CONNAUGHT-PLACE
Connaught place was constructed in 1933 and it was named after the Duke of Connaught. It was designed as a centerpiece of Lutyen's Delhi, a place in Delhi which has been named after Edwin Lutyens, a famous architect from Great Britain. It is also said that the Connaught Place has been named after the 1st Duke of Connaught, Prince Arthur, the third son of Queen Victoria and uncle of King George VI. Connaught place is supposed to be a very busy place in Delhi and also at the same time has other related problems like infringements, uneven development, debates on property ownership, illegal constructions, traffic jams and so on. Connaught place houses the corporate offices of different companies like airlines and banks and much more places of interest of shopping.
It shows a blended culture of many communities and religions. Some of the largest commercial and business centers in Delhi are situated in Connaught place. The local people of Delhi refer to this place as CP. The shopping centre at Connaught place is circular in shape all surrounded by tall buildings housing different offices. The most attractive feature of this high end shopping market are the tall pillars which stand strong giving a classy touch to Connaught place. Though the landmarks of Connaught place still stand the same, it is supposed to have become now with more space because of the renovation which was done at the time of the Common Wealth games in 2010. It is designed in such a way that there is a park in the centre and the shopping places surrounds it. The park is commonly referred to as the Central Park where most of the cultural event of the city takes place and also recently the United Buddy Bears exhibition to promote World Peace took place. The Rajiv Chowk Metro station is situated very close to the Central park. This place was renamed after India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as Rajiv Chowk. But still Rajiv Chowk is more commonly referred to as Connaught place. At the time of construction of the Connaught place the people living here were moved on to Karol Bagh. Connaught place was built in Georgian Architecture inspired by Royal Crescent in Bath, England. Connaught place has number of movie halls designed according to the 1940's. Some of the few theatres which still remain are Plaza and Rivoli.
Book Stores of Delhi are Located in Connaught Place
The best studios and book stores of Delhi are located in Connaught place. The best part of doing shopping in Connaught place is the walking along the spacious pavilions with neatly lined pillars. At the time of festivals the place is beautifully lit with lights and it is an extraordinary feeling to take a stroll around the shopping market.
Connaught place is also famous for its underground air-conditioned market, Palika Bazaar. There are lots of branded shops in Connaught place. Apart from the branded outlets Connaught place is perked with many roadside shops especially lot of book sellers. The underground bazaar is a hub for cheaper products including DSLR cameras to laptops. Connaught place is very closely situated to other shopping areas like Jantar Mantar and Janpath. Connaught place has also become a very famous tourist destination. The year 2006 witnessed the 75th anniversary of Connaught place. Connaught place is one of the most recommended shopping place in the capital city which has a number of branded showrooms and also luxurious malls all in a very close proximity. One of the high class fabric market is situated in Connaught place. There are lot of shops which deal with jewelry, books, Indian handcraft items and electronic products. Apart from these there are coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and multiplexes. Connaught place also houses some of the finest night clubs of Delhi.
Concept of Talkies were Becoming Popular Around 1930:
In early 1930's Connaught place was one of the most liked entertainment hub of New Delhi with most of Delhi's talkies house located in this place.When the concept of talkies was becoming popular around 1930, nearly four theatres came up in Connaught place namely the Plaza, Regal, Rivoli, Odeon and the Indian Talkie house. But the latter talkie house was very short lived. In the year 1932 the first theatre Regal which was mainly designed for stage performance was opened by Sir Sobha Singh. This was soon later acknowledged by lot of artists of Western classical music, Russian ballet and British theatre troops. Slowly morning and noon shows entertained the people. In 1940 the architect Sir Rober Tor Russell built the Plaza theatre. Odeon was built in 1945, the city's second 70mm screen, after "Shiela Cinema" in Paharganj. Rivoli is also a theatre with a small screen in Connaught place. Plaza and Rivoli are owned by multiplex giant PVR Cinemas, while Odeon is a joint venture with Reliance Big Pictures. Apart from shopping in this high end market people also come here to visit the very old Hanuman Mandir. Raja ka Bazaar is also a place for shopping in this area which does not have much expensive stuff. The Connaught place is a big circular shopping market with radial roads radiating out in all directions just like spokes on a wheel. There are exactly 8 roads spreading out from the inner circle of Connaught place of which one is named as Parliament Street and the other 7 roads are known as the Radial roads 1 to 7. Apart from these 8 roads there are 12 more roads leading from the outer circle of Connaught place. Among all these roads the most famous road for shopping is the Janpath which is the continuation of Radial Road 1.
Connaught Place is Very Well Planned
Connaught place is very well planned. India's first underground market, Palika Bazaar named after nagarpalika is situated at the entrance of Connaught place. The outer circle of the Connaught place is officially known as the Indira Chowk with lot of restaurants, shops and hotels in well planned rows. The middle circle of the Connaught place houses number of offices and both small and big eating joints. Of course the central portion of the Connaught place is most of the time the venue for cultural events. After the coming of the Delhi Metro station slight alteration or rebuilding of the Connaught place took place in 2005 - 2006.
Connaught Place - the circular Market :
The inner circle of Connaught place has A to F Blocks and some of the notable shops in this inner circle are Adidas Originals, Allen Solly, Bentley, Bon Ton, Cantabil, Gas, Johnson Watch Company, Kalpana, Lee, Louis Philippe, Neelkanth Jewellers, Nike, Orra, Park Avenue, Pepe, Proline and Fila, Roopchand Jewellers, Snowhite Square, Wills Lifestyle. The natives of Delhi are very interested in Mohanlal and Sons because they are very good at stitching and attire for any occasion can be stitched here. They are also highly appreciated for the quality and the service rendered by them. Mohanlal and Sons exhibit a wide array of shirts, trousers, jackets, suits, kurtas and sherwanis.
Outer Circle of Connaught Place has Nearly 10 Blocks
The outer circle of Connaught place has nearly 10 blocks and they are G to P. Some of the most famous shops in this area which are of interest to the shoppers are showrooms like Digjam, Lacoste, Omega, Rado, RL Exports and TAG Heuer. The Regal building in the inner circle has the Ganga Ram and Sons which is exclusively meant for Woollen and Cashmere suiting of all range and from all premium and latest brands. One of the most famous shops in Connaught place known for their clocks and watches is the Gangoly Bros. This shop is there in Connaught place for generations. At Ivory Mart Jewelers in InterContinental Hotel you get traditional and ethnic pieces, beautifully crafted with hand-picked diamonds. The Ivory mart Jewelers also sells less expensive precious stones studded handicraft pieces.
Connaught Place has Show Rooms for many Worldwide Brands:
Connaught place has show rooms for almost all the worldwide brands. There are also very good bookstores in Connaught place. Janpath in Connaught place is known for its inexpensive apparel trading. There are lots of Tibetian stores in and around Connaught place where we can buy gold and synthetic jewellery. Janpath and Jawahar Bhavan are also noted for their native Indian handicraft. The state-run emporia at Baba Kharak Singh Marg provides best handcraft from all over India, such as Kashmiri shawls and carpeting, Madhubani artwork and gemstones and tea of Bengal.