Khari Baoli: Khari Baoli present in Old Delhi is famous not only in the country but in Asia for the largest wholesale markets of spices and dry fruits. The name may be salty, but what can we say about the sweetness here. People from all over the country come to Khari Baoli to buy premium quality dry fruits (like almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts, figs) and sweet and sour mango papad. Khari Baoli of Old Delhi is Asia’s largest wholesale spice market as well as a major historical trade center that has been running since the 17th century. Months before the Diwali festival, people come from other states and buy dry fruits and spices here. What is Khari Baoli famous for? It is known for dry fruits. People come here to buy almonds, pistachios, walnuts, raisins and other dry fruits. Along with this, huge piles of red chilli, turmeric, green cardamom, black pepper, star anise and Kashmiri saffron attract people from far away. Tea leaves, rice, pulses, herbs and traditional Ayurvedic ingredients are also available in bulk here. How did Khari Baoli get its name? The area adjacent to Fatehpuri Masjid near the western end of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi is Khari Baoli. There is an interesting aspect behind its name. It is said that it is named after a salt water (Khari) stepwell (Baoli) of the Mughal period. Even though it is now famous for dry fruits and spices, it is still a Khari Baoli. According to historians, there used to be only one step well here. Gradually a market started coming up here. When Khari Baoli market started in Delhi in the 17th century, no one would have imagined that this market would become so huge after centuries. After centuries, Khari Baoli has now become the largest spice market in Asia. When is the market closed? Generally, Khari Baoli market remains open from Monday to Saturday, while it remains closed on Sunday. This trend has been going on for centuries. When did it start? According to historians, Khari Baoli was started in 1650. This market was built in the 1650s by one of the five wives of the then Mughal emperor Shahjahan. There was a salt water stepwell at that place, due to which it was named ‘Khari Stepwell’. Its meaning is ‘salt water well’. However, now people should not go there and try to find that stepwell, because it no longer exists. This market is very old. There are some shops here which are being run by the 10th to 12th generation of the same family. Traders from all over the country and abroad come here to buy spices.
