Khari Baoli

This street near Fatehpuri Masjid at the western end of Chandni Chowk is reputed to be one of the largest wholesale spice markets in Asia, operating since the seventeenth century. Sacks of chillies, turmeric, dried fruits, nuts and herbs are piled high along the crowded lane, and the pungent air can make first-time visitors sneeze. Old havelis converted into warehouses line the route, their upper floors bearing traces of Mughal-era architecture. The market offers an intense sensory window into the machinery that supplies the capital.