became an experience to remember

Marking my first step in the narrow lanes of chowk because of our module 5  was an adventurous  experience . a completely unknown place to walk and to know about … walking through  each galli by pushing the people to make your way to an end of the lane was a bliss looking at the mouth watering street chaats consumed by the people standing across the lanes made me eager to give them a try once in spite of knowing they might not be so good .. I remember asking people about chandini chowk every time someone visited but finally it was my turn to step myself and know it more the main purpose of visiting the lanes was cause of the project that we had to do which was choosing an area identifying the problem and designing a perfect solution to it .. While exploring we found a narrow lanes full of electronics namely the bhagirat palace which was asias largest electronic market it had amazing poducts which catched my eyes on buying them they sold all types of electronics in that conjusted lane which were beautifully designed the lane was small yet gave a bigger meaning to me … the module helped me explored the place in a better manner it helped me in going forward and talking to people to extract data and depict all my views and exploration visualy in my log book … I could think more broadly after this module and after looking at the problem areas in finding sollutions to it was fun. it involved redesigning what existed and bring in something more innovative and new creations of our own to give them a comfort level. the module was a bit like a puzzle in between but as we moved forward with our researches it became more clear about what had to be done further …  and ended up with great design sollutions ..

Reflection on this module

This module was all about research, getting to know places. It was more focused on how I perceive things. I was supposed to pick one place, as in an area for the research work. I picked Chandni Chowk for as it is typically Indian and is mischievously fascinating.

Main street view of Chandni chowk

My Experiences

Module 5 has been motivating but tiring too. Tiring because I arrived at a place known as 'Chandni Chowk.' Maybe the only place where one can find a jam of both pedestrians and traffic? Stepping into the busiest markets of Delhi was challenging but the facts that I discovered about this place were immense. At first I felt out of place. The crowd was such that I thought it was really difficult to mingle up with it.I remember how much I dreaded visiting this place on the first day but then the fear was replaced by the amazing sights that I came across. Delicious food, kulfis, Chaat, Jalebis, places like Jama Masjid, markets in each lane, was something I hadn't seen before.

In conversation

I walked out of the metro rail onto the

Road on the way to
 Bhagirath Palace

Chandni Chowk station, trying to recall the questions that I'd spent the entire morning preparing. I was intrigued by the idea of setting up a shop in Asia's largest wholesale market, Bhagirath Palace.

Challenging The Mind

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

-Dr. Seuss

Picture reference: www.wildheartscantbe
broken30.wordpress.com

It is well said that the most common practice in the world is following that the best way to learn is to teach but somehow I feel that this theory doesn't completely satisfy every situation that comes around. I strongly believe that the best way to learn is to challenge yourself and your typical way of thinking. From studying for a mathematics exam to examining psychological behavior to creating something rare, every situation will demand for you to challenge yourself and to come out of your shell gracefully.

The Binding Knot

What good is in the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.

-John Steinbeck

Crowded lanes of Chandni chowk

Each one of us have that moment of a black out when we relate two opposite things with each other, when two situations, extremely repelling and bizarre, make you think about one another, the two places that you can never be experiencing at the same time, the two breaths that would never feel the same but yet similar. Well I had one of those moments today.
The 10th of March will always be a memorable day in my books of learning since it was this day, or today that I got myself to think and relate two of my existing life events by a common thread. Since all you readers are aware that I have been working on an assignment in chandni chowk, so all my attention and thoughts are dedicated to it to a large extent. I pretty much sleep with my mind thinking of a solution for its various problems.

View through my sketches

"The sketch hunter moves through life as he finds it, not passing negligently the things he loves, but stopping to know them, and to note them down in the shorthand of his sketchbook"

                                                                                    -Robert Henri

View of the Red Fort

interaction with amazing merchants

While walking in the lanes of Chandini Chowk and getting acquainted with the Business world, I came across the most helpful merchant out there named Surinder verma without whom this field survey would have been futile and unsuccessful. Once he came to know the purpose I was there for trying to seek his help, he willingly welcomed me in his shop offering to seat myself comfortably and even offered tea, soft drinks,etc. He patienly answered to every single question asked by me without hesitating. Out of all the sudden love that arose in my heart for his courteous behavior, I started calling him Surinder uncle.

