Chandni Chowk
- Address:Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
- Admission:Free
Cultural Experience, Good Place to Shop, Popular with Locals, Market, Street / Avenue
8:12 PM Sunday, May 27
Duststorm. Extremely hot.
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Chandni Chowk is one of Delhi's busiest and oldest marketplaces. Located in the walled city of Old Delhi, which is now central northern modern Delhi, it got its name from the canal which used to run down the middle reflecting the moonlight; 'chaandni' in Hindi means 'moonlight.' The street was a wide boulevard running between houses from the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. The walled city was laid out in 1650 by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan and includes the Red Fort of Delhi.
These days the area seems like a congested traffic nightmare and quite challenging in its chaos and crowds. But you can find food, saris, jewelery, books, shoes, electronics and who knows what else in the surrounding narrow streets. The buildings along Chandni Chowk are interesting - there are many different religious buildings co-existing harmoniously in the area including famous Jama Masjid mosque of 1644, a Hindu temple and a Christian church. The houses reflect the historical function of the area, falling into three basic types: the Haveli or mansion, the Kucha, an area of grouped people such as Maliwara where all the gardeners lived, and Katra, a residence of craftsmen in the same trade.
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We did the Old Delhi Half Day Small Group Tour on 6 February 2012.
We booked the tour through Viator and paid online. My husband and I are in our 50's and 60's. We like to see the old parts of cities and prefer to do so on foot.
The walking was not strenuous at all and there were plenty of stops along the way. It was cool pleasant weather in February but I would say bring water if you go in the hot months.
We were delighted to see that our local guide Hirdesh Shrivas arrived on foot at our hotel to collect us. She told us that we were going to experience local modes of travel. Outside the hotel we hailed an auto, which is a small 3 wheeled vehicle ideal for travel in heavy traffic areas.
From there it was on to the Metro where we went a few stops and then we were in Old Delhi.
Hirdesh was excellent at showing us around. She explained what the process was for making chai while we were standing beside a chai stall. We were shown all types of food and other stalls and had many processes explained very well to us by Hirdesh.
We were taken by rickshaw down one of the the narrow streets which sells wedding accessories, which was a feast for the eyes and ears.
A highlight was having lunch in a little place in the heart of Old Delhi that has been serving food there since 1875. The food was delicious. Lunch and all transport was included in the price.
Another highlight for us was visiting a Sikh temple. After visiting the worshipping area, we were able to watch lunch preparation in the kitchens and see the hundreds of folk patiently waiting for their free meal. Hirdesh gave us a lot of good information about the religion and how the temple is run.
We also visited Jama Masjid which is the largest mosque in India. We paid a very small fee there to have our shoes looked after and for the hire of a robe for me to put over my clothes.
At the end of our tour which took about 3 hours, Hirdesh took us back to the metro station and went with us to the stop where we needed to get off to return to our hotel. From there it was simple to get another auto back to the hotel.
I can highly recommend this tour if you really want to experience the real sights and sounds and smells of Delhi. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would rate this tour as a highlight of our stay in India.
Thank you for making it special Hirdesh.
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Without having this trip I would never have experienced a most wonderous and real side of Delhi. It was a really amazing and intimate experience I went to places I would never have had the courage or the contacts to do so. Wondering around the streets of Delhi on your own is nothing compared to this marvellous opportunity to meet real residents, eat with locals and experience real Delhi Life. Thank you so much. My guide was very professional and yet warm, informative and I felt totally safe. Unforgettable!
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This tour was a fantastic introduction to Delhi and was the highlight of my time in Delhi. Our guide was so friendly and made the tour feel like it was a friend showing you around their home town as opposed to an organised tour. Old Delhi and it's markets could definately be a bit intimidating on your own but with our guide I felt totally comfortable and would have definitely discovered a lot more about the area and streets than I would have on my own. It was great to use poublic transport to get around too. Lunch and a cup of chai along the way made you feel like one of the locals and it was interesting to learn about the history of this part of Delhi and also seek out the worship places of some of the different religions in the area. I couldn't recommend this tour more highly.
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Get to the market entrance by taxi or autorickshaw. Alternately metro stop Chandni Chowk. Don't forget that bargaining is part of the shopping experience so be prepared to haggle.
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