ICONIC GOLE MARKET - NEW DELHI

In the centre of New Delhi, India, Edwin Lutyens constructed the Gole Market area within a traffic circle in 1921. It is regarded as an important architectural structure and one of the oldest colonial markets still standing in New Delhi. The dodecagonal market was constructed along an axis that Edwin Lutyens designed as part of the planning of New Delhi. Four radial routes that leave the market are Peshwa Road, Ramakrishna Ashram Road, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, and Bhai Veer Singh Road.

History

The Edwin Lutyens-designed octagonal market was erected in 1921 as a significant component of a larger expansion scheme. The Connaught Place shopping district was constructed next to it in the years that followed, providing for the everyday requirements of thousands of government workers residing in neighbouring housing developments constructed for them in 1925. The majority of government offices had moved from Old Delhi a decade before the new capital's 1931 inauguration, therefore these personnel worked at the nearby Secretariat Building. A large number of workers were sent to the new capital from far-off regions of India, such as the Bengal Presidency and Madras Presidency.

Famous painter B.C. Sanyal and his wife Snehlata, a ghazal singer and actress, relocated to Gole Market following the partition of India. Their "refugee studio" ultimately became known as Gallery 26 and served as a gathering place for local artists and students. The Delhi Shilpi Chakra, which Sanyal and some of her artist friends formed, was later born in the studio. This group had a significant impact on North Indian modern art.

The market had 28 active stores at the turn of the twenty-first century, the majority of which were vintage from the 1920s. Several fast food restaurants, confectioneries, and sweet stores were among them, including Kaleva, Bengali Sweet Shop, Karachi Sweet Shop, and a number of meat markets. Unauthorized building and extensions caused the facade to degrade over time, and it was in poor condition. Many business owners received fines from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for operating without the necessary permits or in unsanitary circumstances.

The structure was deemed hazardous in 2007, and the NDMC offered the shop owners substitute locations. Nevertheless, they refused this proposal. The NDMC was compelled to start restoration work as a result. Eventually, the NDMC suggested giving the structure full heritage protection and stopping all commercial activity. The decision was supported by the traffic police since holding a market in the major roundabout clogged up traffic. By May 2009, the NDMC had six shops under its control and had given the shop owners with eviction papers. The remaining owners launched a campaign to stop the forced relocation.

Eventually, the NDMC disclosed updated plans for the heritage market's transformation into a museum. 28 of the market's store owners filed a lawsuit with the Delhi High Court in February 2013 protesting the NDMC's purported attempt to seize control of their establishments. On June 20, 2013, the court found in favour of the NDMC but issued a warning about using the land for non-commercial purposes. The shop owners were ordered by the court to vacate their premises by June 30, 2013. The High Court's eviction deadline was upheld by the Supreme Court on June 27.

Gole Market locality

The distance between the Gole Market and the New Delhi General Post Office, which was constructed in 1931, is roughly 800 metres (2,600 feet). Due to the octagonal shape of the structure, it is additionally known as Gole Dak Khana. Robert Tor Russell, the Public Works Department's head architect, created the design (PWD). Its height was kept low to provide a clear view of the surrounding Sacred Heart Cathedral, which is located near the roundabout that was formerly known as Alexandra Place.

Education

There are several schools in the vicinity of Gole Market, including St. Columbas School, Convent of Jesus and Mary, NP Boys Senior Secondary School, Harcourt Butler Senior Secondary School, Elisabeth Hall-Shiv Niketan School, Kali Bari Dayanand Model Public School, Ranoor Paathshaala, Raisina Bengali School, Kaali Bari, NP Primary School, Kendriya Vidyalaya Gole Market, and D.T.E.A Senior Secondary School are some other schools in this category.

Politics

The President's House and the Parliament House are both two kilometres (1.2 mi) distant from Gole Market, which is situated approximately one kilometre (0.62 mi) from Connaught Place's business district. It also serves as home to the Delhi headquarters of the Communist Party of India, which is situated adjacent to other political structures.

Between 1966 and 1993, the Gole Market neighbourhood served as a Delhi Metropolitan Council constituency within the New Delhi Lok Sabha district, and from 1993 to 2008, it served as a Delhi State Assembly constituency within the South Delhi Lok Sabha district. When the Gole Market seat was up for election in the 1998 and 2003 assembly elections, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit ran for and won it. The seat, however, was eliminated during the delimitation process in 2008, and is now known as the New Delhi constituency.