I introduced myself to him as a student of Pearl Academy, Naraina telling him about my research related project in which and due to which  I needed to know about their lives in Bhagirath Palace

Then I started to bombard Surinder uncle with all the questions I had. I started off with a very basic one which was if he himself was the owner of the shop or if he worked there to which he answered smilingly that he holds the position of the owner.

Then I asked him that since how long he had been running and owing the shop from to which he responded saying a couple of years. I even asked him about his views on Bhagirath Palace for which he said that he loved the place a it had given him a lot in life. Not just this but he said he feels connected to the place for it had been a long time since he has been working there. 

Then I asked him about the different kind of customers he had to deal with everyday to which he laughed and bluntly said that he had to deal with every kind of customer varying from some really good to some very stubborn ones.

In the business world

Working in the business world is a difficult task. Stock prices falling, petrol price hikes, decrease in investments, increase in custom duty of goods etc can sometimes make or break a business.

In the business world, nothing remains constant. Times change, people change. You need to be innovative and adaptive to survive in the dynamic environment. 

Entrance of Bhagirath Palace

An Attempt To Replicate The Witnessed

"In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing."
-Vincent van Gogh 

The visual culture of Chandni Chowk

The Astounding Five

…he said, with a sort of a little derisive smile, “How can you walk down the street with all this stuff going on inside you?” I said, “I don’t know how you can walk down the street with nothing going on inside you.”

-Nelson Algren

I walked and stared. I observed and explored. I ate and breathed. I questioned and wondered. I did numerous things in Chandni Chowk that beautiful sunny morning until an experience with a shopkeeper made me feel that, that conversation was the first and the last of my whole day. All I took back with me that very day was only those five minutes spent in conversing with a strange but a dedicated shopkeeper who reflected honesty in his answers in uncertain ways.
I stepped into Chandni Chowk that day to learn and to kill my anxiety. I was curious. I was curious about the people residing here and working here, the kind of people that came and the many little things that went unnoticed. I wanted answers. I didn't want them from myself but from those who would know best and with the most authenticity. I began questioning random shopkeepers about their lives, their work, their sales and their opinion. Some answered kindly while the other few pushed me away.

Understanding The Darkness In The Lights

The twists and turns of Chandi Chowk were amazing but what caught my eye was the Bhagirath Palace - Asia's largest electrical market. When I entered the market, a totally different and strange view appeared in front of my eyes altogether. I felt that I had stepped into some kind of  maze. A maze where every corn could be compared to these jam packed shops, people rushing here and there, lights here n there..

sketched scene of the market
credits- self

Self sketched scenes from Chandni Chowk market

Understanding Chandni Chowk. Part I

"When you're not sure an answer exists, finding it can be hard. When you know there are many answers, finding one or two is easy"

                                                                                    -Jack Foster

Balloon seller outside the Bhagirath Place.

Every place is different from the other in many ways. These ways too are based on the nature of the place.

Chandni Chowk for example is a very vast part of Old Delhi; hence, the kind of people that live and go there are different from those who go to Citywalk, the items sold there and their prices are also very different.

On my third visit to Chandni Chowk, I was to explore the Bhagirath Palace in depth. I had to carefully observe the kind of people that walked in those lanes, the ambience of that place, all the different products that were sold there, the way the cash flow happened and so on and so forth.

How To Be An Entrepreneur In Chandni Chowk

All we humans evolve with time. With each passing day, we all want to move to higher level of independence. Not to forget the fact that today’s dynamic environment and high standard of living prompts most of us to try things differently and off the edge.

