Ghantewala

The Ghantewala Halwai (घंटेवाला हलवाई) in Chandni Chowk in Delhi, established in 1790 CE is one of the oldest halwais (traditional sweet shop) in India [Rediscovering Delhi: The Story of ShahjahanabadBy Maheshwar Dayal, "Feroze"Illustrated by "Feroze"Published by S. Chand, 1975] [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/11/07/stories/2002110700040300.htm royal treat in Chandni Chowk] [http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=FEAEN20070032547 top 10 "Food Wonderlands of the World."]

It has catered to Mughal Emperors, Presidents and Prime Ministers of India.

History

It was founded by by Lala Sukh Lal Jain who had arrived in the walled city of Delhi from Amber, India, a few years after Sindhia restored Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The shop is now run by his descendants. Now a days Ghantewala's delicious Indian Sweets can buy online at http://www.ghantewala.com

Ghantewala's sweets were already famous before the 1857 uprising Ghadar. The 'Dihli Urdu Akhbar' of August 23, 1857 reported about the rebels from other regions become softened after they discovered the luxaries of the royal capital:

..The moment they have a round of Chandni Chowk ... enjoy the sweetmeats of Ghantawala, they lose all urge to fight and kill the enemy.. [W. Dalrymple, The Last Mughal, 2006]

The Lala began by selling Mishri Mawa, a Rajasthani speciality. They now have around 40 to 50 different varieties of sweets that they keep changing according to the season or festivals, according to Sushant Jain, who is a seventh generation descendant.The family split a few decades ago and another branch has a shop nearby near the fountain.

There are a couple of theories about how it got its name "Ghantewala" [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000827/spectrum/main6.htm] According to one, it was so named by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar himself who asked his servants to get sweets from the 'Ganta neecha' (Below the bell) shop. In those days the area was sparsely populated and the Emperor who used to live in the Red Fort could hear the toll of the bell for the school which was located in front of the shop.

Products

According to the owner Jain, the 'Sohan Halwa' is a favourite of patrons from as far away as the Gulf. Pista Burfi and perennial favourite like 'motichoor ki ladoo' and snacks like makkan choora are also popular among the patrons.

A symbol of Chandhi Chowk

When film producer B.R. Chopra made his comedy film Chandni Chowk (1954), he made sure that a replica of the shop is included in his set. He said: "Chandni Chowk without Ghantewala? Unthinkable."

Nearby attractions

Ghantewala is close to several storied spots in the Chandani Chowk area. The sections of the walled city south of Chandni Chowk has been home to Jain and Marwari communities, resulting in several vegetarian eatries in the area, as well as several nearby Jain temples like the Lal Mandir and Naya Mandir.

Jalebi Wala: The famous Jalebiwala shops sells only jalebis. It was started byNemi Chand Jain about 80 years ago [http://www.dayafterindia.com/july208/paan.html Old and Famous Jalebiwala] . The jalebis are quite big in size and are cooked in ghee.

Haldiram's: across the street, by contrast is a new and modern shop. The Haldiram's original Bikaner shop was founded in 1930s and the Chandni Chowk branch was started in 1982.

References

External links

* [http://www.ghantewala.com Ghantewala web-site]
* [http://www.chandnichowk.com Chandni Chowk's website]
* [http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/chandnichowk.shtml For travellers]
* [http://www.thedelhicity.com/DelhiGuide/Dgu_lnd/chandnichowk.htm Small Description]