Marketplace in Dariba Kalan
Chhatta Chowk
Listen to this story 2 mins
The story of Chhatta Chowk
Right behind the Lahori Gate, this is the Red Fort’s covered market street: Chhatta Chowk, a long passageway with a bazaar running through an arched corridor. What you can see now is a row of two-story flats with 32 arched bays used as shops, but its original look has changed, because the arches were walled up in the 20th century.
It began in the 17th century, during Shah Jahan’s reign, when the fort was being built. He had seen a covered bazaar in Peshawar in 1646, built by the noble Ali Mardan Khan, and then had its plans sent to Makramat Khan, the supervisor of the fort’s construction, so a similar market could be built here. That makes this one a deliberately copied idea, not just an ordinary market street.
The market was meant for the imperial world inside the fort. Britannica describes it as very exclusive, trading in silk, brocades, velvet, gold, silverware, jewellery, gems and precious stones, serving the luxurious tastes of imperial households. The old name, Bazaar-i-Musaqaf, points to what made it unusual: saqaf means “roof”, and this was a covered bazaar when bazaars were typically open-air.
That covered form is why the place matters architecturally too. Britannica calls it a unique example of Mughal architecture. Standing here, the key thing to notice is the long, ordered passage and the repeated arches of the shop fronts, which still tell you how the space was organized, even after later alterations.
Its condition today is part of the story as well. The ceiling was originally painted in colours, and there are plans to restore the bazaar. So what you’re looking at is not only a historic market, but also a structure that has already been altered and is meant to be repaired again.
If you want one practical thing to do while you’re here, walk the length of the passage and look at how the covered corridor, the arch rhythm, and the shop bays fit together. That combination is the whole point of Chhatta Chowk: a royal market folded into the fort itself, still stretched out behind the gate.
In brief
The Chhatta Chowk (transl. Covered Bazaar) is a long passage way that contains a bazaar, or market, located in the Red Fort of Old 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.
Key facts
- Part of
- Red Fort
Before you go
- Best months
- October to March