Entrepreneurship is one such way of achieving that independence along with the freedom of taking own decisions and risks.  But the story doesn't end here. Entrepreneurship is nothing less than an art which should be strategic at the same time because convincing a complex customer to buy is nothing less than a daunting task. Also the risk increases depending upon the market one is planning to operate in.

Being A Someone Somewhere

Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.

-William Shakespeare 

Lanes of Mediocrity

I walked into the lanes of mediocrity wishing to be someone great. I wasn't so at the moment. But I wished to. As I walked ahead, observing and exploring I gave my senses an opportunity to capture every characteristic of the many persons around me. The way they talked, the way they dealt with people and just the way they managed to survive there, so that I could do the same.

Meeting the merchants

After one field trip full of fun,excitement,laughs, lots of joy,yummy food and disgust too at the same time for the stinky place it was, here came yet another opportunity to go to the streets of Chandini Chowk once again. Though this time it was not for fun but for the purpose of research. 

We were given five different options related to 'observations' and each member of the group was supposed to chose one out of the given five. I happened to chose 'object and material'. I was supposed to barge in the congested yet interesting streets of Bhagirath Palace to grab knowledge about what commodities and materials the merchants out there sold. The best part was I literally had to nudge and push people to make my way a midst the hustle bustle all around. It provided me with a lifelong experience to know the daily lives of the people there. 

We wanted everything to go on smoothly. All we wanted was some polite answers  to our questions filled with curiosity but we all know, things just don't work in our favor every time, isn't it? While some shooed us away, some welcomed us into their small shops offering us to sit making it easy for us all to pen down the important things told by them. This gesture of them was much appreciated by each one of us. To our surprise, we came to know that some of these merchants had their own locally registered  brands which were making really good business. We also came across some shopkeepers who were a bit obnoxious as they were reluctant to even let us enter their shops nor did they let us click any picture for our projects and only revealed a very little information which proved out to be of no help at all. On the contrary we had a few who offered us tea,cold drinks and water while answering our questions. Not only the merchants were keen to answer our questions but also the near by workers came up with a spark in their eyes. 

Some of them even took keen interest in answering our questions. Out of all the people I met there, I won't and can't forget one of the merchants who was the sweetest person out there. Not only did he offer us seats and tea while helping us with our survey questions but he even allowed us to click pictures of his shop and even him. The name of the merchant was Mr. Surinder Verma

How to become a successful entrepreneur in Chandni Chowk?

Since being asked to write a blog on how to become a successful entrepreneur in Chandni Chowk came as a shock, it took me a lot of time to come up with some basic tricks. Now this definitely is not the be all and end all of ways to become a winner in business, but some of the points I made will help you to firmly establish yourself in the world of entrepreneurship, and should hopefully distinguish you from the huge crowd of money-making hopefuls.

Main street view of  Chandni Chowk

wanderlust for chowk

The name itself is enough to ignite the taste buds of the foodies as we all know about the different delicacies Chandini Chowk is well known for. And being one such foodie, it was irresistable for me to  barge in. I have always heard about the busy streets brimming with people specifically the reputed "paranthe waali gali" but it was always hearing out people's experiences and not having one of my own. After hearing an amalgamation of experiences, i got exuberant to venture out every nook and corner of this place.

All of a sudden, my college gave me a tawny opportunity to go to this place in groups as a field trip. I could not contain my excitement and curiosity but on reaching the place I could not keep back from saying,"ew,this place stinks!" But ignoring that we went on to explore the narrow lanes to bring back with us a sack full of memorable moments we could treasure for life. 

Between the Lanes

I wish the world was twice as big, and half of it was still unexplored.

                                                                        -David Attenborough.

                                                                Day 2. Chandni chowk.

Entry into Asia's largest wholesale market-
Bhagirath Place

I walked into the slightly familiar Bhagirath Palace clutching my book and pen in hand, and taking care of where I set my foot.

