Wow indeed! Something lost and something gained perhaps. Thanks for posting, I'll share with some friends.

My pleasure. We went there a couple of times and it was crowded and dusty and we had no desire to return but that's a long time ago. This recent renovation is quite impressive,

The heart of Old Delhi is ticking healthy & serene!
India is on the move...hurrah!!
Thanks for sharing jacketwatch!!!

My pleasure sir!

I was totally amazed to see this transformation. It is not at all like how I remember it.

Great job I think. Whenever this virus situation finally passes this place will I am sure get a lot of tourists. I think they will also get more local people too. Let’s face it it’s a nice place to hang out.

Yo JW, you asked in another post whether I'd seen this and the answer is Yes. I read it soon after you'd posted. IMHO, Nelson has nailed it about 'loss and gain'. I remember that Haldiram's had a sweet shop in Chandni Chowk, no? They are directly responsible for my ras malai addiction. *We live very near our city's Little India Bazzar.
I am done. The end.

Sort of like Maxwell st. in Chicago which is now University of Il. Village. You could say some of the charm has gone but then again it may have just been time for a change.

There was a Haldiram store in CP which used to be Nerulas restaurant which was our favorite place to stop for lunch when we were shopping. The lambugers were very good. There are most likely several Haldiram stores in Delhi. I do not know what happened to the one in Chandi Chowk.

Ras Malai is my fav Indian dessert too.

little India and Chicago is on a N. Side St. called Devon avenue .. however due to the huge growth of the Indian community in Chicago or I should say in the Chicago area you really don’t have to go there anymore as most suburbs have an adequate number of Indian stores and grocery stores and clothing and jewelry and so on .

Another vote for Ras Malai, with incredibly sweet Gulub Jamun not far behind. We bought sweets every day at Chandi Chowk at the very start of our 6-week India trip, 1977. We also purchased spices and perfume, which of course made it home. I can still smell that garam masala!

At the sweet shop we noticed the unusual system, to us, of numerous people involved in the transaction: one took your order, another put your purchases on a tray, another bagged, then the cashier. I may have missed a step. Upon short reflection it made sense.

This is the first photo I took on that trip, previously posted on Fodors, so here's the thumbnail version.



A friend of mine was there last year, 42 years later, and took an eerily identical shot.

We stayed at the Hotel Broadway, near the Delhi Gate, I knew they were still around but I just checked the website, sadly it says:
"As of Thursday, 21st May 2020, Hotel Broadway is closed. We thank everyone for their love and support over all these decades. Please stay safe and healthy".

Too bad.

Nelson, the end of an era with such a closure. Btw, regarding garam masala, maybe check out the latest post with fotos by FlyGirl, over on the Whats For Dinner (WFD) thread in the Lounge.
I am done. The hejira.

Wonderful!!! Made me smile. Thanks for posting, JW!

my pleasure