Wedding season shopping in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi!

The hustle and bustle of Chandni Chowk is best described as an organised chaos, and I mean that in the most complimentary way, especially knowing that it is a time-tested character of Delhi's history. This was where the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan first developed a market square to facilitate the trade of spices, textiles and herbs in the early 17th century. Today, the same streets are busy with bags, sweets, dry fruits, jewellery, books and so much more, as it has become synonymous with wedding-season shopping. When you walk these streets, you can almost lose yourself in the flow of noise, smells and colours fighting for your attention, and most shops have existed here for many generations.

In the famous Paranthewali Gali, you find a hundred fried delicacies and a wide spectrum of flavours, from extremely chilli to sugary sweet. These streets blend into one another, and I had to remind myself to stay hydrated, which a glass of nimbu paani very well sufficed for. You can see that there is a civic effort to keep it walkable and movable, as the crowd of visitors only grows during the day. The name Chandni Chowk itself means the moonlit square, and one of the still-preserved spaces from then is Naughara Gali, home to a cluster of vibrant architecture and the prominent Jain temple.

However, if the scenes and colours overstimulate your senses, rest assured that a giant mall offers you a condensed version of the market. There is a selection of luxurious gowns, lehengas, kurta pyjamas and jewellery which serve to satiate all your desires. Of course, a food court in any part of Delhi is non-negotiable, especially when chaat is involved. But you might just end up craving the authenticity of the streets again...

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