Ballimaran se Daribe talak : A visit to Chandni Chowk

"Tujhse milna purani dilli mein
chhod aaye nishani dilli mein
Ballimaran se Daribe Talak
Teri meri Nishani Dilli mein"

 

Famous lines from the epic song "Kajrare". Have you ever wondered what is Ballimaran and Dariba ? People from Delhi would definitely know this. For all others like me, this post is all about.

Well, both of these are name of the lanes inside the world famous Chandni Chowk of Delhi. I visited Delhi for a week around a month back and was fortunate enough to get a day off which I spent in roaming in and around Chandni Chowk.

The first place I encountered in Chandni chowk was Shri Shiva NavaGrah Temple. This temple is dedicated to Navgrah with the presence of Lord Shiv (hence the name). The main dham of the temple is dedicated to Shri Shani Dev. Shri Surya Dev (along with his 7 horses chariot) is placed at the top of the main entrance.

Shri Shiva NavaGrah Temple

Next, was Ballimaran itself. The reason why Gulzar chose this place in the lyrics was due to the fact that it hosts the "Haveli - Mirza Ghalib". Yes, Mirza Ghalib, the most iconic Urdu-Persian poet ever born, used to live here during the last phase of his life (1860 -1869). Have a look at image gallery below

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After roaming about few lanes and I reached the famous "Paranthe wali gali". One of the shop here lasts from 6 Generations (Since 1875)!

Parathe wali gali

Moving further, I came across Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib. This is one of the 9 historic Gurudwaras in Delhi. It was built in 1783 to honor the martyrdom site of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth sikh guru.

And finally, moving forward a few meters, Dariba Kalan gateway welcomed me! (and hence I completed my journey Ballimaran se Daribe Talak). Apart from the various shops it holds, both its end are famous Jalebi shops. Have a look below

The journey didn't end here. The final surprise was waiting for me in form of The Red Fort. You can actually see a glimpse of Red Form from the midst of Chandni chowk itself.

Red Fort

Chandni Chowk in itself is a  representation of India in itself. Within the vicinity of a few hundred meters, I witnessed a hindu temple, residence of the greatest Urdu-persian poet, place of martyrdom of great Sikh guru and finally ending up with Red Fort where the beautiful sight of waving Tiranga would definitely induce a sense of "Indianness" in you!