ManekChowk

Manek Chowk

This bustling open square near the center of the city functions as a vegetable market in the morning and a jewellery market in the afternoon, the second biggest in India, at an apparently 3 million rupees of annual turnover. It is most famous, however, for its food stalls that start to emerge around 8 in the evening, with various local street snacks and goodies. This quarter, the oldest of the city, is named after the 15th century saint Baba Maneknath, who is said to have interrupted Ahmed Shah’s efforts to build the new capital. Each day he would weave a mat while the fort walls were being built, which he would then unravel at night, magically bringing down the walls. When this was discovered, he was invited to prove his powers to Ahmed Shah by putting himself into a small jar.