from 1631 to 1658 and again from 1668 until her death. She was the second and the eldest surviving child of Emperor Shah ...

's favourite daughter, in 1650 CE. Originally containing 1,560 shops, the bazaar was 40 yards wide by 1,520 yards long. The bazaar shaped as a square was given elegance by the presence of a pool in the centre of the complex. The pool shimmered in the moonlight, a feature which was responsible for its name. Shops were originally built in a half-moon shaped pattern, now lost. The bazaar was famous for its silver merchants, which also have contributed to the name of "Silver Street" as silver is referred to as ''Chandi'' in Hindi, a slight variation of which forms Chandni. The pool in the chowk 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 partia ...

) in the 1950s. The centre of the market is still referred to as Ghantaghar. Chandni Chowk was once the grandest Indian market. Mughal imperial processions passed through Chandni Chowk. The tradition was continued when the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by the British at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was ...

was held in 1903.

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 ...

was built in 1863 by the British.

Original three bazaars

The term Chandni Chowk originally referred only to the square that had a reflecting pool. Now the whole straight road which runs through the middle of the walled city, from the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort to

Fatehpuri Masjid The Fatehpuri Mosque is a 17th-century mosque in India located at the western end of the oldest street of Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. It is opposite the Red Fort on the opposite end of Chandni Chowk. History Fatehpuri Masjid was built in 1650 b ...

is called Chandni Chowk. The road was then divided into three following

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

s: * Urdu Bazar: Lahori Gate of the Mughal royal palace 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, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expanded ...

was called Urdu Bazaar, i.e., the encampment market. The

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Ghalib Mirza Beg Asadullah Khan (Urdu, fa, مرزا بیگ اسد اللہ خان; 27 December 1797 – 15 February 1869) also known as Mirza Ghalib (Urdu, fa}) was an Urdu and Persian language, Persian shayar (poet), poet of the 19th century Mughal Em ...

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 the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

and its aftermath. * Johri Bazar: Chowk Kotwali to Chandni Chowk (location of now demolished

, presently in front of Municipal/Town Hall) section of the straight road was originally called Johri Bazar. * Fatehpuri Bazar: 'Chandni Chowk' to

section of the straight road was originally called the Fatehpuri Bazar. Now choked with congestion, the market retains its historical character. Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar

Kucha, katra and havelis

The road now called Chandni Chowk had several streets running off it which were called ''kuchas'' (streets/wings). Each Kucha usually had several ''katras'' (cul de sac or guild houses), which in turn had several

haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, 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'', mean ...

's. The following terms are generally used to describe the buildings and the streets: * Mohalla (neighborhood): is a residential neighbourhood with Kuchas and Kartras 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 (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet. The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...

(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

, 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 area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

housing in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

such as Handboogdoelen and Voetboogdoelen. *

Haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, 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'', mean ...

(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 Sard ...

's palace built in 1806, now called Bhagirath Palace, see. **

Dharampura Haveli Haveli Dharampura, built in 1887 CE and currently owned by BJP leader Vijay Goel (politician), Vijay Goel, is a 19th-century haveli in Chandani Chowk area of old Delhi that as awarded a special mention in UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural ...

, 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 ( ur, ALA-LC: ''lit.'' "Ghalib's Mansion") was the residence of the 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib and is now a heritage site located in the Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi and reflects the period when the Mu ...

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

, Gali Qasim Jan (Gali Ballimaran) ** Haksar Haveli in Sita Ram Bazar, where

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

was married on 8 February 1916 to

Kamla Nehru Kamala Nehru (''née'' Kaul; ; 1 August 1899 – 28 February 1936) was an Indian independence activist and the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Her daughter Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India ...

. She was born here, and her family sold it in the 1960s. Haveli used to host mushairasCrumbling Haksar Haveli, Delhi-6: Where Nehru Went to Marry Kamla Nehru
The Quint, 27 May 2017. **

Haveli Banarsi Bhawan A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, 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'', meani ...

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 General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of the ...

, 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 Wali-e-Mewat Raja Nahar Khan, Bahadur, birth name Raja Sonpar Pal, the ruler of Mewat, was the progenitor of Khanzada Rajput tribe. He was converted to Islam by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in 1355. Background He was the son of Rajput Raja Lakhan ...

a Hindu convert of Mewat who converted to Islam during the era of

Firuz Shah Tughlaq Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 20 September 1388) was a Muslim ruler from the Tughlaq dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.

in 1355, hence the name. **

Khazanchi haveli Khazanchi may refer to: * ''Khazanchi'' (1941 film), a Hindi-language film * ''Khazanchi'' (1958 film), a Bollywood film * Khazanchi, Iran, or Qazanchi, a village in Miyan Darband Rural District, Kermanshah Province {{disambiguation ...

, the Khajanchi were the accountants of

. 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 ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, 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'', meani ...

, 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 The Ghantewala Halwai (घंटेवाला हलवाई) in Chandni Chowk in Delhi, established in 1790 CE was one of the oldest halwais (traditional sweet shop) in India. It has catered to Mughal Emperors, Presidents and Prime Minist ...

