Most Popular Delhi Markets for Visitors

Chandni Chowk Market , New Delhi

Delhi is thronged by millions of visitors daily either on business or for sightseeing. Among these visitors are many from other countries, a large majority of them being in India on a fun trip. Though the primary purpose of their vacation is to visit important tourism sites in the country, but obviously any such visit is incomplete without a visit to the local markets which beckon because of their utilitarian value, but many a time, they are themselves major attractions. Apart from a large number of major commercial markets, Delhi abounds in quite a few which are known as great landmarks on their own. A few of them can be recounted as follows – One of the trendiest markets in New Delhi is the Dilli Haat. In local slang haat means a traditional weekly village market. Dilli Haat has been consciously designed to appear and present an ambiance of a village haat, where itinerant tradesmen assemble every week exhibiting their modest merchandise meant for everyday village use. Like in a village haat, the Delhi Haat has stalls designed as small cottages with thatched roofs, which create an almost authentic setting, particularly as most of these stalls specialize in offering handicrafts from all parts of the country. The other items on offer are ethnic snacks and cultural and folk music concerts. It is open seven days a week from 10.30 AM to 10.00 PM. Dilli Haat is conveniently located on Aurobindo Marg, opposite INA Market.

Sarojini Nagar Market , New Delhi

The other major attraction in this regard is the Janpath Market, just adjacent to the Connaught Place in the heart of New Delhi. It is again a hip market specializing in trendy readymade clothes, handicrafts items, brassware, art jewelry, shoes, leather work, paintings and other artifacts. This market also has a very large collection of Tibetan crafts and artifacts. This lively market is very popular among the local teen population and has been refurbished recently. It is also open seven days a week. While these above two have come up in recent decades, the shopping plaza of Chandni Chowk was originally built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and built the Red Fort and Jama Masjid here. In those days, Delhi was known as Shahjahanabad. Today, the Chandni Chowk market is a huge cobweb of winding lanes, bylanes and narrow alleyways, each specializing in a particular commodity. Chandni Chowk is not only a hugely popular commercial centre of Delhi, but in fact it is the commercial nerve centre of entire North India, which feeds all other major markets in entire north. On one hand, the commercial establishments located in small shops in its alleyways are able to supply goods worth crores of rupees at a moment’s notice at highly competitive rates, while maintaining highest professional standards, whilst on the other hand, an ordinary customer looking around for an item worth fifty rupees is also welcome. The other great attraction of Chandni Chowk is its specialty of choicest street food in a wholesome, hygienic manner again at highly competitive rates. This market sits opposite Red Fort, quite close to Delhi Main Railway Station.