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Chandni Chowk, Delhi, 1858.

Chandni Chowk (Hindi: चाँदनी चौक, Punjabi: ਚਾਂਦਨੀ ਚੌਂਕ, Urdu: چاندنی چوک) originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India.

History

Chandni Chowk is the major street in the walled city of Old Delhi, which was originally called Shah Jahanabad. The walled city which includes the Lal Qilla Red Fort of Delhi was established in 1650 AD, by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahanara Begum Sahib, who also made significant contributions in the landscaping of her father's new capital of Shahjahanabad.

Chandni Chowk runs through the middle of the walled city, from the Lahori Darwaza (Lahore Gate) of the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. Originally a canal ran through the middle of the street as a part of the water supply scheme. It was originally divided into three sections^[1]:

1. Lahori darwaza to Chowk Kotwali (near Gurdwara Shish Ganj): This section closest to the imperial residence, was called Urdu Bazar, i.e. the encampment market. The language Urdu got its name from this encampment. Ghalib noted the destruction of this market during the disturbances of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and its aftermath.
2. Chowk Kotwali to 'Chandni Chowk': The term Chandni Chowk originally referred to the square that initially had a reflecting pool. It was replaced by a clock-tower (Ghantaghar) that was damaged and demolished in the 1960s^[2][3]. This section was originally called Johri Bazar.
3. 'Chandni Chowk' to Fatehpuri Masjid: This was called the Fatehpuri Bazar.

It is said that moonlight reflecting on its canal, earned it its name, 'Chandni (Moonlit) ^[4].

Chandni Chowk was once the grandest of the markets in India^[5].

Chandni Chowk, Delhi, 1863-67.

The Mughal imperial processions used to pass through Chandni Chowk. The tradition was continued when Delhi Durbar was held in 1903.

Procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah II, 1843

Procession of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as Emperor and Empress of India, 1903 Delhi Durbar

Even though today Chandni Chowk appears choked with congestion, it retains its historical character. The following terms are generally used to describle the buildings and the streets^[6].

• Haveli: a mansion. A normal Haveli would have a big courtyard (atrium) surrounded on four sides by spacious rooms and often another walled courtyard around the exterior as well. e.g. one of the largest preserved havelis in the area is the Chunnamal haveli.
• Kucha: a zone with houses whose owners shared some common attribute usually their mode of occupation. Hence the names Maliwara, the gardeners' neighborhood and Ballimaran, the oarsmen’s neighborhood.
• Katra: refers to a separate wing of tradesmen and craftsmen belonging to the same trade. They usually lived and worked together. A system similar to the Guild housing in Amsterdam.

Overview

The area lies in the historically important Shahjahanabad, between the Lal Qila (The Red Fort) and Fatehpuri Masjid. On both sides of the wide Chandni Chowk streets are historical residential areas served by narrow lanes (galis).

With the most famous mosque of Delhi Jama Masjid (Delhi) built in 1644 in the vicinity, it is an unusual street that has several famous religious shrines, belonging to different religions, that coexist lending the street a genuine cultural harmony. Starting from the Red fort, the street has:

Lal Jain Mandir, Chandni Chowk

Gauri Shankar Mandir

• Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, established in 1656 with a bird hospital established in 1929. There is also a Naya Mandir built in 1807 near by in Dharampura, which was the first temple with a shikhar permitted.
• Hindu Gauri Shankar Temple built by a Maratha general Appa Gandgadhar in 1761.
• Christian Central Baptist Church built in 1814.

Gurudwara Sisganj

• Sikh Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. The 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and his followers Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dyal Das and Bhai Sati Das were executed nearby by the Mughals in 1675 A.D. The permission to build the Gurdwara was given in 1783.
• Muslim Sunehri Masjid built in 1721 by Roshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan in the reign of Mohammad Shah. The Persian invader Nadir 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 orderd which resulted in 30,000 deaths.
• Muslim Fatehpuri Masjid built by Fatehpuri Begum in 1650, one of the queens of Shah Jahan.

Chandni Chowk's speciality is the variety of its markets and their Indian-ness. From authentic Indian food, delicacies and sweets of more than 1,000 kinds, to sarees with Chikan and Zari work. There are lots of narrow lanes with many shops selling books, clothing, shoes and leather goods, electronic and consumer goods and what not. The area, even more so than the rest of the city, is very congested. This is also a good area for window shopping. It is the location of the original Haldiram's. A particular local delicacy are the Jalebis, which are fried in pure ghee (clarified butter).

Gali Parathe Wali in chandni chowk is known for its parathas, Dec 2006.

Chandni Chowk is home to several famous restaurants/confectioners (Halwais)^[7].

