Delhi is gearing up for a nightlife makeover, with Connaught Place and India Gate set to transform into bustling food and cultural hubs after dark. Inspired by the vibrant late-night food scenes of Indore’s Sarafa Bazaar and Ahmedabad’s Law Garden, the capital is planning to open dedicated night food markets right in its heart.
Night Food Markets and Cultural Festivities
As per the proposal, around 50 to 60 food trucks and vans will serve a wide variety of delicacies from 10:30 pm to 1 am. Initially, this will be limited to weekends, but the plan is to expand it across the week once streamlined. To enhance the experience and ensure safety, the zones will be made vehicle-free during market hours, making them pedestrian-friendly and easy to navigate.
The vision goes beyond food—it’s about creating a festive atmosphere. Live performances will be hosted by artists from different state bhawans, adding music and cultural flavour to the evenings. The events will also feature rotating themes tied to festivals such as Diwali and Holi, along with seasonal surprises like mango celebrations, turning the area into a year-round carnival.
Infrastructure and Urban Development Plans
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which is driving the project, has also approved several major infrastructure upgrades. A new foot overbridge will be built at Gate No. 5 of the Delhi High Court on Sher Shah Road, offering pedestrians a safe passage amid heavy traffic.
In addition, 79 major roads under NDMC’s jurisdiction will be resurfaced at a cost of nearly ₹90 crore. This includes the high-security stretches around Parliament, the Prime Minister’s residence and Rashtrapati Bhavan. Connaught Place itself will see its Inner, Outer and Middle Circles revamped through modern techniques like micro-surfacing and cold milling.
To tackle air pollution, automated mist systems will be introduced across 24 busy roads to suppress dust and reduce vehicular emissions.
Adding to these developments, the council announced that it would celebrate ‘Seva Parv’ from September 17 to October 2 with a series of social service drives and public welfare activities.
The meeting where these initiatives were discussed was attended by key political leaders and members of the NDMC, underscoring the ambition to reshape Delhi’s cultural and infrastructural landscape.