). 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 Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

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 India and Pakistan. 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'' meaning ...

(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 Empire on behalf of her husband, the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Biography Zeenat Mahal married Bahadur Shah II at Delhi on 19 November 1840 and h ...

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'' (a palace, as in Taj Mahal), ''kamra'' (a room), ''kuan'' is waterwell, etc.

Historic religious buildings

Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Chandni Chowk, Delhi

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''.* * * * * * * ...

, 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, established in 1656 with a bird hospital established in 1929. A

Naya Mandir Naya Mandir ( hi, नया मन्दिर, 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 Mugh ...

was built in 1807 in Dharampura, as the first temple with a Shikhar. * The

Gauri Shankar Temple Gauri may refer to: Religion * ''Gauri'', an epithet of the Hindu goddess Parvati * Mahagauri, a manifestation of Hindu goddess Durga * Lajja Gauri, a goddess associated with abundance and fertility, also euphemistically described as Lajja Films ...

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 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, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expande ...

. The ninth

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

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 the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in 1675 ...

and his followers

Bhai Mati Das Bhai Mati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai Sati Das were executed at a ''kotwali'' (police-station) in ...

Bhai Dyal Das Bhai Dayala Ji ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਦਿਆਲਾ ਜੀ, hi, भाई दयाला जी) died 9 November 1675, also known as ''Bhai Dayal Das'' He was boiled alongside his Sikh companions Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das and the Ninth Guru, ...

and

Bhai Sati Das Bhai Sati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 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 ''kotwali'' (police-station) ...

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. 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 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...

. Persian invader Nader Shah 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

was built by Fatehpuri Begum in 1650, one of the queens of

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, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used fo ...

s, street vendors,

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

and

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'' (or ''jari'') 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 i ...

. Narrow lanes host shops that sell books, clothing, electronics, consumer goods, shoes and leather goods. It is the location of the original

Haldiram Haldiram's is an Indian multinational sweets, snacks and restaurant company headquartered in Nagpur. The company has manufacturing plants in a wide variety of locations such as Nagpur, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Hooghly, Rudrapur and Noida. Haldir ...

's and brands such as Giani's. A particular local delicacy is the

jalebi ''Jalebi'' (, , , Urdu: جلیبی‎, , , si, පැණි වළලු, ), is a popular sweet snack in south and west Asia, Africa, and Mauritius. It goes by many names, including ''jilapi'', ''zelepi'','' jilebi'', '' jilipi'', ''zulbia'', ...

s, which are fried in pure

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

(clarified butter). Starting from the Red Fort end one finds the

State Bank of India State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian multinational public sector bank and financial services statutory body headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. SBI is the 49th largest bank in the world by total assets and ranked 221st in the ''Fortune ...

building. A short distance away is Bhagirath Palace

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.Also for medical essentials and related products. Dariba Kalan 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-i-Jehan-Numa (), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656, and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Buk ...

) is Bazaar Guliyan where about a hundred shops selling metallic and wooden statues, sculptures, bells, handicrafts are located.

Nai Sarak Nai Sarak meaning new street is the linking road, which connects the main Chandni Chowk Road to Chawri Bazar in New Delhi and has a very big wholesale and retail market of mainly school and college textbooks. The street can be reached by taking ...

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 and sanitary ware and accessories. Lal Kuan is a wholesale market for hardware and hotel kitchen equipment. Located at the western end of Chandni Chowk,

Khari Baoli Khari Baoli is a street in Delhi, India known for its 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 century, the market is si ...

is a street entirely dedicated to all kinds of spices, dried fruits, nuts, herbs, grains, lentils, pickles and preserves/murabbas. Tilak Bazaar is a wholesale market for industrial chemicals. The Cloth Market supplies home furnishing fabrics, including ready-made items as well as design services.

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 () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...

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. * 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 Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish ''faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...

, 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 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.

In popular culture

Chandni Chowk was featured in the 2001

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

film ''

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness), also known by the initialism ''K3G'', is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language family-drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars Am ...

'' where the leading lady Anjali (

Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six F ...

) and her sister Pooja (

Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood, Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for pl ...

) lived. In 2008, The Bollywood movie '' Black & White'' starring

Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...

, Anurag Sinha, Shefali Chhaya, and Aditi Sharma is set in Chandni Chowk. In 2009, The Bollywood movie ''

Chandni Chowk to China ''Chandni Chowk to China'' (shortened to ''CC2C'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Nikkhil Advani and stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, with Mithun Chakraborty and Hong Kong action cinema actor Gordon Liu ...

'' starring

Akshay Kumar Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...

Mithun Chakraborty Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three ...

, and

Ranvir Shorey Ranvir Shorey is an Indian actor and former VJ who works in Hindi films and television. Since making his debut in '' Ek Chhotisi Love Story'' (2002), he has starred in a number of high-profile films such as '' Jism'' (2003) and '' Lakshya'' ( ...

features some scenes depicting the city. In 2009, The Bollywood movie ''

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 root ...

'' starring

Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...

Sonam Kapoor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (; born 9 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award, and from 2012 to 2016, she appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list based on her income and ...

