Inside Chandni's dingy streets

Stationery shops that flood the Nai Sarak

Being that Chandni Chowk is one of the most busiest markets and one of the oldest in India the legend behind the market goes back to three centuries.
The ambience and atmosphere is electric. The market is always buzzing with life. Waves of people can sweep you away if you remain static for even a moment on the streets. It doesn't take a scientist to know its one of the most busiest hubs in the world.

It can be aptly called a living museum.

Overview of the Jama Masjid whilst the traffic

Some of the iconic markets include electronics, fabrics, wedding apparel, stationery, jewellry and how can one forget; amazing street food. The whole market offers commodities at prices only wholesale retailers would offer but the shop owners obviously aren't retailers.
You can buy a pair of earrings studded with semi precious stones for about 500-600 INR. Or eat a plate of jellebis for not more than 30 INR. The parathes at the parathewali galli or the jellebis at the jellebiwalas haven't changed in their tastes much throughout the year offering another reason as to why people still prefer to eat there.

Mess, sludge and garbage is another sight one finds in the dingy streets and lanes of the Chowk. A reason behind this would be the poor planning of drainage in those days and the lack of civic amenities like dustbins and corporation employed cleaners. Most buyers ignore the hygiene of the place just so they can shop cheap while purchasing high end stuff.




A frolic of color and a quaint eerieness is evident in the narrow lanes and a hustle of people hurtling to reach their destinations almost flood every where ones eyes can follow. One of the most remarkable things I noticed was the quickness of the workers and the hostility of the shopkeepers which no one can ignore. All in all, Chandni was an ancient part of Delhi set in a picturesque commotion and a disorderly manner of things that happened to be in order somehow for its people.