70-704: Paharganj ( literally 'hilly neighbourhood') is a neighbourhood of Central Delhi , located just west of the New Delhi Railway Station . Known as Shahganj or King's ganj or market place during Mughal era , it is one of the three administrative subdivisions, of the Central Delhi district, of the National Capital Territory of Delhi , with the other two being, Darya Ganj and Karol Bagh . Known for its concentration of affordable hotels, lodges, restaurants, dhabas and
140-424: A Chabad House as it is frequented by the large number of Jewish and Israeli tourists, and bakeries like 'German Bakery', named 'Ajay Cafe' 19 years ago. The area is known for its concentration of affordable hotels, lodges, restaurants, dhabas and a wide variety of shops catering to both domestic travellers and foreign tourists, especially backpackers and low-budget travellers, it has become particularly popular as
210-515: A PVR theatre complex, and various dining outlets. The Central Park of Connaught Place has gained a reputation for hosting cultural events and is regarded as one of the city's top local hangouts. In 2005–06, Central Park was rebuilt following the construction of the Delhi Metro station beneath it. This station, Rajiv Chowk , serves as an interchange for the Yellow and Blue lines and is one of
280-435: A big circle in the middle with radial roads beaming in all directions. Eight separate roads extend from Connaught Place's inner circle, named Parliament Street and Radial Roads 1 through 7. Twelve different roads lead out from Connaught Circus, the outer ring. The best known of these is Janpath , the continuation of Radial Road 1. Connaught Place is a logically planned area and is home to one of India’s first underground markets,
350-407: A database of words and their translations. Later attempts utilized common phrases , which resulted in better grammatical structure and the capture of idioms, but with many words left in the original language. For translating synthetic languages , a morphosyntactic analyzer and synthesizer are required. The best systems today use a combination of the above technologies and apply algorithms to correct
420-576: A decline in its former grandeur, though it continued to attract visitors. In response, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) initiated several redevelopment projects to restore and enhance this iconic Delhi landmark. The plan included the provision of heritage sensitive signage, engineering improvements of roads, drainage sewerage, water supply and substations, development of a traffic management plan, provisions of street furniture including adequate parking, walkways etc. and enhancing
490-611: A food processing brand established in the 1860s. Harnarains currently operates under the name Harnarains International. Davico's, located across Connaught Plaza, and the Standard restaurant were popular for decades before eventually fading away. Another long-standing establishment, the Embassy Restaurant, opened in 1948. New Delhi 's first luxury hotel , The Imperial , established in 1936 in Janpath , eventually became
560-473: A great deal of difference between a literal translation of a poetic work and a prose translation. A literal translation of poetry may be in prose rather than verse but also be error-free. Charles Singleton's 1975 translation of the Divine Comedy is regarded as a prose translation. The term literal translation implies that it is probably full of errors, since the translator has made no effort to (or
630-511: A haunt for international cuisine. Over the years, Paharganj has become the biggest hotel hub for low-budget foreign tourists in Delhi, though with rising congestion, the proliferation of illegal bars and illegal activities like drug peddling, Paharganj has also become a hotspot for crime, and a criminal hideout. The area has shelters and homes, run by Salaam Baalak Trust , an NGO, for street and working children, established in 1988. The trust has run
700-475: A haunt for the royalty and a place for political discussions. It was here that Jawaharlal Nehru , Mohandas K. Gandhi , Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten met to discuss the Partition of India and the birth of Pakistan. Residents of Connaught Place gradually moved into the first-floor quarters, which were nearly fully occupied by 1938. However, it took another decade for the plaza to transform into
770-613: A joke which dates back to 1956 or 1958. Another joke in the genre transforms "out of sight, out of mind" to "blind idiot" or "invisible idiot". Connaught Place, New Delhi Connaught Place , also known as Rajiv Chowk , is one of the main financial, commercial and business centres in New Delhi , Delhi, India. It houses the headquarters of several noted Indian firms and is a major shopping, nightlife, and tourist destination in New Delhi. As of July 2018, Connaught Place ranked as
