Chandni Chowk is Old Delhi's oldest and busiest market, a dense tangle of narrow lanes radiating out from the Red Fort, each traditionally specialising in a particular trade — spices, jewellery, textiles, electronics, wedding cards and, above all, food. Navigating the area on foot, or by cycle-rickshaw through the most crowded stretches, is as much the experience as any single stop along the way.
The market's food scene is legendary even by Delhi standards, with generations-old stalls serving parathas, jalebi, chaat and kebabs to a constant stream of locals and visitors alike. Beyond the shopping and eating, the surrounding lanes hold several of Delhi's most significant heritage sites — Jama Masjid, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and numerous havelis — making Chandni Chowk as much a heritage walk as a shopping trip.
Laid out in the 17th century as the principal market street of Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, Chandni Chowk takes its name — meaning 'moonlit square' — from a reflecting pool that once ran down its centre, since replaced by the market's current bustling road.
October to March; avoid mid-afternoon on the hottest days and go with time to spare for slow, crowded movement.
Chandni Chowk metro station on the Yellow Line sits right at the market's edge.
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