Before the showcase of Lutyen’s Delhi – Connaught Place (CP) came up, that area, a part of the ridge forest was infested with Kikar (Thorny Acacia trees) pigs and jackals. Residents from Kashmiri Gate and King’s Way (Rajpath) used to go there hunting partridges and some others to visit the Hanuman Temple only to return back before dark.

CP came up as the main Central Business District for the capital city of Delhi in British Raj and still continues to be so. It still houses the best brand shops, eateries and exclusive outlets, just like it had since its conception in the 1930’s and 40’s

A few names like Regal, Odeon and  Rivoli came up as performance and movie theatres in the 40’s and were entertaining people till the recent past when multiplexes caught up – but in some or the other form the buildings still carry the same name.

United Coffee House, Embassy, Standard, Wenger’s the bakery, Kaventer’s milk booth and many such cafes and restaurants are still alive and kicking and doing better than ever before.

CP is very different from any other market place in Delhi and anywhere else in the rest of the country. Its radial layout, the recently renovated heritage colonnaded buildings remind us blatantly of the British Era. It is a melting pot for the domestic and travellers from the rest of the world, which imparts it a very distinct feel and energy.

I very fondly term Connaught Place as the – ‘Remains of the Raj’ mainly because of its personality as a space which is so overwhelmingly British in itself, that it almost makes me try and imagine the scenario back then. The presence of many a shoe shine guys and their Indian customers contribute to the whole idea in my mind!

Hope you enjoy the photographs 🙂