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#1732793219506840-456: A literal translation in preparing his translation of Dante 's Inferno (1994), as he does not know Italian. Similarly, Richard Pevear worked from literal translations provided by his wife, Larissa Volokhonsky, in their translations of several Russian novels. Literal translation can also denote a translation that represents the precise meaning of the original text but does not attempt to convey its style, beauty, or poetry. There is, however,
910-437: A plan to convert the middle and inner circles of Connaught Place, into an exclusive pedestrian zone, starting February 2017. Under the auspices of the proposal, people driving into the area would have to park their vehicles at designated parking slots located at Shivaji Stadium and Palika Bazaar and subsequently proceed either on foot to Connaught Place or use the shuttle bus service. However, bicycles would have been allowed in
980-548: A sa voiture et sa voiture, ses serviettes et ses serviettes, sa bibliothèque et les siennes. " That does not make sense because it does not distinguish between "his" car and "hers". Often, first-generation immigrants create something of a literal translation in how they speak their parents' native language. This results in a mix of the two languages that is something of a pidgin . Many such mixes have specific names, e.g., Spanglish or Denglisch . For example, American children of German immigrants are heard using "rockingstool" from
1050-404: A serious problem for machine translation . The term "literal translation" often appeared in the titles of 19th-century English translations of the classical Bible and other texts. Word-for-word translations ("cribs", "ponies", or "trots") are sometimes prepared for writers who are translating a work written in a language they do not know. For example, Robert Pinsky is reported to have used
1120-478: A shopping area of Paharganj, within shops of cloth merchants coming up around it. Prior to the inauguration of New Delhi in 1931, the New Delhi Railway Station was opened with a single platform near Ajmeri Gate in 1926, until then the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city. This changed Paharganj landscape indelibly, with an influx of travelers, small eateries started coming up in
1190-625: A theme for many films, including Kate Winslet starrer, Holy Smoke! (1999), parts of which were shot when she stayed at a Paharganj hotel, in September 1998. In 2008, parts of the Hindi film, Dev.D (2009) directed by Anurag Kashyap were shot in Paharganj area, depicting the seedy side of hotel industry, from prostitution to drug peddling. Literal translation Literal translation , direct translation , or word-for-word translation
1260-432: A wide variety of shops catering to both domestic travellers and foreign tourists, especially backpackers and low-budget travellers, it has become particularly popular as a haunt for international cuisine. However, Paharganj has a poor record regarding safety of women since the area is noted for its scams, drug peddling, sexual assaults. Instead, the more modern South Delhi is now becoming the main center for backpackers. In
1330-456: Is a translation of a text done by translating each word separately without looking at how the words are used together in a phrase or sentence. In translation theory , another term for literal translation is metaphrase (as opposed to paraphrase for an analogous translation). It is to be distinguished from an interpretation (done, for example, by an interpreter ). Literal translation leads to mistranslation of idioms , which can be
1400-638: Is modelled after the Royal Crescent in Bath , designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774. While the Royal Crescent is semi-circular and a three-storied residential structure, Connaught Place consists of two floors, which made almost a complete circle intended to house commercial establishments on the ground with residential space on the first floor. The circle
1470-632: Is unable to) convey correct idioms or shades of meaning, for example, but it can also be a useful way of seeing how words are used to convey meaning in the source language. A literal English translation of the German phrase " Ich habe Hunger " would be "I have hunger" in English, but this is clearly not a phrase that would generally be used in English, even though its meaning might be clear. Literal translations in which individual components within words or compounds are translated to create new lexical items in
