Delhi: Old Delhi makeover is a thing that has been in public conversations and political promises for decades. It has happened in fits and starts, one haveli at a time — from Mirza Ghalib’s to Dharampura’s. But that a mall would be grafted onto Chandni Chowk is the biggest surprise of all.
The palatial reel-worthy Omaxe Chowk is the first mall in Old Delhi and boasts a multilevel parking lot, an exotic food court, and extensive retail space lined up by the likes of Malabar Gold and Tanishq. Glittering chandeliers, Mughal arches and a huge mosaic dome adorn its insides in a mismatched art nouveau representation of Chandni Chowk’s historic architecture. Its bejewelled arches and roofs are straight out of the Mughal-e-Azam dance scene – a Bollywoodised imagination of the past.
Now, it’s the hot new thing on Instagram.
Opened to the public on 16 March 2024, Omaxe Chowk is a public-private partnership between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Omaxe Group, aimed at decongesting traffic in the area and giving a modern touch to the marketplace.
The mall, reminiscent of Connaught Place’s wide white columns and balustrades, rises out of Chandni Chowk’s dusty narrow lanes — unmissable even as one exits the metro station. The road outside the mall has been decluttered but the adjacent lane remains as crowded and chaotic as drivers and vehicles jostle for space and workers carry goods from one end to the other. But Omaxe Chowk’s air-conditioned halls come as a relief to foreign tourists wandering around the area. Meanwhile, Instagram reels draw other curious visitors — the mall’s Instagram account, @omaxe_chowk, already has nearly 50,000 followers.
Chandni Chowk’s local vendors and hawkers continue unperturbed by the glitz and glamour of the mall. To them, it doesn’t take away from Chandni Chowk’s charm — but it’s too early to tell if it’ll actually make a difference to the area.
“This mall is for hi-fi people,” says Vicky, a vendor who has been selling jeans and denim for 20 years in a cramped bylane now sandwiched between the metro station and the new mall. “Regular middle-class people will continue to shop from people like me.”
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Potential decongestion
Most local residents and sellers think the mall is a worthy addition to Chandni Chowk — especially because it offers ample parking space.
“Even I’ve parked my car here, I think I’ll do it every day because now I can actually bring my car and carry more goods,” says Sanju, who runs an electrical shop in Old Lajpat Rai Market, Asia’s oldest electronics market and an integral part of Chandni Chowk. “It’ll help in the long run because it will make the roads less cramped.”
The multilevel parking lot can house over 2,200 cars and seems to be the major draw for all. There are five levels of parking, with three levels underground. The mall itself is three storeys high — the ground and first floors, still largely empty, are retained for retail space while the second floor is Dawatpur, a diverse food court meant to showcase Chandni Chowk’s various culinary traditions.
Dawatpur also reflects Chandni Chowk’s style and really tries to bring the outdoors inside. Divided into galis among quarters like Panna Puri, Neel Nagar, Laal Bagh, and Sunehri Nagar, the food court has signboards to give directions to visitors, echoing the outdoors. Food carts, adorned with lights and loud colours and selling chuski and chaat, add a touch of local flavour.
“They’re trying to make it look like Chandni Chowk, but with AC!” says 22-year-old Vishnu, chewing paan and taking videos on his phone. A momo seller from Bahadurgarh, who frequents the area with his friends, saw the mall trending on Instagram and thought he’d visit it. “It looks fancy. But I only came to see it, not eat or shop here.”
Behind him, a manager inside an empty jewellery store instructs his newly-appointed staff on managing the expected footfall. The main clientele they expect include tourists and foreigners who might choose to buy something from a trusted brand. On its Instagram page, the mall has announced that over 85 brands are on board to set up shop inside its hallowed halls.
“We just wandered in here to get out of the heat and realised it’s a new mall,” said a European tourist holding a Starbucks coffee she’d just purchased in the mall. “It’s definitely an unexpected blend of modernity in a very historic part of the city, but it’s not why we came here. We came to see the Red Fort and saw the mall while walking to see some shops.”
Brands like Haldiram’s and Giani’s, which originated in Chandni Chowk, have returned to set up franchises within the mall’s Dawatpur. But whether visitors would forego Chandni Chowk’s Paranthe Wali Gali to eat at chains like Popeyes, Starbucks, or Wow! Momo remains to be seen.
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A novel addition
Pramod Kumar, 67, peaks through sherwani suits from his drycleaning shop to peer at the mall’s imposing white facade. He’s a second-generation vendor, and his laundry and tailoring shop has stood in that spot for over a century.
“People come to Chandni Chowk to experience historic Delhi. And of course, they come to bargain. They can’t bargain in a mall!” he says. “It’s a good thing for parking, but it’s a good addition to Chandni Chowk. I don’t think anything will change, that is the way of this city. Both rulers and shops come and go, but the market has remained.”
The 350-year-old market’s history dates back to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose daughter Jahanara designed it. It’s one of India’s largest wholesale markets and has stood the test of time, constantly adapting to the city and its needs. Over time, the original bazaar has expanded to engulf a much larger area, including other historic markets like Urdu Bazaar and Fatehpuri Market.
Omaxe Chowk is new, and the novelty is what’s drawing people to it. It’s not functional as a mall just yet, and the food court is sparsely populated. Its huge glass windows overlook a lane packed with small shops, somehow stifling the incessant noise of traffic from outside. It’s a reprieve from the overwhelming sights and sounds of Chandni Chowk but offers a completely new experience on the inside: Visitors take multiple trips up and down the escalators, phone in hand, just to record the mall’s interiors.
Vendors on the street opposite don’t think the increased footfall will affect them adversely. They know people are coming because it’s new — though many haven’t found the time to visit the mall themselves.
“Chandni Chowk is for all — the rich and poor,” says Sayyed, an auto driver parked a few feet from the mall. “Everyone comes here because they know what they’ll get here. Nothing will change that, not even a mall.”
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)