Waheeda Rehman Waheeda Rehman (born 3 February 1938) is an Indian actress and dancer. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's finest actresses, Rehman's accolades include a National Film Awards, National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. Rehman was honoured wi ...

Om Puri Om Prakash Puri (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Bengali, Kannada,English, Punjabi and one Telugu film, as well as independent and art films and also starred ...

Atul Kulkarni Atul Kulkarni (born 10 September 1965) is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, English, Odia and Telugu language films. Kulkarni won the National Award for the Best Supporting Actor ...

and

Divya Dutta Divya Dutta (born 25 September 1977) is an Indian actress and model. She has appeared in Hindi and Punjabi cinema, in addition to Malayalam and English-language films. She has received many awards including a National Film Award, a Filmfare Aw ...

had its shooting in the ancient Walled City of

, centered around Chandni Chowk. In 2018, the Bollywood movie

Rajma Chawal ''Rajma Chawal'' () is a 2018 Hindi-language Indian comedy-drama film directed by Leena Yadav, produced by Gulab Singh Tanwar and Aseem Bajaj, which stars Rishi Kapoor, Anirudh Tanwar and Amyra Dastur in the lead. The film revolves around a ...

starring Amyra Dastur,

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...

Aparshakti Khurana Aparshakti Khurana (born 18 November 1987) is an Indian actor, radio jockey, comedian, singer, music director, television host and a former Indian cricketer who was the captain of Haryana U-19 Cricket Team. He is the younger brother of actor A ...

Raja Hasan Raja Hasan is an Indian playback singer who was born in December 1982 in the city of Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. He was a finalist on ''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007'', in which he finished as runner-up to Aneek Dhar. Recently he was a judge i ...

Mukesh Chhabra Mukesh Chhabra (born 27 May 1980) is an Indian film director, casting director, acting workshop director, and actor who has cast several actors for movies including director Vikas Bahl's Chillar Party, Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur, Abhi ...

Nirmal Rishi Nirmal Rishi is an Indian Punjabi film and television actress. She is most remembered for her role as Gulabo Maasi in her first movie Long Da Lishkara (1983). She is best known for appearing in Punjabi movies like Nikka Zaildar, Nikka Za ...

, Harish Khanna had its extensive section of the film shot in Lachu Ram Ki Haveli. In 2019, the Bollywood movie

The Sky is Pink ''The Sky Is Pink'' is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language 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 ...

starring

Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...

Farhan Akhtar Farhan Akhtar (born 9 January 1974) is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter, playback singer, producer, and television host who works in Hindi films. Born in Mumbai to screenwriters Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, he grew up under the influen ...

Zaira Wasim Zaira Wasim (born 23 October 2000) is an Indian former actress who worked in Hindi films. The recipient of numerous accolades, including a Filmfare Award and a National Film Award, Wasim was honoured with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puras ...

Rohit Suresh Saraf Rohit Suresh Saraf (born 8 December 1996) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi films and web series. He began his career on television and made his film debut with a supporting role in ''Dear Zindagi'' (2016). He went on to feature i ...

was partially shot in Chandni Chowk as the main characters of the story, Priyanka and Farhan lived here.

Redevelopment

next to McDonald's Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi

Chandni Chowk was redeveloped as heritage trail to promote tourism getting inspiration from Heritage Street Amritsar. Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation, under the auspices of the Government of the NCT of Delhi, is the agency carrying out this task. The redevelopment plan includes footpaths to make the area more pedestrian-friendly for a large number of shoppers and visitors. No motorized traffic will be allowed on Chandni Chowk from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid in the day time. Roads are also planned to be decongested and some will be barricaded. People who want to come there will have to use the Ebus. The redevelopment plan was supposed to have been completed before the 2010 Commonwealth Games but has been delayed for various reasons. Delhi government is now pushing it seriously. The redevelopment plan is being implemented under Deputy Chief Minister

Manish Sisodia Manish Sisodia (born 5 January 1972) is an Indian politician and Deputy Chief Minister of Government of Delhi. He has been the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi since February 2015. He is also an elected (third consecutive term) MLA from Patpargan ...

. The Plan also includes extra parking for 1500 cars. As a part of the redevelopment, a multilevel parking cum commercial complex is coming up at Gandhi Maidan in Chandni Chowk. The project was inaugurated by Union minister of science and technology, Dr. Harshvardhan. This multilevel parking cum commercial complex would be an eight-storeyed building with three basements covering 18,524 square meter area at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore on a PPP model with a Leading Real estate developer

Omaxe Omaxe Limited is a privately held real estate developer based in New Delhi, India. The company was founded by Rohtas Goel in 1989. Company history Rohtas Goel, a first-generation entrepreneur and civil engineer, founded Omaxe to undertake ...

. The project that has a capacity to accommodate over 2,300 cars.

References

Citations

External links

Old Delhi dictionary and introduction to the names of placesShri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir - Birds HospitalShri Shiv Navgrah Mandir DhamShri Gauri Shankar MandirChandni Chowk's websiteBhavana 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