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#17327932195061540-661: The Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad , through religious endowment founded a madarsa , Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan after him. It eventually paved way for the present Zakir Hussain College , which in 1986, shifted to a new building outside Turkman Gate, the old structure in the Madrasa Ghaziuddin complex, still houses a hostel for the college and Ghaziuddin's mausoleum. Also Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School operates at
1610-837: The Jhandewalan temple . In May 1924 on the day of Bakri Eid the Muslims of Pahari Dhiraj of Paharganj slaughtered the cow – which is revered by the Hindus as sacred Kamadhenu – in the slaughterhouse closer to the Jhandewala temple. This angered the Hindu Jats of Sadar Bazaar , which led to the riots among the Jats and Muslims from 11 to 18 July, resulting in loss of life and property. Muhammad Ali Jinnah repeatedly requested Mahatma Gandhi and Indian National Congress (INC) to stop
1680-560: The Palika Bazaar (Municipal Market), named after the Hindi term "nagarpalika" (municipal council). The Outer Circle, known as Connaught Circus (officially Indira Chowk), consists of rows of restaurants, shops, and hotels. On December 1, 2017, the historic Regal Building was reopened as Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the first of its kind in India.The Middle Circle houses offices, banks, exchange facilities like Thomas Cook and ATW Exchange,
1750-540: The Raisina Hill , where the Rashtrapati Bhavan stand today. Till 1857, neighbourhoods like Paharganj, Kishenganj, and Pahari Dhiraj, were separate pockets which in the following years grew and merged, for example Pahari Dhiraj merged into Sadar Bazaar . In the 1690s, Ghaziuddin Khan , a general of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb , a leading Deccan commander and the father of Asaf Jah I , the founder of
1820-874: The Rashtrapati Bhavan , the seat of the President of India ), Secretariat Building , Parliament House , and India Gate (previously known as the All-India War Memorial) completed by 1933, well after the city's inauguration in 1931. Early commercial establishments belonged to traders from the Kashmere Gate area: Harnarain Gopinath (Harnarains), Kanter's, Galgotia and Snowhite. Some of the other oldest and still-extant establishments include Ram Chandra & Sons (1935), Novex (1937), Dhoomi Mal Gallery (1936), Vaish at Rivoli (1939), Indian Arts Palace (1935), Mahatta & Company (1947). Most rulers of
1890-543: The Salaam Baalak City Walk - New Delhi , a guided tour through Paharganj and New Delhi Railway Station area. The guides are former street children from the trust. The walk aims to sensitize about street life, street children and Indian society problems. During the walk, the guides share their personal story of survival with the participants and show them the contact points and shelter homes SBT provides. In 2005, during 29 October 2005 Delhi serial bombings ,
1960-471: The "Delhi Town Planning Committee on the planning of new Imperial capital" with George Swinton as chairman and John A. Brodie and Lutyens as members, submitted its report on 13 June 1912, it proposed a plan to include Paharganj and Sadar Bazaar into the developing new imperial city, as they were only areas of Old Delhi, spilling into the planned New Delhi area. However, it was rejected by the Viceroy, when
2030-572: The "Shiela Cinema" in Paharganj . The Rivoli, close to the Regal, was the smallest theatre in the area. Half a century later, while the vast majority of the theatres were still running, most changed ownership. The Plaza and Rivoli are now owned by multiplex giant PVR Cinemas , while the Odeon runs as a joint venture with Reliance Big Pictures . The area is instantly recognisable on any map of Delhi as
2100-535: The "natural" sound of the translation. In the end, though, professional translation firms that employ machine translation use it as a tool to create a rough translation that is then tweaked by a human, professional translator. Douglas Hofstadter gave an example of a failure of machine translation: the English sentence "In their house, everything comes in pairs. There's his car and her car, his towels and her towels, and his library and hers." might be translated into French as " Dans leur maison, tout vient en paires. Il y
