Connaught Place & Delhi's Center

Connaught Place (officially Rajiv Chowk) is the commercial heart of Delhi — a circular plaza with white colonial arcades, built in the 1930s. The concentric layout with its three rings (Inner, Middle, Outer Circle) houses upscale shops, restaurants, cinemas, and the bustling activity of the middle class.

Around Connaught Place, Delhi's vibrant café and restaurant scene has developed. From traditional institutions like Saravana Bhavan (authentic South Indian cuisine — the best Dosa in Delhi for ₹150) and Wenger's Bakery (since 1926, legendary patties and cakes) to trendy rooftop bars and international restaurants, the culinary range is enormous.

Beneath the plaza lies the Palika Bazaar, an underground market built in the 1970s. Once Delhi's shopping hotspot, it is now somewhat run-down but still offers cheap electronics, clothing, and curiosities. Bargaining is a must — the first price is always three times inflated.

From Connaught Place, you can walk to the Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory with giant stone instruments that measure the sun's position and sidereal time — a fascinating relic of Mughal science. Right next to it is the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, a magnificent Sikh temple with a golden dome and a sacred water tank. The Langar (free community kitchen) here provides thousands of people with free meals daily — regardless of religion, caste, or origin. Visitors are warmly welcomed to join in the meal.