Chandi Chowk ,     Chandni Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi By Ranbir Singh For the Delhi locals, Chandni Chowk is a big business hub.  It is a wholesale market for cloth, jewellery, decorative trims, electrical items, electronics, cameras, spectacles, bicycles, stationery items, text books, Chinese toys, watches, clocks and pirated movies and music, groceries, spices, dry toys - just to name a few. The markets are lined in narrow streets on either side of the main road that extends from the historic Red Fort to the Sadar Bazar - a total of less than 2km. The place is also dotted with religious places, the most significant being Gurdwara Sis Sahib.  This is an important religious place for Sikhs and is thronged by thousands of pilgrims each day. The Chandni Chowk area boasts of scores of eating joints selling popular Indian street foods at most reasonable prices and the best in the country is available here.  Naturally people are seen all over the place eating and enjoying on the road sides with their disposible plates. The area is naturally a very hectic and busy area with pedestrians, rikshaws and carts all over.  A photographers’ paradise. Cycle cart labourers, who transport merchandise from the ‘godowns’ to the shops, have a relaxing chat on the busy street. The crowded main street of Chandni Chowk. The historic Red Fort can be seen in the background. An old man sets up stall on the busy Chandni Chowk pavement unmindful of the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi’s traffic behind him. A papad seller on the street.  A popular snack. A busy Kulfi seller does brisk business. This is a popular frozen thickened milk with dry fruits.  Everybody seems in a hurry to pay and get their Kulfi. Golgappa is a popular roadside snack, anytime. Its comprises of a round hollow puri, fried crisp, and filled with a mixture of spicy water. A guava vendor. People like to have it cut and seasoned with spices and eat it right there and then. Parantha Wali Gali is a whole street specialising in selling this popular food item.  The shops here are generations old and people come from afar to savour the stuffed Paranthas, laced with butter and served with curd and pickle. This particular shop boasts of having served celebrities like Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Lal Bahadur Shastri - all former Prime Ministers of India. Have a look at the pictures displayed on the wall. Nihang Singhs at Gurdwara Sis Ganj.  Chandni Chowk. In Northern India one may be fortunate enough to witness these bands of nomadic warriors (Nihang Singhs) dressed in royal blue and saffron and weighed down with metal weaponry. A Nihang Singh taking a rest.