2170-511: The Ajmeri Gate was the custom house of the emperor, for collecting taxes. Between Paharganj and Akbarabadi gate of the walled city was Shahganj , another wholesale market , while on the other side towards Jantar Mantar was Raja Bazar . In fact, Paharganj was also referred as Shahganj or King's ganj or market place during Mughal era , it gets its present name 'Paharganj', literally meaning Hilly neighbourhood , owing to its proximity to
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2240-659: The American Express block. These properties were built and privately owned by Sobha Singh , as the British Government aimed to ensure Delhi had a blend of official and private spaces. Subsequently, Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh Sethi and Sardar Bahadur Narain Singh of Akoi joined in developing the area, constructing buildings such as the Odeon Cinema and structures on the southern side. Connaught Place
2310-435: The German word Schaukelstuhl instead of "rocking chair". Literal translation of idioms is a source of translators' jokes. One such joke, often told about machine translation , translates "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (an allusion to Mark 14:38 ) into Russian and then back into English, getting "The vodka is good, but the meat is rotten". This is not an actual machine-translation error, but rather
2380-841: The Hanuman temple, a Jain temple in Jaisingh Pura, and the Jantar Mantar . Plans to have a central business district were developed as the construction of the new capital of British India began to take shape. Headed by W.H. Nicholls, the chief architect to the Government of India , the plans featured a central plaza based on the European Renaissance and in the Classical style. However, Nicholls left India in 1917, and with Lutyens and Baker preoccupied with
2450-656: The Indian princely states had residences near King's Way (modern-day Rajpath ) and frequently visited nearby shops for designer clothing, artifacts, shoes, and pianos. Regal cinema , the first cinema in Connaught Place, opened around this time and went on to host popular concerts, theatre groups, and ballet performances. The Odeon and Rivoli followed the Regal, while the Indian Talkie House opened in 1938. Initially, only Indian snacks were available in
2520-630: The Inner Circle came into use in the late 1970s with the construction of an underground market, the first in Delhi, Palika Bazaar , at the junction point. Stretching up to the Outer Circle, it also came with an adjoining underground parking lot. Concurrently, the State Emporiums on Baba Karak Singh Marg radial emerged. However, a major alteration in the skyline was the development of a skyscraper comprising red sandstone (inspired by
2590-612: The area for the construction of Connaught Place and the development of its nearby areas. The villages once bordered the historic Qutb Road, the primary route connecting Shahjahanabad , the walled city of Delhi (now Old Delhi), to Qutb Minar on Delhi's southern edge since the Mughal era. The displaced people were relocated in Karol Bagh to the west, a rocky area that had previously been populated only by trees and wild bushes. However, three structures were spared demolition. These comprised
2660-493: The area was a ridge, covered with kikar trees and populated with jackals and wild pigs. Residents of Kashmere Gate and Civil Lines paid visits to the area during the weekends for partridge hunting. The Hanuman Temple attracted many visitors from the old walled city , who came only on Tuesdays and Saturdays and before sunset, as the return trip was considered dangerous. Residents of villages including Madhoganj , Jaisingh Pura and Raja ka Bazaar were evicted to clear
2730-579: The area, and also temporary residential facilities. The famous Shri Nand Lal Sharma dhaba was set up here in 1928, over time, his son built a three-storey hotel on spot, and now his grandson manages the Metropolis , known for its rooftop restaurant, which still has many Russian dishes on its menu. "Shiela Cinema" at Paharganj was Delhi's first 70mm screen, second being "Odeon" in Connaught Place . "Imperial" and "Khanna" were other talkies in
2800-525: The area. Gradually, the entire area was catering to the tourism industry, though the grain bazaars of Mughal era were long gone, in early 20th century, Paharganj still had principal markets in Delhi for building materials, cement, timber and steel, but by 1947 they had mostly shifted to other locations in the city, while Paharganj had become primarily a densely populated residential and commercial area, replete with cheap hotels and restaurants for domestic and foreign tourists. Paharganj witnessed upheavals during
