Sadar Bazaar is the largest wholesale cosmetics jewellery market of household items 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 ...
,
Delhi, India
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
.
Like other major markets of
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 ...
, this market is very crowded and buzzes with activity. Although it is primarily a
wholesale market, it also caters to occasional retail buyers. Owing to the sheer volumes that are traded here every day, a visit to the market can be termed
sensory overload
Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body's senses experiences over-stimulation from the environment. There are many environmental elements that affect an individual. Examples of these elements are urbanization, crowding, noise, mass m ...
. In addition to being a market for
traders, Sadar Bazaar is
a assembly constituency, making it a hub for politics.
History
Paharganj
Paharganj (literally 'hilly neighbourhood') is a neighbourhood of Central Delhi, located just west of the New Delhi Railway Station. Known as ''Shahganj'' or King's ganj or market place during Mughal era, it is one of the three administrative ...
, also referred as ''Shahganj'' or King's ganj or market place during
Mughal era
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
,
gets its present name 'Paharganj', literally meaning ''Hilly neighbourhood'', owing to its proximity to the
Raisina Hill
Raisina Hill ( IAST: ''Rāyasīnā Pahāṛī''), often used as a metonym for the seat of the Government of India, is an area of New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residen ...
, where the
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
stand today. Till, 1857, neighbourhoods like Paharganj, Kishenganj, and Pahari Dhiraj, were separate pockets which in the following years grew and merged, for example Pahari Dhiraj merged into Sadar Bazaar.
During the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
,
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
had built a
slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility.
Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...
closer to the
Jhandewalan temple
The Jhandewalan Temple is a Hindu temple near Karol Bagh in Delhi, India dedicated to the goddess Aadi Shakti. It is among the oldest temple in Delhi and located on Jhandewala road. . In May 1924 on the day of
Bakri Eid the Muslims of Pahari Dhiraj of Paharganj slaughtered the cow - which is revered by the
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
as sacred
Kamadhenu
Kamadhenu ( sa, कामधेनु, , ), also known as Surabhi (, or , ), is a divine bovine-goddess described in Hinduism as the mother of all cows. She is a miraculous cow of plenty who provides her owner whatever he desires and is often ...
- in the slaughterhouse closer to the
Jhandewala temple. This angered the Hindu
Gurjars
Gurjar or Gujjar (also transliterated as ''Gujar, Gurjara and Gujjer'') is an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community, spread mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were trad ...
of Sadar Bazaar, which led to the
riots among the
Gurjar
Gurjar or Gujjar (also transliterated as ''Gujar, Gurjara and Gujjer'') is an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community, spread mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were tra ...
s and Muslims from 11 July to 18 July, resulting in loss of life and property. Riots were eventually stopped by the police.
[BIRESH CHAUDHUR]
NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN DELHI 1911-1932
Page 78.
Location and transportation
Sadar Bazaar is located on the western side of
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 ...
street. It is connected to the rest of the city via buses (closest station is
Kashmere Gate ISBT),
auto-rickshaws and trains (closest
metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
station is
Tis Hazari Metro Station).
The area also has a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
named Delhi Sadar Bazar (Code: DSB). It is from
New Delhi railway station and trains take about 9 to 15 minutes to reach there. All the trains that stop here are either
EMUs
Emus may refer to:
* Emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the g ...
,
MEMU
On Indian Railways, the MEMUs are electric multiple unit (EMU) trains that serve short and medium-distance routes in India, as compared to normal EMU trains that connect urban and suburban areas. The acronym stands for Mainline Electric Multiple ...
s or
passenger trains
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...
consisting of General class seating arrangements. As of 2015, the rail ticket fare for this leg is .
Commodities
Sadar Bazaar consists of numerous smaller markets, including Pratap market, Swadeshi market and Teliwara or Timber market.
