A visit to Chandni Chowk

Hi Mausam,
“Chanu ke chacha ne, chanu ki chachi ko chandni chowk mein chandni raat mein chatni chataai”

We all are familiar with this tongue twister coz this most popular tongue twister was our favorite quote during our childhood. Chandni chowk is part of my vocab since as long as I remember. I was always intrigued by the name “chandni chowk”. I always thought that this would be one hell of a crowded place, in the middle of old delhi, it would have a touch of old tradition. There would be a number of paan spitting people all around. I don’t know why I had this image of the place but thatz how it was. Thanks to the Metro, the journey till the chandni chowk market was way too easy. As soon as I came out of the station the view of chandni chowk was exactly how I had pictured it in my mind. The streets were narrow,the loudspeakers were blazing with latest hindi tracks, some urdu music and also warning the public about probable pick-pocketers. Every time I hear public announcements about “beware of pick-pocketers” my mind flashes back to my bus ride from delhi bus stand to phagwara. The day I lost my wallet coz of my foolishness (Thank God, I learned my lessons well enough that day)
The shops at chandni chowk had quite an old school feel about them, the cloths and sarees were hanging from the top, just outside the shop. The bangles shop were so well arranged, with strategically placed lighting which meant instant notice and all the shops were more colorful than the previous shop. The Town Hall at the centre of chandni chowk was just like town hall in all cities, a yellow coloured building,with English architecture,a garden in front and a statue in the middle of the garden of someone famous. The roads in chandni chowk were packed with rickshaws,auto-rickshaws, cycles, motor bikes, bullock carts, cars or the good old “thella” etc. All these were present in equal measure,the street vendors and the shopkeepers selling everything under the sun at the top of the voice. The loudspeakers, the motorbike noise, the horns, the shouts of the vendors, the allah chant in the background all these noises had an effect which is rare to find. On my way back I decided to taste the specialities of the place so I went to Haldiram’s(don’t really know if the Haldiram at chandni chowk was any different from the other Haldiram’s)
Regards,
Ajj Kaim