[jyotirmoy]

The solitary lanes of Old Delhi are so much royal in their demeanour that even the bankrupted rickshaws that take you around a completely different world, would greet you with a red carpet treatment! Interesting, isn't it? A medieval city catapulted through a time warp into the 21st century - that's Chandni Chowk for you. Soaked in the erstwhile Mughal aroma, the erstwhile city of Shahjahanabad, still pulsates with the mind blowing aroma of 'attar'(concentrated perfumes made from natural flowers) and succulent 'kababs'. When Shah Jahan built his new capital here in the 17th century, the most bewitching element was a high red sandstone wall, punctured by 14 colossal gates. Today, you can see colourful houses nestling cheek by jowl to bustling shops, creating a complex arena of royal shades. Wander around to unveil the forgotten mystery.
Start your walking itinerary from the foot of Red Fort, the eastern end of Chandni Chowk and north of Jama Masjid and head straight towards the chaste white spire that you can see across. You can take the metro to reach Chandni Chowk. Nestling within a small marble courtyard surrounded by a colonnade is this famous Digambar Jain Temple, glittering with gold and divinely lit by butter lamps offered by the devotees. Don't miss to see injured birds being treated at the Jain Bird Hospital, roosting in the temple compound. Continue along Chandni Chowk, crossing the inevitably straight Esplanade Road, and turn left at the next street, there's a 'Jalebi Wala' sweet shop on the corner. Refresh yourself with a delicious plate of hot 'jalebis' before you enter the famous Dariba Kalan or the 'street of the incomparable pearl', famous since the time of Shah Jahan as delhi's gold, silver and jewellery market.
Where Dariba Kalan makes a slight bend to the left at shop no 1658, take the narrow street to the right. This muddled array of shops is called as Kinari Bazaar, famous among Delhites for wedding ceremony accessories - hair-braids feature prominently, as do amazingly intricate garlands made from tinsel and crisp, new Rs 5 and Rs 10 notes! Take the first lane to the right - there is a red letter box right by the entrance - and this takes you back to Chandni Chowk. Turn right and after 50 m you will come across the Ghantewala Sweet Shop, a 18th century sweet shop dominating the landscape. It is said that the recipes remain unchanged today, the flavour that once made the emperor's elephant stop outside the shop and ring its bell (Ghantewala : Bell ringer). Close by, on the same side of the road, is the 18th century triple-domed Sunehri Masjid, that still tell the tales of blood and blade. In 1739, Nadir Shah, the Persian invader who carried off the peacock throne when he sacked Delhi, stood on the roof of this mosque and watched while his soldiers carried a bloody massacre of the city's inhabitants. Blood shed in Delhi !
Soothe your eyes with the hiemal waters of the Victorian era fountain, known today as the Fountain Chowk. It is near the site of the old police station (kotwali) and it was here that the British, having effectively wiped out the Mughal lineage by murdering the last Mughal emperor's children during the Mutiny in 1857, put their bodies on public display. More blood shed for Delhi! To sample great Bengali sweets go to “Annapoorna” Try sweet curd & Sandesh.
Turn left and enter the labyrinthine lane that pulsates with the mind blowing aroma of non-veg delicacies. That's Karim's for you, serving food to Delhiwalas for over century. I have written enough about Karim’s so I will move on. Go straight across the small intersection, down the lane with a large upright steel post blocking the way for anything larger than a push bike. This lane is known as Churiwalan, and is probably the best example of a pre-partition Old Delhi streetscape. If you have time, don't forget to enter in one of those houses that still has the colonial air in it, blended perfectly with highly decorated ground-floor stone gateways and enclosed upper floor wooden balconies with exquisite woodcarvings.

After around 150 m it comes to a T-junction with a yet larger street and lines of curious shops and more interesting shopkeepers, the Sita Ram Bazaar. Enjoy a glass of chilled 'lassi' (buttermilk) while munching some delicious snacks before you move ahead to other enchantments. Turn left along Sita Ram and at the first right hand curve take the small lane on the left heading uphill. After five shops turn left again and zig-zag uphill to a dead end. Enter the colossal walled courtyard housing the Tomb of Raziya Sultan, the only women ever to have ruled Delhi. If the courtyard is locked, you can ask one of the local shopkeepers to unlock it. Get along with him into a completely new world..untouched by the hands of modernity except the lock that made you stand outside. The man might tell you interesting legends about the ruler, her kingdom, about the revolt that made her flee to Karnal in Haryana and about the deadly end of a romantic novel. More blood shed!!

[dzibead]

Fantastic, as usual!  More than ever I'm convinced that for your "post-retirement job" you should be leading specialty tours in Delhi -- including plenty of fine dining as part of the experience, of course!  

[Yashodhara]

Your descriptions make me want to leave for Delhi at the very moment.

[Jock & Di]

I agree with Dzibead and Yashodhara. Don't go anyway Jyoti until I get back to Delhi. I am well into reading City of Djinns and some of the places and people you mention come alive. My first visit I stayed only overnight I know not where, although I could find the name of the hotel somewhere. On return visited Australian Embassy and stayed with Jarrad nearby at a 5 star. The second time stayed at Hotel Westend Inn, National Highway, 8 Rang Puri. Again no idea where in Delhi this was. Would love to spend some time there and get bearings.

[jyotirmoy]

J & D you had stayed in the southern part of Delhi which is only a few decades old. No Dijns there....except the brats of rich & powerful.
Raziya Sultan fled to Karnal.... near Karnal is a place called Panipat. Once Ibrahim Lodhi ruler of Delhi rode out with his huge troop amid a lot of cheers & fanfare. In Panipat he faced his enemy. But his enemy had some thing which Ibrahim Lodhi had neither seen before nor had any idea about that. What he faced would over time emerge as the biggest instrument for killing. Fire arms. That's another story.
Thanks dzibead, remember you had agreed to be my US agent.
Yash you are coming to Delhi anyway if not now but in near future.

[captmahajan]

.. and to repeat,  I used to pass Chandni chowk everyday to school for 7 years and never knew this stuff.

Jyoti, write a book!!

[jyotirmoy]

Come on Capt. you walked this strech & didn't eat those delicious deshi ghee jalebis?????
And I forgot to write about the Parathawalla gali..... I am sure you had tucked in some exotic parathas as well.

[captmahajan]

nah, damn school buses don't stop anywhere interesting.

parathewaali galli... hmm.. went there once instead of picking up my grandmother at the bus station. missed her completely. but the parathas were good!

[cyberhippie]

Brilliant Jyoti Da, really took me back, and made me very hungry!! It's a great place to get lost no doubt!!

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Parathawalla gali.

Awesome, parathas, the mashed spicy pumpkin or Petha is a delight!!

[Shilpaks]

whoa! i have walked around some of the jama masjid streets during ramadhan, it was quite an expereince , had the malai maar ke chai someplace and it was awesome.....but jyothida when are we going for this walking trip

[jyotirmoy]

So Capt. losing your aunt was worth it !!!!
Yes CH, that mashed pumpkin potato bhaji.... I have tried my level best to make it at home & finally gave up. Next time try the Pappad stuffed parathas. Some of the vendors have started opening outlets elsewhere in Delhi too. One bit of advice for non-Indian travellers is to avoid the pickles which are served, I know it takes away half the taste but.....

Yes Shilpa one of these winter days we will do this walk.