Most of these date from the last century, some even earlier than that. Mute witnesses to time-induced changes in Chandni Chowk, they have managed to retain their essence and yet move ahead with the times. Handed down from father to son, many of these businesses are now being managed by the 4 th or 5 th generations. Strapped for space, as the market is, there is a certain disadvantage, for one has to sit or stand in rather cramped arrangements. Yet, many shops have found ingenuous ways to make the most of the space and have a clientele that keeps increasing.
People pour in to taste the mouthwatering delicacies that are on offer here.
It would be appropriate to start with the oldest sweet shop in entire Chandni Chowk. More than two hundred years old, the Ghantewala is a landmark in itself. Ghanta ' in Hindi means a huge bell . Legend goes that when the royal procession used to move down the road, the emperor would stop and be offered the delicacies from the sweet shop. The emperor's elephant would also be offered sweets.