Having walked the streets of this area I became a little curious about its history.Even more so when my driver mentioned that Chandni means moonlight and Chowk means intersection or crossing. 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 contributed to the landscaping of her father's new capital of Shahjahanabad.Chandni Chowk runs through the middle of the walled city.
Originally a canal ran through the middle of the street as a part of the water supply scheme.It is said that moonlight reflecting on the canal, earned it its name, 'Chandni (Moonlit) Chandni Chowk was once the grandest of the markets in India.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 making it such a wonderful melting pot of people and cultures with the most perfect name.
Also the best place left in Delhi for authentic awesome tasting traditional Indian food. And wedding shopping. This is probably the best place to do it. You'll find everything here. Now, they even have a Mc Donalds.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the best place to get great cookies, spices and dry fruits.