Located near Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest and busiest markets in old Delhi, is the Naughara Gali, one of the most beautiful streets in India. The name of the street is derived from nau, which is the Hindi word for nine and ghar, the word for house. Although there is an alternate account regarding the street’s name which claims that the “Naughara” refers to nine pots of water which were placed outside for thirsty travellers, the most commonly accepted translation for Naughara Gali is “the street of nine houses”.
The nine houses for which this street is named are nine continuous Jain-style Havelis (mansions ) which were constructed in the eighteenth century. Many such mansions once graced Old Delhi in the olden times. Now, however, few of these graceful pieces of history remain preserved in their original form.
