Chandni Chowk, located in Delhi, is one of the largest and oldest markets in India. It was built in the 17th century and has been a bustling market-place and the epicentre of Shahjahanabad.
Through the Mughal and colonial era, the city was a centre of arts and crafts, especially in ivory and miniatures. However, after the 1857 war, the walled city went into a decline and following the murderous partition, several refugee settlements began to mushroom in the area.
As a result, today, Chandni Chowk is one of the most underdeveloped and densely populated parts of Delhi.
And this historic part of the city is under work in progress to accommodate more shops and turn it into a traffic-free zone.
Before the development, the place was covered with overhead electric wires that almost blocked out the sky, horrendous traffic jams, and crumbling walls of heritage buildings as the number of people continued to increase.
Despite this, Chandni Chowk has continued to thrive as a wholesale market and a tourist destination, still retaining its historical relevance. And the redevelopment plan, too, is an effort to “help conserve its heritage and improve the quality of the public realm in the area”.
Here, are some latest iteration of modifications carried out under the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project along with the Chandni Chowk we have known since centuries.
Chandni Chowk As We Know It
Read more: A Picture Story Of India And How Quarantine Has Changed It
Chandni Chowk, After Redevelopment
The Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project is still going on and has made the city look less crowded and crumbling.
The project was scheduled to be completed by March 2020, however, with the COVID-19 outbreak accompanied by other delays, the duration of the project has been further prolonged.
Image Credits: Unsplash, Google Images
Sources: The Hindu, Citizen Matters, Times of India
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This post is tagged under: Chandni Chowk, Chandni Chowk post-development, Chandni Chowk pre-development, Jama Masjid, Arwind Kejriwal, Delhi, Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk Renovation
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