• The Ghantewala Halwai, established in 1790.
• Natraj’s Dahi Bhalle, established in 1940
• Kanwarji Bhagirathmal Dalbijiwallah established in mid-19th century.
• Chaatwallah established in 1923, famous for fruit chaat
• Bikaner Sweet Shop famous for rasmalai
• Gianiji ka Falooda famous for Rabri Falooda, established around 1947.
• Paranthe wali Gali with paratha shops from 1875-1886^[8]
• Meghraj and Sons, since 1950s (?)
• Chainaram established in 1948

Some of the historical mansions include^[9][10]:

• Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 (see [1])now called Bhagirath Palace.
• Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar, 18th century Jain mansions.
• Khazanchi haveli, khajnchi were the accountants of shah jahan, there is a street nammed after them called "Gali Khajanchi", a long underground tunnel connect the haveli and the red fort, so that money could be transferred safely
• Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Kasim Jan (Gali Ballimaran)
• Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
• Haveli of Zinat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
• Haksar Haveli, Bazar Sitaram, where Jawaharlal Nehru was married in 1916 to Kamla Nehru.
• Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born

Popular culture

A typically congested scene along Chawri Bazar in the Chandni Chowk area, March 2006.

Chandni Chowk was featured in the 2001 Bollywood film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham where the leading lady Anjali (Kajol) and her sister Pooja (Kareena Kapoor) lived. Though portrayed as a neighborhood populated by a lower-class population, Chandni Chowk is shown to be a rich, cultural hub.

A rhyming Indian tongue twister (which perhaps goes back to the 1950s) in the film goes as follows:

चंदू के चाचा ने

चंदू की चाची को

चाँदनी चौक में

चाँदनी रात में

चाँदी के चम्मच से

चटनी चटाई

Chandu ke chacha ne

Chandu ki chachi ko

Chandni Chowk mein

Chandni raat mein

Chaandi ke chamach se

Chatni chatayi

The tongue twister uses the multiple meanings of the word Chandni (a girl's name, moonlit, silver) for poetic effect. This poem has अनुप्रास alankar (anupraas alankar) (repetition of similar sound, here ch) and यमक (yamak) अलंकार (alankar) (use of the same word in different places for generating different meanings).

Literal translation:

Chandu's uncle,

To Chandu's aunt,

In Chandni Chowk,

On a moonlit night,

With a silver spoon,

Fed chutney.

Poetic translation (the raison d'etre :Chutney is spicy and sometimes sour) :

Chandu's uncle,

Made Chandu's aunt,

In Chandni Chowk,

On a moonlit night,

From a silver spoon,

Lick chutney.

One of the main characters, Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) in the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, is identified when he says the tongue-twister (almost) correctly.

Town Hall, Chandni Chowk with Swami Shraddhanand statue

An old song recalling the clocktower (ghantaghar) that once stood in the center^[11], at Nai Sarak intersection, and India's freedom struggle ([2] video search):

घंटाघर की चार घड़ी
चारों में ज़ंजीर पड़ी |
जब भी घंटा बजता था
खड़ा मुसाफिर हंसता था ।
हँसता था वो बेधड़क
आगे देखो नयी सड़क |
नयी सड़क पर बुआ बाजरा
आगे देखो शहर शाहदरा |
शहर शाहदरा में लग गयी आग
आगे देखो गजियाबाद |
गजियाबाद में फूटा अंडा
उसमे से निकला तिरंगा झंडा |
झन्डे से आई आवाज़
इंक़लाब ज़िन्दाबाद ||

It recalls the satyagrah by Swami Shraddhanand in 1930s near the Ghantaghar. Now his statue marks the event.

The 2008 Bollywood Movie Black and White (2008 Indian film) starring Anil Kapoor, Anurag Sinha, Shefali Chhaya, and Aditi Sharma is set in Chandni Chowk.

The 2009 Bollywood Movie Chandni Chowk To China starring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty, and Ranvir Shorey also features some scenes depicting the city.

The 2009 Bollywood Movie Delhi-6 starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni and Divya Dutta is set in the Ancient Walled City of Old Delhi and centred around Chandni Chowk.

See also

• Dariba
• Central Baptist Church
• Gali paranthe walee
• Jainism in Delhi

References

1. ^ Encyclopaedic Survey of Islamic Culture: Growth & Development By Mohamed Taher, Anmol Publications, 1998
2. ^ http://www.imagesofasia.com/html/india/chandni-chowk.html Old Delhi Clock Tower built in 1857
3. ^ http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/03/26/stories/2007032600070200.htm The mystique of clock towers
4. ^ Chandni Chowk
5. ^ Chandni Chowk Scenes from 1814-1876
6. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20071118150017/www.chandnichowk.com/landmark2.htm The Havelis, Kuchas and Katras of Chandni Chowk
7. ^ Chowk and cheese http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2008/sep/280908-Features-Sweets-roza-Chandni-Chowk.htm
8. ^ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021110/spectrum/eat.htm Frozen paranthas posing a challenge to Paranthewali Gali fare
9. ^ Havelis of Old Delhi/Text by Pavan K. Varma and Sondeep Shankar. Reprint, First published in 1992. New Delhi, Bookwise, 1999
10. ^ Itihas ki dastan hain, Dilli ki havelian http://epaper.hindustandainik.com/blog/uploaded_images/historical_monument_resembles_delhi_haveli-765785.jpg
11. ^ Clock Tower and Delhi Institute in the Chandnee Chowk," Illustrated London News, 1877 http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1600_1699/shahjahanabad/clocktower/clocktower.html

External links

• Chandni Chowk's website
• For travellers
• Small Description
• Detailed map of Shahjehanabad
• About Delhi Chandni Chowk
• Traditional House in Chandni Chowk