I doubt if any city has such a variety as Delhi when it comes to shopping. Right from traditional Bazaars to Sophisticated and never ending malls…you name it and you have it. However I’m a little partial to the Bazaars because, you guessed it right, I love to bargain. Infact no shopping for me is complete without haggling for a few bucks here and there.
Let’s begin with the most famed bazaar of Delhi and that’s Chandi Chowk. Well you can start your day with a sumptuous breakfast at “The parathe waale gali”, people swear by these parathas and these outlets are almost a hundred and twenty five years old!. Talk about posterity. And if you walk a few yards you can visit one of the major landmarks of Chandi Chowk, the haveli of India’s famous urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. It’s located at Gali Qasim Jaan, near the corner of Ballimaran, one of the alleys of Chandi Chowk. While you’re on you way there don’t forget to check out Karim’s restaurant! It’s a haven for chicken lovers! And end it with a huge scoop of kesar falooda from Gianni’s. Yummy!
A shopaholic or not, the markets or Chandi Chowk somehow magnetize you with their huge display of colourful clothes and what not. As soon as you reach the Nai gali where most of the shops are located you’ll be approached by friendly sales persons requesting you to grace your presence at their shop! Now that’s called marketing with a personal touch!
Chandi Chowk has a huge number of wholesalers selling beautifully embroidered saris, salwar kameez and other traditional Indian outfits. The golden embroidery, zardosi work, and the intricate play of beautiful thread on the fabric leaves one breathless. Ofcourse the cost if compared to other showrooms at GK and South Ex is quite low. That’s one of the main reasons why in and around the wedding season Chandi Chowk is crowded by brides to be trying to buy the prettiest outfit for their wedding trousseau.
Not only clothes but this market has a large number of jewellery shops. Not all of them sell “hallmark” jewellery so one needs to exercise caution. But again the designs and artwork are unparalleled and so is the cost J
Also there’s a huge market for antiques there. Dariba Kalan, a narrow street, at Chandi Chowk is home to beautiful works of metal, particularly gold and silver. Ofcourse you have to be a good judge of what’s real and what’s not, as is the case of every antique shop.
Well one can go on an on about Chandi Chowk. However there are some places to which words cannot be do justice and Chandi Chowk is just that! So see you there next time!