Connaught Place

Connaught Place, known in Delhi as CP, is the colonial-era commercial centre of New Delhi: two concentric rings of white Georgian-style colonnaded buildings around a circular park. It was built between 1929 and 1933, designed by Robert Tor Russell, and named after the Duke of Connaught, a member of the British royal family.

Connaught Place was modelled loosely on the Royal Crescent in Bath and was meant to be the shopping heart of Lutyens' new capital. The Inner, Middle and Outer circles are divided into lettered blocks, and the arcades still shade shoppers from the sun. Central Park, in the middle, flies one of the largest Indian flags in the country, and below it runs Rajiv Chowk, one of the busiest metro interchanges in Delhi. Connaught Place is where many Delhi residents come for books, coffee and an evening walk.

What to see

• The white colonnades of the Inner and Outer circles
• Central Park and the giant national flag
• Janpath market, just south, for handicrafts and textiles
• Palika Bazaar, an underground market beneath the park
• Old bookshops and music stores under the arcades

What to wear

Connaught Place has no dress code; casual, modest city clothes are fine. Wear comfortable shoes for walking the circles. Summer days are hot, so evenings are best; winter evenings are cold, so bring a jacket. In Delhi you will see women in salwar kameez and sarees and men in kurta pyjama, especially at festivals and weddings. Janpath's stalls sell embroidered kurtas and scarves.

Local food to try

Connaught Place has some of Delhi's longest-running food addresses: Wenger's bakery has been here since 1926, and United Coffee House since 1942. Try butter chicken and dal makhani, Delhi-style chole bhature, and South Indian dosa and filter coffee at the vegetarian restaurants around the circle. Halal meat is served widely.

Good to know

• Best from October to March; evenings are liveliest
• Open daily; shops generally open late morning, restaurants until late
• Free
• Allow two to three hours
• Rajiv Chowk metro station is underneath; about 16 km from the airport
• Many shops close on Sundays; watch for touts offering tours

Nearby places

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is about 1 km west, and the Birla Mandir is about 2 km west. India Gate is about 3 km south, and Chandni Chowk is two metro stops north.