2870-416: The area; gradually, restaurants opened in the plaza, with outlets like Kwality, United Coffee House and others offering Continental and Mughlai cuisines. Wenger's, the confectioners, was one of the first shops in Connaught Place. The firm also owned New Delhi's largest restaurant, located on the first floor of their current A-Block outlet. Originally established in 1926 as Spencers in Kashmere Gate, Wenger's
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2940-484: The blocks were originally planned to be 172 metres (564 ft) in height but later reduced to the present two-storied structure with an open colonnade. Government plans to have New Delhi Railway Station built inside Central Park were rejected by railway authorities as they found the idea impractical, and instead, chose the nearby Paharganj area. Construction work began in 1929, with the Viceroy's House (now known as
3010-562: The bombs went off in garbage cans in and around Connaught Place. Another explosion occurred in the nearby Central Park. Authorities also discovered two undetonated bombs in Delhi, one of which was found at the Regal Cinema complex in Connaught Place. As a response, all trashcans were removed from the area. Redevelopment work to revamp Connaught Place ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was slated to be completed in time; however, owing to huge cost overruns and undue delays, this deadline
3080-686: The burgeoning marketplace that it is today. With the arrival of the Hippie movement in the 70s at India's shores, the area became a regular part of the Hippie trail , for hippies , backpackers , and college students looking for budget accommodations near Connaught Place, New Delhi and New Delhi Railway Station . Gradually the hotels and guest houses spread until neighboring Ram Nagar and an area along Deshbandhu Gupta Road. This legacy which continues even today, with its streams of budget hotels, cafes and restaurants, specializing in global cuisines , and hordes of cybercafes . Apart from that Paharganj also has
3150-585: The bustling marketplace it would later become, as World War II began and the Indian independence movement intensified and reached a feverish pitch. Markets experienced dwindling sales, but post-independence business began to burgeon in the 1950s. Until the 1980s, a Phatphat Sewa , a Harley Davidson rickshaw service, took visitors from Connaught Place to the Red Fort and Chandani Chowk , before it ceased operations due to pollution concerns. The empty block of
3220-707: The bylanes of Paharganj. It was restored in early 2000s, after the Supreme Court orders, but his house was never identified. Today Sadar -Paharganj constitutes one of the 12 administrative zones of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Paharganj was a Delhi Metropolitan Council segment, within the Chandni Chowk, Lok Sabha constituency, 1966–93. Thereafter it remained the Delhi State Assembly constituency, under Chandni Chowk , Lok Sabha constituency, from 1993 to 2008, Subsequently, following
3290-482: The coming years it hosted Western Classical music artists, Russian ballet and British theatre groups, and soon started morning and afternoon movie shows. The next theatre to be built was the Plaza in 1940, designed by Sir Robert Tor Russell, the architect of Connaught Place itself. It was owned by director and actor Sohrab Modi until the early 1950s. The Odeon was built in 1945 and had the city's second 70mm screen after
3360-567: The construction of larger buildings in the capital, design of the plaza was eventually entrusted with Robert Tor Russell , chief architect to the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of India, who worked with Sir Sobha Singh in the construction of New Delhi . Originally barren and arid, the area saw its first development with the construction of Sujan Singh Block A (now Wenger’s Block), followed by Blocks B and C, then Scindia House block, Regal Building, Rivoli Cinema, and
3430-430: The cost of compensation while acquiring the properties, was found to be too high. The central axis of New Delhi, which today faces east at India Gate , was previously meant to be a north–south axis, linking Viceroy's House with Paharganj, as the end of the axis. Gradually, Chai-Tuti-Chowk or Six Tuti Chowk , named after six water taps originally place here for the public, developed as an important market square , and
3500-475: The delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies, in 2008, it became of the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Paharganj has known for its affordable hotels, lodges, and a wide variety of shops especially among backpackers starting from the 1970s. Now newer part of the city, particularly South Delhi is gaining gradual popularity among backpackers. The tourist culture of Paharganj has been
