Before it became synonymous with deep-fried bread swimming in desi ghee, the narrow lane branching off Chandni Chowk was known as Dariba Kalan or "Mini Dariba," recognized chiefly for its silverware shops.
The Transformation
The lane's destiny changed in the 1870s when Brahmin families from Gwalior set up shops to sell their unique style of deep-fried, stuffed parathas. The popularity skyrocketed so intensely throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries that by 1911, the lane was officially rechristened as Paranthe Wali Gali.
A Royal and Political Legacy
In the mid-20th century, particularly the 1960s, there were approximately 20 different paratha shops in the lane. Over the decades, the lane attracted numerous high-profile visitors, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. They all sat on the same simple benches, eating the same parathas served with tangy chutneys, spicy aloo sabzi, and homemade pickles.
While only a handful of the iconic, multi-generational shops remain today—some managed by the sixth generation of the founding families—the flavors of Paranthe Wali Gali endure as a living, edible museum of Old Delhi.