Although it’s just a metro ride away from the swanky urban sprawl of New Delhi, yet, the shopping avenues of the walled city make you feel like you’ve time travelled to a medieval souk, laid out with rich wares. Flanked by centuries’ old near-crumbling facades and steeped in the rich lore of the past, these alleys are the perfect place for an evening’s treasure hunt. From exotic candles, gold, spices and perfumes, to soaps, books, electronics and festival paraphernalia—the list is endless when it comes to shopping in our very own Purani Dilli.

There’s a street for everything in Shahajahanabad. Leave your car behind and walk. Where roads are barely five feet wide, and a near bedlam of vehicles, people and animals, this is just the perfect way to soak in the ambience and get lighter by the dozen, in your wallet of course.

Gradually you’ll fall into this heady rhythm of cacophony and chaos and very soon will find yourself in Chandni Chowk’s Gali Paranthewali where Ram Chandra Krishan Chandra charms brides-to-be with exotic wedding sarees, resplendent with traditional gold workmanship.

Kinari Bazaar’s Mali Wara Street is another hot destination for wedding shopping. Check out Meena Textiles for bandhej chunri ghatchola and Chander Prakash Rajesh Kumar for lehengas. And for all kinds of zari work there is Tiraha’s Manher Lal Mohan Lal.

Next in line comes jewellery and here too Kinari Bazaar will not disappoint you either. Hop into Choithram and Sons for diamond pieces, while Bansilal and Sons is sure to bowl you over with its dazzling collection of pearls. For silver jewellery head to Ratan Chand Jwala Nath Jewellers, in the silver market at Dariba Kalan.

If you’ve had enough of frenetic trousseau shopping and want to spend some quiet time in sober company, take the turn to Nai Sarak, a street dedicated to books! Centuries’ old shops—some as old as 200 years like Vijaykumar Govindram Hasanand —are veritable treasure troves for the bibliophile. And talking of book markets, it would be a gross lapse if we fail to mention the Sunday book bazaar at Darya Ganj.

For stationery items like handmade paper and customised cards there is Sai Cards at Chawri Bazaar. Chawri Bazaar also doubles up as a street for hardware and brass/copper utensils. You can find doorknobs of every kind, various other hardware items, and copper pots and pans of all sizes.

NM Kishan at the nearby Cycle Market is a good place to strike up a bargain if you are planning to buy a cycle. Surprisingly, Cycle Market also has a few shops where you get photography equipment; check out the RK Studio for the same.

While roaming around if you get distracted by a strong, pungent aroma, chances are that you have reached Khari Baoli—the very place to go if you want to spice up your life, err … palate. Shyam Stores is where your nose should take you, as other than the usual products, it also stocks exotic spices from Kashmir and Pakistan.

Last but not the least, there is the Orient Electric House in Chandni Chowk that answers all your gadget needs.

As you inch your way out of this amazing maze, sated and ready to hit the sack, you would be glad to discover that despite all the visible madness, the charm of the walled city is never lost on diehard shoppers.