3570-430: The first blast took place in the main bazaar of Paharganj, during busy shopping period, two days before festival of Diwali . Ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games , a massive Rs. 800 million ($ 17 million) facelift program for Paharganj was implemented by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in 2009, it included 56 roads and lanes in Paharganj, where over 500 hotels and lodges were expecting to host visitors for
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#17327932195063640-662: The games. Some shops were demolished in areas like Main Bazar, Ram Nagar market and Amrit Kaur market, markets were given uniform design, all road was relaid, sidewalks and pavements were also added, to decongest the area by September 2010. Paharganj is also home to the historic Qadam Sharif dargah , dedicated to the footprint of Muhammaf, originally built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq , a 14th-century Sultan of Delhi . Qazi Wali Masjid , known for its intricate engravings, and arched doorways. The grave of poet laureate of Mughal court, Zauq , who lived nearby Nabi Karim and died in 1854, lies in
3710-522: The historic Red Fort) and glass, the Jeevan Bharti building (owned by the LIC ), which was designed by architect Charles Correa . In 1986, it towered over the low-lying, predominantly white Connaught Place and faced criticism for being too futuristic. However, as other skyscrapers were gradually built on the periphery, the debate faded away. With the introduction of talkies to Indian cinema in 1931,
3780-623: The largest and busiest stations in the network. Connaught Place hosts various cultural events in the Central Park area such as the Urdu Heritage Festival, One Billion Rising demonstrations, Delhi Government's Youth Festival, Awam Ki Awaz (Voices of People) concert and many others. The first known Indian to hoist the tricolour flag at Connaught Place was Padma Shri Mir Mushtaq Ahmad, the first Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi. Before independence, when Connaught Place
3850-672: The largest and most important suburban mohalla of the Walled City of Delhi, and located just outside the Ajmeri Gate of the Walled city , Paharganj was one of five main markets of Delhi, and the only one outside the walled city . Also, it was the principal grain market of the city in the 18th century, where grain was ferried, across Yamuna River , from wholesale markets and warehouses in Patparganj and Shahdara . Just outside
3920-535: The new medium quickly gained immense popularity. In the 1930s and 1940s, four theaters opened within Connaught Place Plaza: Regal, Rivoli, Odeon, and the short-lived "Indian Talkie House," which opened in 1938. Connaught Place sprouted as the entertainment hub of New Delhi. The Regal, the first theatre in the area, was opened in 1932 by Sir Sobha Singh . It was designed by architect Walter Sykes George and mainly hosted stage performances. In
3990-499: The ninth most expensive office location in the world, with an annual rent of $ 1,650 per square meter ($ 153 per sq ft). Connaught Place, the main commercial hub of the new city, holds a place of pride and is recognized as one of the top heritage structures in New Delhi. Developed as a showpiece of Lutyens' Delhi , Connaught Place features a prominent Central Business District (CBD). Christened after Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , construction work began in 1929 and
4060-657: The prolonged Indian independence struggle , like during the Quit India Movement of August 1942, the British barracks near Paharganj were attacked and the soldiers' were thrown out, who then sought refuge in an Indian's bungalow, later the Paharganj Post office and five terminal tax posts were also raided by the mob and burnt down. During the British Raj , Muslims had built a slaughterhouse closer to
4130-497: The renovation work. Renovation work on Connaught Place resumed shortly after the Commonwealth Games, with an initial completion target of December 2012. However, by 2016, only the first phase—renovating Blocks A and B—had been completed. The plan aimed to restore all six blocks of Connaught Place to their original grandeur by 2020, although delays have affected the timeline. By late 2020, Connaught Place had experienced
4200-408: The rioting Jats, but Gandhi and INC were unable to control the situation. Riots were eventually stopped by the police. Subsequently, during the Partition of India in 1947 it again saw extensive rioting, thereafter the area saw a vast influx of Hindu refugees from Pakistan , when several shops and small establishments were allotted to them, since then the area has seen vast development, and seen it