Traditional market vibes

Chandni Chowk (Moonlight Square) is a market that is filled with activity all throughout the year. It is a crowded place and normally there is a maze of traffic that one has to negotiate almost every second. There was the palace of the Begum which today houses the biggest electrical market of Asia, Bhagirath Palace.

The Bhagirath Palace

Bhagirath Palace is not a very easy place to locate as most of us are likely to miss the entry of the narrow lane which is obscured by a tree, a temple and a cinema hall, however the cinema is a  good landmark to locate the market. There is a easy way to enter it. Just as you enter Chandni Chowk from the metro station, you will see the famous Natraj Bhallawala at the entrance. Just take a left and walk further and then again take a left turn after a few minutes in order to literally enter the street of lights.

A view of the street

Bhagirath Tour

The second trip to the market was as thrilling as the first one.The place looked crowded as usual. The same noises could be heard. But this time the motive was to walk between the narrow galis and find the hidden truth.

The Search For An Answer- The Second

As people are walking all the time, in the same spot, a path appears.

-John Locke

A still of the narrow lane

I walked in the midst of the narrow lanes of the largest wholesale electronic market of Chandni Chowk and Asia, the Bhagirath Palace. This area being an imperfectly managed blend of electricals, surgicals, ayurvedics, interesting food flavours and also residences. This time I walked into these lanes in the search of a different something. I wanted answers. I wanted to communicate with those same faces, which were distinctly present in my memory. 

With my bag on my shoulder, my diary in my left hand and a pen in the other I walked with an aim of penning down everything I got to know about the place. I wanted to cover every aspect of research, not because it was assigned to me but because I was eager to learn more and more about and from that place. 

Exploring the Unexplored

I walked the streets of Delhi's famous Chandni Chowk yesterday. Although walk was remotely close to what I was able to do on the over crowded, potholed roads. The place looked like a cohabitation of people, garbage, pests, paan and traffic. There were people in almost every single direction.

In The Streets Of Purani Dilli

The moment I stepped into the streets of Chandni Chowk, I saw a blend of people with food, business, religion, etc.  Narrow lanes, noises of traffic, people moving in a hurry, shopkeepers calling out the names of people, created a huge chaos but I was still looking forward to absorb abundant experiences. 

Chandni Chowk Market

Eleven kilometers of indulgence

A few months into Delhi,I made my first visit to Chandni chowk. It was a typical ride filled with mouth watering street food to surprisingly cheap stuff. As soon as you enter the market you feel like its an entirely different world. It has a mixture of food, religion, fashion, history, urbanization, chaos, anxiety and commerce. People rushing through narrow lanes.

Leaving Behind My First Footprint

"The magic of the street is in the mingling of the errand and the epiphany."                   -Rebecca Solnit

Walking between the shops into
the narrow roads

When I walked into the streets of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, I saw swarms of people trying to make their way through the crowd, all in a hurry to reach somewhere. I was one of them. I pushed my way through people to find solutions for problems but I wasn't aware of what it was that I was actually looking for. So I walked and walked and went on observing.

As I passed the unknown eyes, quietly, walking through the narrow streets observing, I heard the sounds of the kulfiwalas trying to sell kulfi to people passing by, the cloth sellers promoting their terrific quality of fabric and the screams of the chai-walas calling out for people to taste the best chai of Chandni Chowk and numerous thela walas and with everyone addressing me as "Madam ji" and wanting me to visit their shop over everyone else's. 

my first walk of chowk

It was always i heard about the gallis of chandini chowk and especialy the paranthe waali galli but it was always as a form of other peoples experience it was like a second hand data documented to me , i always admired to go to this place and visit each galli myself .
Finally it was time our college sends us in groups to chandini chowk as a field trip. I was extremely excited to mark my first steps there but the first reaction that poped out of my mouth was eww its stinky, but as we moved further through the narrow lanes of chandini chowk i brought back a good experience with memorable moments with my friends. The most favorite part of the trip was having "daulat ki chaat"