Gole Market, neighborhood in the heart of New Delhi, India
Gole Market is a market in central New Delhi with a distinctive octagonal or dodecagonal shape, built inside a busy roundabout near Connaught Place. It is surrounded by several roads and contains small shops selling sweets, snacks, meat, books, tobacco, and other daily goods.
Gole Market was built in 1921 by Edwin Lutyens as part of plans to develop New Delhi as India's new capital. After independence, it became a gathering place for artists and intellectuals, including painter B.C. Sanyal and singer Snehlata, whose studio became a center for contemporary art.
The name Gole Market comes from the Hindi word 'gole' meaning 'round', referring to its distinctive shape. Today locals use it as a gathering place for shopping and dining, where people meet to exchange news and experience the everyday rhythm of city life.
The market is centrally located and easily reached on foot or by public transport, situated less than a kilometer from Connaught Place. The area can be very busy during the day, so visiting early morning or evening hours offers a more relaxed shopping experience.
A nearby post office called Gole Dak Khana was built in 1931 with a round shape matching the market and designed by Robert Tor Russell. This unusual building shows how architectural ideas of the time extended to functional services.
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