Connaught Place: A glimpse

Evidently it turns out there are more than one Connaught Places in the world. There’s the one in Delhi, the one in Hong Kong and of course in London. It’s now officially called Rajeev Chowk, but most people still know and call it “CP". It lies in the heart of the capital and is a business and shopping centre with nearly every company jostling to establish their presence in the prime location.

Built during the heydays of the British Raj, it is based on Victorian architecture modeled after the Royal Crescent in Bath, England. It is named after the Duke of Connaught, the construction work was started in 1929 and completed in 1933. Designed in two circles, inner circle and outer circle (Connaught Circus) with a number of radial roads cutting across like spokes on a wheel, it has become the heart of Delhi

It now also houses an underground market- Palika Bazaar.

It would be quite difficult to comprehensively scan CP in one go. Here is the first leg.


CP is home to both street peddlers as well as swanky showrooms. Both however share the same colonial fortune.


You will notice the sad state of ruin and neglect that portions have been subjected to. Neither street peddlers nor the showrooms care about this heritage in their relentless pursuit of capital gains.

However the Delhi Government has taken the initiative to restore CP to its past glory. Work is being carried out in a piecemeal manner and the results are already visible.