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.
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| A view of the street |
Bhagirath Palace is among the largest wholesale markets
for electrical and electronic goods in Asia. The street is lined with hundreds
of shops selling various types of lighting equipments both for domestic and
industrial purpose. Big and shiny chandeliers, colorful decorative tubes and
bulbs, electric water heaters, switchboards, wires and almost every other
imaginable piece of electrical utilities and components are found in this
market.
The History of the
Palace
As the market is an interesting one, what you may not
realize is the completely unrelated yet colorful history of this place.
Originally it was not known as the Bhagirath Palace. In fact it is so congested
and covered with shops that one finds it hard to believe why it is called a
“palace” but the fact remains that it used to be a large palace.
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| The old Bhagirath Palace |
After her death and the end of the Mughal Empire, the
building was eventually bought by a local trader called Seth Bhagirath and that
is how it came to be known as Bhagirath Palace. The interiors of this palace
still has a bank and a few other offices but it is not in a good condition and
the lights market obscures the view completely and hardly anyone knows or cares
about Begum Samru.
The right way to reach Bhagirath palace is to take the
Chandni Chowk road from Red Fort and locate the Kumar Cinema and then take a
right turn.
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| A map to Bhagirath Palace |
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