A Walk Through Chandni Chowk

Shah Jahan creates Shahjahanabad of 17th century, patronises the construction of Red Fort and Jama Masjid and solidifies his legacy in annals of history. He then asks his family to contribute in the newly built city by constructing public structures for benefit of all. It is then the principal daughter - the Padshah Begum and ever popular Jahanara steps in and decides to make the central ceremonial street of city her own. She builds on it the city's largest sarai, the largest hamam and largest garden. In middle of it all an octagonal pool of water reflected moonlight beautifully. This pool was called Chandni Chowk. Today the pool and Jahanara's original creations are all gone but the stories survive. The stretch from Digambar Jain Lal Mandir to Fatehpuri Masjid today boasts of diverse monuments reflecting history of Delhi from 1650s to 1947. We will walk along all of them. The processional street is a rich, layered, living narrative in itself.