Wednesday, March 28, 2007


A Rickshaw Ride in Chandani Chowk, Old Delhi


By - Md. Mudassir Alam

If you will ask Delhiites about the attractions of Old Delhi, most probably they will name the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, but very few of them will tell about the rickshaw ride through the winding lanes of Chandni chowk. Me too was unaware about the rickshaw ride in Old Delhi, but luckily this past week I got a chance to enjoy the pleasant ride.



As the rickshaw ride in Old Delhi was a new experience for me, so I thought to make that journey memorable. Several small and beautifully designed rickshaws were available at the rickshaw stand close to Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, located in Chandni Chowk area. The rikshawalas were shouting in harmonized unison, as in a chorus, each with an invitation to ride in only their rickshaws. After thinking about various routes, finally I decided to take a ride from Chandni Chowk to Chawri Bazaar.



From the very beginning of my journey, I came across the sights and sounds of Old Delhi. I was involved in observing the things across the busy streets, on the other hand the rickshaw puller was clearing his route by chanting the sentences, ‘bhai jara hatke’, ‘o babu sahab side dena’ etc. En-route, there were several shops that were offering everything of daily usage right from A to Z. Apart from these, the old buildings of the Chandni Chowk area were providing a glimpse of British India alongwith describing the 400 yrs old history of Chandni Chowk area. Finally, I reached Chawri Bazaar metro station, I paid the rickshawala his fare and moved towards the station to catch a train to Luteyn’s Delhi that is Connaught Place.



Moreover, a rickshaw ride in Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s Shahjahanbad city (Old Delhi) is one of the wonderful attractions in Delhi. So, take out some time your next holiday for a rickshaw ride in Old Delhi. I am sure, that the inexpensive and very cost effective ride will surely provide you lots of fun and enjoyment. Lastly, if you are looking for some shopping then must visit the market offering textiles, electronic, goods and watches at reasonable prices. Are you feeling hungry? Don't worry, because there are a number of eating joints in Chandani Chowk area which offer sweets, snacks and several other delicacies to satisfy your taste buds.