Connaught Place

Connaught Place is New Delhi's colonial-era commercial heart, a vast Georgian-style crescent of white colonnaded buildings arranged in concentric circles around a central park. Designed by Robert Tor Russell and completed in 1933, it was named after the Duke of Connaught and modelled loosely on the Royal Crescent at Bath.

What defines it is the sweeping symmetry of its arcaded corridors, where uniform two-storey blocks house shops, restaurants, cinemas and offices behind shaded walkways. Locals call it CP, and the radial roads are lettered by block; the inner, middle and outer circles were officially renamed Rajiv Chowk and Indira Chowk, though the old name endures.

For visitors, it functions as a natural orientation point for the capital. The Rajiv Chowk metro interchange beneath is one of the busiest in the country, feeding shoppers into a mix of flagship brands, colonial-era institutions, bookstores and street vendors. Palika Bazaar, an underground market, sits below the central park, while the Bangla Sahib and Hanuman landmarks lie a short distance away.

Historically, CP was the planned retail counterpart to Lutyens' grand government avenues, and it remains one of the world's costlier commercial districts by rent. The central lawns, now Central Park, host a giant national flag and occasional events. Evenings bring a lively crowd to the eateries and rooftop bars of the outer blocks. The heat can be punishing in summer, so the shaded verandahs are welcome; winter is the pleasant season to wander, and the metro links CP directly to sights across the capital. The historic Jantar Mantar observatory and the stepwell at Agrasen ki Baoli lie within a short walk of the outer circle. As a walkable, well-connected hub ringed by heritage architecture, it offers an easy introduction to the rhythms of central Delhi and a convenient base for wider sightseeing.