place

Chhatta Chowk

Red FortRetail markets in DelhiUse British English from January 2014
Chatta bazzar
Chatta bazzar

The Chhatta Chowk (transl. Covered Bazaar) is a long passage way that contains a bazaar, or market, located in the Red Fort of Delhi, India. The Chhatta Chowk is located behind the Lahori Gate and is set within an arched passage. It is lined with two-story flats that contain 32 arched bays serving as shops. During Shah Jahan's reign, the Chhatta Chowk was very exclusive, specializing in trading goods such as silk, brocades, velvet, gold, silverware, jewellery, gems and precious stones, catering to the luxurious tastes of imperial households. Its history dates back to the 17th century. It was inspired by another covered bazaar in Peshawar, built by leading noble Ali Mardan Khan, which Shah Jahan had seen in 1646; the emperor subsequently instructed that the plans of the bazaar be sent to Makramat Khan, supervisor of the fort's construction, to build a similar bazaar in the fort.It is a unique example of Mughal architecture in which bazaars were typically open-air. As such, the bazaar was formerly known as Bazaar-i-Musaqaf, with a saqaf, meaning "roof".The arches were walled up in the 20th century and the passage thus lost its original appearance. The ceiling was also originally painted in colours. There are plans to restore the bazaar.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Chhatta Chowk (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Chhatta Chowk
Netaji Subhash Marg, Delhi Chandni Chowk

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address External links Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Chhatta ChowkContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 28.655847 ° E 77.239261 °
placeShow on map

Address

Chhatta Chowk (covered bazaar)

Netaji Subhash Marg
110006 Delhi, Chandni Chowk
Delhi, India
mapOpen on Google Maps

linkWikiData (Q16208863)
linkOpenStreetMap (80429800)

Chatta bazzar
Chatta bazzar
Share experience

Nearby Places

Diwan-i-Am (Red Fort)
Diwan-i-Am (Red Fort)

The Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Audience, is a room in the Red Fort of Delhi where the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1665) and his successors received members of the general public and heard their grievances.The inner main court to which the Nakkarkhana led was 540 feet broad, 420 feet deep, and surrounded by arcade galleries, where chieftains (umaras) on duty were posted. On the further side of it is the Diwan-i-Am. The Diwan-i-Am consists of a front hall, open on three sides and backed by a set of rooms faced in red sandstone. The hall is 100 ft x 60 ft and divided into 27 square bays on a system of columns which support the arches. The roof is spanned by sandstone beams.The proportions of this hall, of its columns, and of the engraved arches show high aesthetics and fine craftsmanship. With an impressive façade of nine engraved arch openings, the hall was ornamented with gilded and white shell lime chunam plaster work. Its ceiling and columns were painted with gold.In the centre of the eastern wall stands a marble canopy (jharokha) covered by a "Bengal" roof. A marble dais below the throne, inlaid with semi-precious stones, was used by the prime minister (wazir) to receive petitions. The emperor was separated from the courtiers by a gold-plated railing, while a silver railing ran around the remaining three sides of the hall. The audience ceremony is known as Jharokha Darshan. Behind the canopy, the wall is decorated with panels inlaid with multi-coloured pietra dura stones. They represent flowers and birds and are reputedly carved by Austin de Bordeaux, a Florentine jeweler. The hall was restored by Lord Curzon, while the inlay work of the throne recess and the plaques of the arch to the west side of the throne were restored by the Florentine artist, Mennegatti. Bernier gives a full account of the splendid appearance of the hall during the rule of Aurangzeb, as well as the 17th century merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.