Dariba Kalan

After crossing the Esplanade Road, a left turn just before Gurdwara Sisganj on the Chandni Chowk road will take to the 'Street of the Incomparable Pearl', Dariba Kalan (Hindi:दरीबा कलान). The street derives its name from the Persian 'Dur-e be-baha', meaning 'pearl without compare' because since the period of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the street used to be the popular market of precious stones, gems, gold and silver jewelry. Till today it is known as jewelers' street although most of shops in the street now deal in silver and costume jewelry. It is a very good market for purchasing new or old silver jewelry, because of the wide choice available. Apart from jewellery, some shops of the market also deal in authentic itra, a special type of perfume and attar and claim to be in the trade from the early 19th century.

As far as history is concerned, the street witnessed the bloody massacre of 1739, ordered by the Persian invader Nadir Shah. It was here that the soldiers of the Persian army killed many innocent citizens of Delhi and looted the precious gem stones and gold jewelry stored in the shops at Dariba Kalan.

Dariba is one of the locations mentioned in Kajra Re song in Bunty aur Babli

Related

• Nadir Shah
• Jainism in Delhi