Guide to Chandni Chowk | What Delhi used to be in its heyday has received great plaudits and praise from all quarters of the world. Some historians go so far as to find Delhi's only parallel, if at all, in Rome and Cairo.
François Bernier, a French physician and traveller, admired Chandni Chowk, particularly its large inn (caravanserai). The fabled Chandni Chowk—which was commissioned in 1650 by Princess Jahanara Begum upon her father Shah Jahan’s vision of a “moonlit square”—was once bisected by a canal that reflected silver light. Hence its name (chandni meaning “moonlight”).
Today, it stands as a ruinous testament to a past of highs and lows and houses one of the largest markets in its battered buildings. In terms of heritage, it doesn’t get better than this in Delhi.