One of the largest and busiest commercial centers in New Delhi, Connaught place is a busy shopping center and a place of pride. Known as CP, Connaught place is regarded as the top heritage structure in New Delhi. Developed as a showpiece of Lutyen’s Delhi it was a prominent central business district. The inner circle of Connaught place was named Rajiv Chowk and the outer circle as Indira Chowk. Today Connaught Place is regarded as the fourth most expensive commercial center to rent or buy.
CP has a modest history before it came into existence. Before construction it used to be a ridge covered with Kikar trees and Jackals and wild pigs dominated the area. The nearby residents of Kashmere gate would often visit the region for Partridge hunting. The residents of Madhoganj, Jaisingh pura, Raja ka bazaar were evicted in order to commence the construction of Connaught place.
The Georgian architecture of Connaught place is modeled resembling the Royal crescent in Bath. The Royal crescent had three floors and was semi-circular structure but CP had only two floors which made a complete circle and housed commercial set ups on the ground floor and residence on the first floor.
The early commercial establishments belonged to the traders from Kashmere gate. CP used to house the local homes of the rulers of the Indian Princely state in the early years. Today known as Rajpath the stretch used to be called Kings Way and housed shops with designer clothing’s, artifacts, shoes and pianos. The first cinema was named Regal and it hosted several concerts, theatricals and ballet performances.
New Delhi’s first luxury hotel, The Imperial opened in 1931 on Queens’s way today known as Janpath. The hotel became tormented places for the royals and a place of political discussions from Indian politicians then. It was at the Imperial hotel that Gandhiji, Nehruji, Jinnah; Lord Mountbatten discussed the partition of Pakistan.
During world war-II the sales went down in CP but post-independence during the 1950’s the sales went soaring high again making CP a busy shopping destination. Surprising at it may sound the phatphat sewa that operated till the 1980’s was a Harley and Davidson rickshaw service that took visitors and shoppers from Connaught place to Red Fort, Chandni Chowk. The service was stopped as it also caused enormous amount of air pollution.
The empty block of the inner circle came into use in 1970’s and the construction of the underground market made Palika Bazaar the first of its kind in Delhi Junction point. The market stretched till the outer circle and even comprised of an adjoining parking lot. CP was criticized for being very future like but with the rising of other sky scrapers in the region the debate faded away.