4270-461: The same place. When the Lutyens' Delhi was being built in the 1920s, the area also saw major development, and the old 'Imperial theatre', built-in 1930, stands as a legacy to that era. Though its neighboring area of Jaisinghpura , where Gurudwara Bangla Sahib stands today, along with Madhoganj and Raja ka Bazaar were demolished to make way for the Connaught Place , shopping district. Indeed,
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#17327932195064340-490: The structural stability of all buildings including retrofitting for earthquake resistance. All these components have been identified based on studies conducted by various reputed agencies such as SPA , RITES , CMCCC and NTPAC, etc. The art project United Buddy Bears was presented in Connaught Place during the summer of 2012. On 5 January 2017, the Union Urban Development Ministry announced
4410-534: The target language (a process also known as "loan translation") are called calques , e.g., beer garden from German Biergarten . The literal translation of the Italian sentence, " So che questo non va bene " ("I know that this is not good"), produces "(I) know that this not (it) goes well", which has English words and Italian grammar . Early machine translations (as of 1962 at least) were notorious for this type of translation, as they simply employed
4480-461: The years after its establishment in 1638, Shahjahanabad , the capital of the Mughal Empire under Shah Jahan , was no longer contained within the walled city, it soon spilled into surrounding areas, stretching into miles at each end, where half of its population stayed. By 1739, the suburbs covered 1800 acres and included areas like Mughalpura, Sabzimandi, Paharganj, and Jaisingh Pura. One of
4550-423: Was completed in 1933. It was designed by Robert Tor Russell . Although Connaught Place was officially renamed in 1995 after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi , the term "Rajiv Chowk" is seldom used, with locals and officials alike continuing to refer to it as Connaught Place. An underground Delhi Metro station built beneath Connaught Place is named Rajiv Chowk . Prior to the construction of Connaught Place,
4620-407: Was eventually designed with two concentric circles, creating an Inner Circle, Middle Circle and the Outer Circle with seven roads radiating from a circular central park known as Radial Roads. As per the original plan, the different blocks of Connaught Place were to be joined from above, employing archways, with radial roads below them. However, the circle was 'broken up' to give it a grander scale. Even
4690-469: Was named after Prince Arthur , the 1st Duke of Connaught (1850–1942), the third son of Queen Victoria and uncle of King George VI . Prince Arthur visited India in 1921 and laid the foundation of the Council House (now Sansad Bhavan , or Parliament House). In 2013, Connaught Place was renamed Rajiv Chowk, in honor of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . Connaught Place's Georgian architecture
4760-476: Was not met. The Performance Audit Report prepared by Controller and Auditor General, India, on the Commonwealth Games 2010 concluded that there were "significant deficiencies in contract management, with consequent avoidable expenditure". Moreover, the mis-management and delays caused great inconvenience to shoppers and shop-owners alike, and led to a decline in trade. Many store-owners complained of erratic power supplies and lost air-conditioning in their shops during
4830-460: Was owned by a Swiss couple and introduced Delhi to pastries and homemade Swiss chocolates. In its early years, it was primarily patronized by British officers, Indian royalty, and a few businessmen with international exposure, as Delhi remained a city of classical taste within the walled city . Over the years, Wenger's opened another shop adjacent to their original location in Connaught Place's A Block. This space had previously belonged to Harnarains ,
4900-514: Was seen as the heart of British imperial India, he would annually hoist the tricolour at the bandstand in Central Park on January 26. On March 7, 2014, the largest Indian national tricolour at that time (now the second largest) was erected at the center of Central Park, measuring 90 by 60 feet (27 by 18 m), on a 207-foot (63 m) pole. Two of the five terrorist blasts that occurred during the 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings were in Connaught Place. Ten people were injured; police and witnesses said that
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