Chandni Chowk in Delhi

We had to go to Chandni Chowk to see if there are any dresses available for ladies. We means I and woh. We got down at the Metro station and the much famed Chowk is not visible outright. You had to pass through all sorts of vendors lined outside the Metro resembling true India. It was a long walk to the main road as compared to other Metro stations. While the Metro is Delhi's best and world class way of commuting around the city, few mass areas like Chandni Chowk and the subsequent stations nearby have to be revamped.

It was quite chaotic as expected as we approached the road where there are lots of shops lined up for sarees, suits and sherwanis. After doing googling on that area, I have narrowed down two streets which I thought should be visited. Katra Ashrafi is the street where you would be finding wholesale shops for embroidery items for ladies. We went to Chhabra 555, the famed store for ladies in the NCR. After being treated with a glass of water at the store and spending half-an-hour seeing the collection, we decided it was not worth it. It was supposed to be the HQ for the Chhabra group and yet it could not satisfy its customers. The stores that are present in the city may have better variety.

We went into one of the last stores in that street and she finally bought one decent suit which was on sale for Rs 525. It was worth the price. As it was getting late, we thought it would be a good idea to eat some parathas in the 'Parathewali galli'. I was expecting a feast of parathas makers lined in the street. It defies the logic and there were only two visible paratha shops doubting the quality. But because it was a famous street my fears were allayed and was waiting for the ordered mutter parathas to be served.

I was first not happy with the size of the paratha and second, the price starting from Rs 30. It was roughly the size of a puri and then the paratha was fried in oil. Just as they claim the store to be established in 1875, so could be the oil in which they were frying the parathas. I immediately felt, the parathas outside my office are way better than the ones we had there for half the price.

She said, I am never going to go that place to shop again. We did not have time to visit the other streets for a whole variety of other wholesale goods. Had there been no Metro, it would have become draining to commute to these remote locations. The local buses in Delhi are pathetic to say the least. It is now that the government authorities are plying new buses on the roads and slowly phasing out the old ones in view of the Common Wealth games. Thanks to Delhi Metro for making the commutation smooth and convenient for the public in the Capital city.

And how do you know that the Metro is good? Look at the crowd in the metro trains in the peak hours. As with everything, the trains used to be neat once but now there are being spoiled with all sorts of advertisements.

The Chandni Chowk in Delhi which boasts its roots from the Mughal empire is overhyped today. You don't find the stuff you want to buy any cheaper there. The chowk is banking on its reputation and people are slowly shifting to other commercial areas for shopping. I feel it is no more the place for everything that you want you will get there area at your affordable price. In a nut shell, Chandni Chowk does not live up to atleast half your expectations. Deenekka...deenikanna vizag poorna market better.