Chandni Chowk has the distinction of being perhaps the only trade market that also houses an equally amazing number of places of worship of all the prominent Indian religions. Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity and Jainism exist side by sides in the 2 km. stretch between Fatehpuri Masjid to Red Fort alone. Here one can find more than seven Hindu and Jain temples, two Churches, three Mosques and two Gurudwaraas. This is excluding the numerous smaller shrines that exist in the remoter parts of Chandni Chowk.
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir:
This famous temple dates back to the time of Aurangzeb's reign. It situated bang opposite the Red Fort, at the entrance of the main road. 'Lal' in Hindi means red for the stones used in the construction. The inner walls are covered with beautiful paintings (in which real gold has been used).
The temple premises house a unique medical center for birds, the Birds' Charity Hospital. Free treatment is given here, which draws inspiration from the message of 'Live and let Live' given by Lord Mahavir, the twenty fourth Tirthankara of the Jains.
Jama Masjid:
Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. It’s also known as ‘Masjid-I-jahan Numa’ (Jahan means ‘World’ and Numa means -‘Visible’ It’s situated some quarter of a mile from the Red Fort. It was designed as Emperor Shahjahan’s principal mosque.
The construction work continued for six years, ending in 1644. The structure was placed on a high platform so that it’s magnificent facade would be visible from all the adjoining areas. It’s an austere yet beautiful building. As with the other buildings of Shahjahanabad, this one was also in red sandstone. White marble has also been used extensively, specially in the three domes (white marble inlaid with stripes of black). The pulpit is one of its best features, being carved out of a single block of marble. Two slender minarets grace the façade, one on each side, rising to a height of 130 feet. The Jama Masjid has th
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