This way to Bhaijaan Market

The Old Delhi encyclopaedia

- Mayank Austen Soofi

Jaan means life. Bhai means bro. So bhaijaan maybe implies a bro who is as dear as one's own life.

Whatever, one of the most commonly heard words in Old Delhi streets is bhaijaan. The word is instinctively summoned to hail a friendly chap or even any random male encountered on the street.

And here's this little-known multi-storey in the Walled City called Bhaijaan Market! The ground-floor is essentially a U-shaped corridor lined with shops and offices. The complex is located on a noisy street named after legendary scholar Syed Ahmad Khan. (This historic Walled City figure is too revered to be a mere Syed Bhaijaan; he is instead Sir Syed.)