CHANDNI CHOWK- STUDY AS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Introduction:
• It was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor of India Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahanara.
• The market was once divided by canals (now closed) to reflect moonlight and remains one of India's largest wholesale markets.
STAKEHOLDERS: 1. Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation
2. Local Residents and Shop owners
3.Delhi Urban Arts Commission
4.Traders, trader unions, residents, heads of religious structures on the stretch.
• Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest designed urban streets within the City of Delhi and dominant axis of the Walled city.

• One of the two most important thorough fares of the City of Shahjahanabad, the Chandni Chowk is a liner street beginning at the
Lahori Gate of the Red Fort and culminating at the Fatehpuri Masjid in the west.

• The original Chandni Chowk had octagonal chowks with a water channel running through the centre. It’s wide boulevard with
prestigious buildings and bazaar created a vista between the magnificient Red Fort and Fatehpuri Mosque.

• Designed as the most prominent boulevard in the Mughal Times, it transformed itself over the years to cater to the needs of its
rulers and planners from the British to the Master Planners of Delhi.

• The urban environment of Chandni Chowk has deteriorated considerably over the past 50 years and this project aims at reinstating
Chandni Chowk as a vibrant and dynamic marketplace and restoring its architectural glory.

•Over the years there has been massive degradation and deterioration of this magnificient boulevard which has been mainly caused
by over crowding, huge numbers of vendors, markets and traders, unauthorized construction and lack of control over all.

Source: Aishwarya Tipnis Architects website.

AREA OF STUDY:
North: Axial road from Red Fort to Fatehpuri masjid
South: Delhi gate to Kamla market junction
 Area Context:
LOCATION: The Chandni Chowk (Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located
close to Old Delhi Railway Station.
The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk.
Chandni Chowk is the central street of the imperial city of Shahjahanabad,
founded in the mid-seventeenth century. The street runs from opposite the
western entrance to the Red Fort, right down the breadth of the original walled
city to Fatehpuri mosque. The name Chandni Chowk was originally applied
only to one of the squares located on the street which had a large ornamental
pool that reflected the moonlight (chandni). The street has changed
considerably over the centuries. Originally much wider, right until the mid-
nineteenth century it had a channel of water running down its centre, and shady
trees on either side. Today this is a busy commercial street, narrower and much
more crowded than ever before in its history, but with many historic landmarks
still remaining.
3 8 6

9 7
• The majestic four-storey building of the State
Bank of India (SBI) in Chandni Chowk is
extremely valuable and has multiple layers of
history. The building bears witness to Delhi’s
history dating back from the end of the Mughal
dynasty to the massacre of 1857 mutiny and later
to the new era of independent India.

• Set up in 1806, the 80-feet high colonial building

is the oldest branch of the SBI, and one of the
largest in the country even today. It is
architecturally one of the most significant 19th
century buildings in Chandni Chowk.
•  
• The branch was declared a heritage building in
the year 2002. However, this treasure trove is
slowly being forgotten by its own people. The
untold and unseen part of this heritage and the
legacy of Indian history is unique.
 Significant heritage typologies and transformations
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries extensive construction and densification of the city took place, with disintegration of
the traditional social ecology, increasing commercialization and associated congestion and degradation of the environment.

EXISTING SITUATION:
According to the DDA Zonal plan, the population of the Walled City increased to saturation point in 1961, after which there has been
large scale infill by commercial uses replacing residential uses.
EXISTING SCENARIO:
MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES:
PARKING: SANITATION:
ISSUES OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN
The present plan of redevelopment by the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), involves the construction of 23
transformers, six toilets, three urinal blocks, three police booths, two police posts and two traffic police booths to be built on the central
median. 

According to the present proposal, the central verge will create a visual barrier between the sides of the street. With transformers, police
booths and toilets on the central median, the uninterrupted view along and across the avenue will be gone.
Even the British respected this historical and sacrosanct visual and physical axis of the promenade. During their intervention of placing
the clock tower, an arched frame was provided at the ground level to keep the line of sight connected from the Red Fort to the Fatehpuri
Masjid.

The British intervention of placing the clock

tower also respected the central axis — an
The petitioners depict how the street will function after installing the oil-type
arched frame was provided at the ground level
transformers on the central verge, posing a major fire hazard to life and
to keep the line of sight connected from the Red
property. (Photo: Special arrangement by Smita Datta Makhija)
Fort to the Fatehpuri Masjid. (Photo:
Wikimedia Commons)`
Nowhere in the world are transformers placed on the central axis
of a densely populated historic settlement. Moreover, the oil type
transformers that are being used here are placed on the central
verge. This creates a fire hazard to life and property of the
pedestrians and the rickshaw operators.

The view presented by the designers roped in by the SDRC does

not portray correctly the density of movement on the street. The
presentation drawing by the designer was used as a base and
revised it to illustrate the density of rickshaws and people on the
street. It explains how dangerous the oil type transformers on the
central verge can be, posing a major fire hazard besides creating a
visual and physical divide of the avenue.`

The positioning of the transformers falls on the straight

boulevard connecting Ref Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid. (Photo:
Smita Datta Makhija)

DUAC) suggestions on pedestrian movement are not as per the Indian Road Congress Code for pedestrian movement or pavement
design. They have recommended that transformers be shifted on the side of the pavements. If this is done, the transformers will
considerably reduce pedestrian walking space and not be compliant with the IRC code, which has a very progressive guideline for
pedestrian movement. Besides, placing transformers on side pavements will also block the view to some of the beautify heritage
buildings.”

The question that needs to be addressed beyond the legalities and modalities of the scheme is: Are we willing to compromise
on our rich past under the garb of "development"?
THANK YOU

Submitted By:

Nidhi Paridar
Praeda Modak
Priyal Sharma
Rakshita Bhatt