Pin Code No.3

We trace the evolution of Delhi’s chic Khan Market, a chaotic neighbourhood that also happens to be one of the most expensive high streets in the world

- Eva Pavithran

Freedom came to India at a huge cost. After the country’s partition and the birth of Pakistan in 1947, people became refugees in their own country, thanks to the newly-formed border. Displaced Sikhs and Hindus from the north-west frontier fled to India while scores of Indian Muslims headed to Pakistan. The story of Khan Market, the now posh retail street that caters to expats and local elite alike, is one that’s tied to this tale.

Most of those who fled Pakistan sought refuge in Delhi, which at the time experienced a population explosion. The inflow of migrants posed a challenge for newly independent India and its government. To resolve this immigration crisis, neighbourhoods were created to provide the city’s new residents a safe environment to give them a fresh start. Most of these quarters today form the affluent southern part of the Indian capital, and have significantly contributed in shaping its landscape and commercial trajectory. Khan Market, established in 1951, was one such neighbourhood allocated as seed land to the immigrants.

Nostalgia galore

During its nascent years, before it was given its present-day high-street makeover, the marketplace was abuzz with bookstores, local designers and shops selling groceries. Back then, people went there more for the books than stilettoes. Little remains of that Khan Market, except that even back then it was south-Delhi’s prime retail haven, like it is now. You went to Khan Market not just to indulge in a bout of shopping, but also to be seen. You’d have easily bumped into famous writers and intellectuals at one of the bookshops. BahriSons Booksellers, one such iconic bookstore, has stood the test of time, pretty much like Khan Market.