Once a palace, now a wholesale market

Bhagirath Palace began life as the mansion of powerful Begum Samru, but as it completes 200 years, it has become famous as a market for electronic goods

- Sadia Akhtar

Nestled between the crowded, chaotic lanes of Chandni Chowk is a time-worn building that looks no different from the crumbling structures that line the nooks and crannies of this Mughal-era market square.

The worn-out building once served as the palace of Begum Samru, a powerful figure who presided over a mercenary army comprising both Indians and Europeans in the 18th century. (HT Archive)
The worn-out building once served as the palace of Begum Samru, a powerful figure who presided over a mercenary army comprising both Indians and Europeans in the 18th century. (HT Archive)
The worn-out building once served as the palace of Begum Samru, a powerful figure who presided over a mercenary army comprising both Indians and Europeans in the 18th century. Today, it is popular as Bhagirath Palace, home to one of Delhi’s largest wholesale markets.

As the structure completes 200 years in existence, HT traces how Samru’s palace evolved from its earlier grandeur into the Capital’s most popular market for electrical and electronic goods.

Life, times and legacy of Begum Samru

A prominent power broker in the early 1800s, Begum Samru rose through the ranks and eventually presided over the principality of Sardhana in Meerut. She also ruled over the Jharsa-Badshahpur pargana in the 1800s.

Historian and author Swapna Liddle, in her book Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi, writes that Samru purchased the piece of land where Bhagirath Palace stands today in 1807.