Connaught Place

 

Delhi Heritage  Trail  : 28

         Connaught Place

      When Lutyens Delhi was developed in 1920s Connaught Place was planned as a Central  Business  District for the new elite of Delhi. It was originally a ridge infested with Jackals and wild Pigs. People from Kashmere Gate and Civil lines area used to come here for hunting.  They used to go back before sunset because the place was dangerous.  The people of 3 villages  namely Madhoganj, Jaisinghpura and Raja Ka Bazaar were evicted  to construct Connaught Place.

          They were all  shifted to the present area where Karol Bagh is situated which was also a semi forest area then. The only old  buildings which were not destroyed  was the Hanuman Temple and Jantar Mantar. The construction started in 1929 and was completed in 1933. The Georgian  Architecture  arcade was named after Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught third son of Queen Victoria who visted India in 1921 and laid the foundation for Parliament House. The architect was Roger Tussel who was Chief architect of PWD then.

          Intially traders from Kashmere Gate started the shops here. Mostly  the shops were in the ground  gloor and they resided in the first floor. Over a period  of time the shops changed hands and it became the fashion statement area of Delhi.  The underground  Pallika Bazaar  was constructed in late 1970s. The arcade consists of three circles inner, middle and outer with seven  radial roads branching off.   Regal the oldest cinema of Delhi was opened here in 1932.

        A visit to Connaught Place is a must for an outsider visiting Delhi.