Urdu Bazar, Book market near Jama Masjid, Delhi, India.
Urdu Bazar is a book market in Delhi's old city running along a busy street between Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid. The narrow lanes are lined with small bookshops offering works in many languages, plus shops selling calligraphy supplies and handcrafted items.
The market emerged in Delhi's early days as a hub for Urdu literature and trade. Following the 1857 uprising, the original area suffered severe damage, but residents rebuilt it and maintained its role as a literary center.
The market serves as a gathering place for Urdu readers and writers who come to browse and exchange ideas about literature. Its shops display how the language remains woven into the daily life of the neighborhood.
The market is easily reached on foot from Jama Masjid or Chandni Chowk and sits in a densely built area with narrow lanes throughout. It is best to visit in early morning or late afternoon when the streets are less crowded.
The Janata Cooperative Bank was founded in 1956 as an innovative institution to support local merchants in an area of many small shops. This bank demonstrates how the community created its own economic structures to sustain business life.
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