The market, as a whole, not only deals in household goods, but also in various other items such as toys, imitation jewellery and stationery. It has become a den of
counterfeit products of many
multi-national companies,
FMCG
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), also known as consumer packaged goods (CPG), are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, can ...
products and especially cosmetic goods of deceptively similar character.
Traders and shoppers have access to authentic Indian food, including delicacies deep-fried in
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) and
mithai (traditional sweets) of various kinds. The lanes are plenty and narrow, lined with shops selling imported goods, clothing, shoes and leather items, electronic and consumer goods, and more.
The market, even more so than the rest of the city, is very congested.
Concerns
Considered by some to be the biggest wholesale market in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, accounts from local traders indicate that Sadar Bazaar suffers from over-congestion of stalls, power cuts, lack of
sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
facilities, improper maintenance of roads and frequent traffic jams.
Despite being chaotic, Sadar Bazaar remains a
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural b ...
.
Swadeshi Market
Swadeshi Market in Sadar Bazaar is famous for artificial jewellery, toys, gifts item, and household plastics. Inside Sadar Bazaar, every lane is having its local association and having shops of different goods.
As of 2015, Vijay Malhotra (Yogiraj) is the president of Swadeshi Market.
Administration and politics
''Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association'' (Regd.) is the parental organisation of all the major trade associations of Sadar Bazaar.
Sadar Bazaar is part of the Sadar-
Paharganj
Paharganj (literally 'hilly neighbourhood') is a neighbourhood of Central Delhi, located just west of the New Delhi Railway Station. Known as ''Shahganj'' or King's ganj or market place during Mughal era, it is one of the three administrative ...
constituency, one of the twelve administrative zones of
Municipal Corporation of Delhi
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is the municipal corporation that governs most of Delhi, India. The MCD is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to an estimated population of more than 11 million citiz ...
(MCD). As of 2015, this constituency is represented by Som Dutt of the
Aam Aadmi Party
The Aam Aadmi Party (; AAP) is a political party in India, as one of the national political parties. The AAP was founded in November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, popular ...
. Prior to Dutt, this
Vidhan Sabha
The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislati ...
constituency was represented by Rajesh Jain of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
(INC).
Previously a parliamentary constituency, it is now a part of
Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was bu ...
parliamentary constituency represented by
Harsh Vardhan of the BJP.
See also
{{Columns-list, colwidth=30em,
*
Arabber
*
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 ...
*
Bazaari
Bazaari (Persian: بازاری) is the merchant class and workers of bazaars, the traditional marketplaces of Iran. Bazaari are involved in "petty trade of a traditional, or nearly traditional, kind, centered on the bazaar and its Islamic culture ...
*
Chandni Chowk (Delhi Assembly constituency)
Chandni Chowk Assembly constituency is one of the seventy Delhi assembly constituencies of Delhi in northern India.
Chandni Chowk assembly constituency is a part of Chandni Chowk (Lok Sabha constituency)
Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituenc ...
*
Chandni Chowk (Lok Sabha constituency)
Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency is one of the seven Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in the Indian National Capital Territory of Delhi. This constituency came into existence in 1956.
Assembly segments
Following the delimitation ...
*
Hawker centre
A hawker centre or cooked food centre is an open-air complex commonly found in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. They were built to provide a more sanitary alternative to mobile hawker carts and contain many stalls that sell different variet ...
(Asia) a centre where street food is sold
*
Maligaon
The headquarters of Northeast Frontier Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway Stadium is situated here.
The place is also known for goddess Durga pandals. There are several temples and places of worship in and around Maligaon. Hanuman Mandir, K ...
*
Market (place)
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
*
Municipal Corporation of Delhi
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is the municipal corporation that governs most of Delhi, India. The MCD is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to an estimated population of more than 11 million citiz ...
*
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 ...
*
Retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...
*
Street vendor
*
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 ...
References
Bazaars
Bazaars in India
Cities and towns in North Delhi district
Neighbourhoods in Delhi
North Delhi district
Wholesale markets in India