Easy commute to Mughlai food hub

NEW DELHI: The hub of Mughlai food in Delhi — Jama Masjid — has come closer. Connoisseurs of the aromatic, lip-smacking qorma, kebabs and fried chicken and fish will have one more access point to the historical market once train operations start on the Metro Heritage Line.

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At present, commuters headed for Jama Masjid get down at the Chawri Bazar Metro station.

“Though people beat all odds to reach our restaurant, with the coming of the Metro, we will become more accessible,” said Naved Khan, manager at Al-Jawahar, a popular restaurant.

Apart from popular food chains such as Al-Jawahar, Changezi Chicken and Karims, many other street joints in the vicinity attracts crowds in large numbers.

From grilled vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies, the main attraction of many of these outlets, the neighbourhood offers a range of options for people with a sweet tooth.

“After the Metro started from Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazar, the restaurants here started getting more patrons. Now we have to take a rickshaw from Chawri Bazar, but with the new line we will probably be able to walk from the station to reach these joints,” said Suneedhi Singh, a customer at Karims.

The first easy access to Jama Masjid was the Chawri Bazar station in 2005. The station, however, is around half-a-kilometre away and people use cycle and battery-run rickshaws to get to Jama Masjid, adding to the crowd.

Delhi Traffic Police records show the Urdu Bazar Road’s average vehicular volume is around 30,000. During festivals such as Ramzan and Dussehra, the volume of traffic almost doubles.

Apart from the authorised parking lot at Subhash Park, there are no parking lots in the area and this causes congestion.

“It is not just the volume of traffic but the lack of planning. There is no space for pedestrians,” said a senior traffic official.

In 2015, during the holy month of Ramzan, traffic jams on several evenings continued till at least two hours, the official said.

There will be four exit gates of the Jama Masjid Metro station opening towards Red Fort, Netaji Subhash Marg, Meena Bazar towards Jama Masjid and Kasturba Hospital.