Flower Market in Delhi at dawn

If you are up even before dawn in Delhi, you may want to go for a run along the city’s many green belts. Or you could pay a visit to India’s biggest wholesale flower market in Connaught Place, the main commercial and shopping district in the centre of the capital of the country.

First question: Why early morning? Because it is a temporary market that comes alive at 4 am and disappears by 9 am. Traders display their offerings during this time when retailers and decorators, and some customers who want flowers for their personal use, come to stock up for their own customers. Hundreds of traders set up shop every day of the year, all temporary, to do an annual business over $100 million (unofficial estimates). A permanent market to the east of Delhi is currently being planned. But the market may remain primarily a morning one as trade customers need to attend to their respective businesses during the day.

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Qutab Minar, Islam’s first outpost in the region

Islam established its first formal foothold in India when a mosque was constructed in what is known as the the Qutab Minar complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the Mehrauli area of New Delhi. And as a sign of centuries of turmoil to follow, 27 Hindu and Jain temples were demolished to provide the materials and space for the same. Read more