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.

In between the streets of Chandni Chowk which are choked with congestion resides Bhagirath – a popular lane of electronics & surgical equipment and medicines. The history of this market dates back to the 18th century when it was popularly known as Begum Samru's Palace - a Kashmiri Muslim woman. It was owned by her.

Bhagirath Palace view

I stepped into the lane making my way through a huge crowd of pedestrians. Inside, I saw a large number of small and simple electrical shops positioned one after the other, all seeming to fight for the space. The lights lit up in almost every corner of the market which  looked really fascinating and gave the narrow dingy lanes a special kind of brightness. Only a few of us know that Bhagirath is the largest electrical market of Asia. The good thing about this market is that all sorts of electronics a shopper can think of are available here, at genuine prices. The shopkeepers here serve all kinds of customers - rich, low class and even retailers.

My eyes tried following the pattern of this market and questioning the shopkeepers about their daily routine and their experiences in Bhagirath through the time. They shared their views with me about how they felt being there. Most of them seemed to have taken it up as challenge of surviving in such a place. A lot of them didn't really like the ambiance of the market. They felt the market is ages old and its condition should have been improved over the years. This improvement included the development of Chandni Chowk as an entity altogether and better maintenance of the roads in terms of sanitation, hygiene and security. I came to know that a lot of the people had been working there for more than 20 years. For them, this business was a major source of earning livelihood. 

Another turn of this market led me to a large surgical lane. all sorts of surgical equipment and pathological items are available here. 
I was fun exploring Bhagirath.

Finally, I inquired about the authentic Karim’s – the most famous eatery Of Chandni Chowk located near Jama Masjid. It serves the best Kebabs, Biryani, Rotis and much more. Here, I saw people coming from all classes – foreigners, rich, poor and others pleasing their non-vegetarian tummies. The research day ended by tasting the delicacies here.

Looking forward to find more hidden stories about this place and captivate more fascinating experiences.