What makes Paharganj so popular with foreigners? 1990's travellers’ hub, in Delhi

From the archive record

Once known as Shahganj, during the reign of Shah Jahan, Paharganj was one of the first marketplaces outside the fort walls of Delhi. It remains a marketplace, bustling, crowded and noisy, but with such vibrancy, charm and atmosphere that its numerous hotels, basic as well as upscale, are home to all sorts of travellers. Certainly, the proximity to New Delhi Railway Station and Connaught Place helps to make it a travellers’ hub and a backpackers’ haven, but there is really much more to Paharganj. For most visitors to the area, it is a market unlike any other in Delhi because of the liberal sprinkling of foreigners. They are all over, walking in the streets, buying in the shops, eating in the cafés, and drinking and chatting up a storm in the bars. And they range from the first-time tourist