Connaught Place (Hindi: कनॉट प्लेस, Punjabi: ਕਨਾਟ ਪਲੇਸ, Urdu: کناٹ پلیس) (officially Rajeev Chowk) is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Delhi. It is often abbreviated as CP and houses the headquarters of several Indian firms. Its surroundings occupy a place of pride amongst the heritage structures of the city. It was developed as a showpiece of Lutyens' Delhi featuring a Central Business District. Named after the Duke of Connaught, the construction work was started in 1929 and completed in 1933. The Connaught Place of today is one of the most vibrant business districts of Delhi. But with the development have also come certain problems, like dispute over property rights, encroachments, haphazard development, unauthorized construction, traffic congestion and others.
Urban structure
Robert Tor Russell, chief architect to the Government of India designed Connaught Place in 1932 based upon an outline by W.H. Nichollas (the committee's architect from 1913-1917). The area is instantly recognizable on any map of Delhi, being the big circle in the middle with radial roads spreading out in all directions, like spokes on a wheel. Eight separate roads lead out from Connaught's inner circle, named Parliament Street and Radial Roads 1 through 7. Twelve different roads lead out from Connaught Circus, the outer ring; the most well-known of these is Janpath, the continuation of Radial Road 1. It is a logically planned area and houses one of India's first under ground market-Palika bazar.
Connaught Place's obvious Georgian architecture is modeled after the Royal Crescent in Bath, England.
The central park of Connaught Place, has long been a venue for cultural events, in 2005-006 it was rebuilt after the construction of Delhi Metro station below it. That station, Rajiv Chowk, is the interchange for the Yellow and Blue lines of the Metro and one of the largest and busiest stations in the network.
The Connaught Place is famous for its varied restaurants of each culture and community. A person from any community can relish his/her own country foods.
Delhi blasts
Connaught Place was the site of two of the five terrorist blasts that made up the 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings. Ten people were injured, police and witnesses said that the bombs went off in dustbins in and around Connaught Place. There was also one bomb blast in the Central Park near Connuaght Place. Authorities also discovered two undetonated bombs in Delhi, one located at the Regal cinema complex in Connaught Place. As a response, all dustbins have been removed from the area for security reasons.
Redevelopment plans
By the late 2000s, Connaught Place may have lost its old glory but the charm of the market still works on the people. As a part of its 'Return to heritage Project', the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has prepared a plan to revamp and redevelop this proud landmark of Delhi. The plan includes provision of heritage sensitive signages, engineering improvements of roads, drainage sewerage, water supply and sub-stations etc, development of a traffic management plan, provisions of street furniture's including adequate parking, walkways etc and enhancing the structural stability of all buildings including retrofitting for earthquake resistance. All these components have been identified based on studies conducted by various reputed agencies like SPA, RITES, CMCCC, NTPAC etc.
 Delhi CBD |  The Statesman Building |  Shops along the innermost Connaught Circle at night in early 2006 | |
 The newly built central park over the Metro station below |  Typical Georgian buildings |  Small Mosque |  Inner circle |
 On one of the spokes |  Street scene |  View from rotating restaurant |
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