About Connaught Place
Soon after the British decided to build a new capital city in Delhi, there were calls for a distinct shopping centre to be established, primarily from the European commercial community. Leading builders of the day also requested for sites to be allotted so they could put up suitable buildings in line with the character of New Delhi. The layout was inspired by crescents like the Park Crescent in London and The Circus in Bath. The pattern was an incomplete circle or a horseshoe design consisting of two concentric rings of double-storeyed blocks. The buildings were constructed by the builders with their own capital and each block was sold individually. But to keep the design consistent the architect members of the Imperial Delhi Committee, Nicholls and then Russell were given the task of design and plans. The designs of Connaught Place’s arches, pillars and open verandahs are an instantly recognisable image.
In 1927 the complex was named after King Edward VII’s brother, Lord Arthur, the Duke of Connaught. Even today, the inner circle is called Connaught Place and the outer circle, Connaught Circus with a huge open area in the centre. Connaught Place was built on a very generous and open scale, much like New Delhi as a whole, an urban design meant for the age of motorized transport. The elite would come in motor cars and others from neighbouring Old Delhi on horse-drawn tongas! A limited bus service and even a trolley bus service from Civil Lines ran for a few years.
The complex was built as and when investors came in the 1920s and blocks were built unevenly. In 1926, work began in one of the blocks and the following year another two. Tenants moved into shops in 1927-28 and in 1929-30, three more blocks were built. Ten blocks of outer circle, including the Statesman building and Scindia House were built subsequently. The latter was taken over by Sobha Singh, a leading contractor of New Delhi and he also built a grand theatre, the Regal in 1932. Three more movie theatres were built, Plaza in 1933, Odeon in 1940 and Rivoli in 1941 and they mostly screened English Language films.
Business in Connaught Place picked up after a large influx of American and British soldiers into the city during the Second World War. By the early 1940s Connaught Place was the most fashionable shopping centre in New Delhi and the most crowded spot already. The businesses mostly catered to the elite of the new capital, some of them were institutions from Calcutta, Simla or Kashmiri Gate. Restaurants, confectioners and catering services added to the charm of Connaught Place.
Connaught Place has evolved over the years, the Rajiv Chowk metro station connects it to far-flung areas in the National Capital Region, and a variety of visitors pour in - shoppers, restaurant-goers, office-goers, tourists from India and beyond. A comprehensive restoration was done for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the façade, parking and services were updated at a huge cost. Though many of the older retail outlets and indeed some legacy restaurants have closed, many new one have opened – high street brands for whom presence in ‘Connaught Place’ is a must. The upper floors have seen most of the residents move out to make way for offices or trendy bars/pubs/cafes. The cinemas too have evolved into chain multiplexes with more entertainment and dining options.
Connaught Place has constantly reinvent itself to keep pace with the times. Even though new malls have opened up around the city, ‘CP’ offers a distinct experience and it is still THE place to go to for people of all ages and walks of life!
