The C R Park (Chittaranjan Park) Market II

One thing that stands out about Delhi, is its concentration of communities in particular localities. So Chittaranjan Park true to its name has a concentration of Bengalis or Bongs to be short. And the market an ideal sourcing ground for all things from Bengal – jhalmurs, shingaras, Mughlai paranthas, lovely cotton clothes and more…. There is another Part I market well it does deserve another separate blog. The market wears the most festive look during the Durga Puja. It is beautiful to see miniature idols of Saraswati, sold for the puja before Basant Panchami, in her finery bedecked and divine. It has the usual signs of modernity with branded franchise shops, ATM centres in their swanky “spot me a mile away” design. The flavour of the market is through the small shops which can take the nostalgic back to Kolkatta. For clothes especially sarees.. more and more cotton, silk…dhotis is Rama Krishna Bastralaya. Actually my parents, though the credit for discovering the shop in its earlier avatar in Gole Market goes to my father, have patronized it for years. The quality of the cotton is good, majority is handwoven and the colour does not run. The range includes – Jamdani (pure and jacquard versions), dhonekali, Tangail Dhaka, Dhaka jamdani, Mysore silk and more….it is a pleasure seeing the crisp starched cotton beautifully stacked. Aananda opposite to the market offers an excellent range of eclectic ethnic creation. Another well known eating outlet which locals swear by is Dadu’s Cutlet – offering vegetarian Shingaras (samosas), Mughlai paranthas, fish cutlets, fish chops…(being a vegetarian I have just tried the shingaras and egg paranthas both wonderful!) at very affordable prices.

Location – The market is in the middle of the residential colony. To be precise one should turn in right from Savitri Cinema, then the first cut to the left and another left from the red light. The market is towards the end of the road. Approximately 20 kms from Connaught Place

Timing – Closed on Tuesdays. Parking on the road, quite chaotic. Prone to terrible traffic jams from 6 pm onwards and in the morning. The market comes to life in the evenings and is quite dull in the morning. 4 pm onwards is an ideal time.

Highlight - One can get a variety of desi vegetables of Kolkata – banana flower, stem, raw bananas, spinach of different varieties…and more and more varieties of fish (my knowledge here is limited!)

Insider Tip – Dadu’s Cutlet opens in the evenings by 5 pm or so and makes only limited number of each item. He is sold out by 7 to 7:30 pm. His morning fare includes lip smacking Puris, Puchkas... Literally the early bird gets the worm!! Ram Krishna Bastralaya brings in new stocks in summers and before Puja (a month and a half before), however there is a good range throughout.

The G K – II M Block market

Shopping in Delhi is fun since it offers a host of options from the luxurious to basement bargain category. What is also surprising is that some very good value for money offers can be found at some of the top markets of Delhi. One such is the GK – II (Greater Kailash Part II ) market. Earlier this was prime space for commercial establishments, especially ad agencies and banks, today these remain but along with it has sprung some excellent shops incorporating some big names. The market is an easy to maneuver H shaped one. A lackadaisical place, its sudden metamorphosis resulted in a number of good restaurants, interior design shops especially floor tiles, kitchen, bath, tile varieties, furnishing, fashion and fitness & health centres. Both Nalli and Art Karat make their presence felt as Talwalkars and Kaya Skin Care. It is for kitchen bath the range is venerable including Kohler, fcml, Pergo, and a host of shops selling imported (Spanish, Italian floor tiles, bathroom concepts and more..). It also has some fine restaurants – China Garden, Chungwa, Ritu Dalmia’s Diva, Ruby Tuesday, Flames to Not just Paranthas, Nathu, Barista, Café Coffee Day, …. A far cry from the days when Anupam was the only restaurant. The only problem in tracking restaurants here is that many start fancifully to close down or move to another line of business.

Location – The market is in the middle of the residential colony. To be precise one should turn in right from Savitri Cinema (the Cinema Hall is closed but the crossing still retains the name!) from the road leading from the Chirag Delhi flyover towards Nehru Place, then the second cut to the left. Approximately 18 kms from Connaught Place

Timing – Closed on Tuesdays. Parking available at Rs. 10/- for cars and Rs. 5/- for two wheelers. Parking is plentiful though choc-a-block full. Restaurants open early especially the cafes while those serving lunch and dinner open during the serving hours.

Highlight - If you are looking at doing up the home – floor, bathroom…this place provides some excellent option and not all heavy on the budget. The shopkeepers & staff do offer sound advice and pocket friendly options. Though discounts are galore. Nalli has excellent range of cottons. About 8 – 10 banks operate as also some well known media companies.

Insider Tip - Sunday is a nice day to visit as all commercial establishments are closed (there are a host of banks) so parking is easy. The choice of restaurants is dizzying offering an excellent spread.