Red lights district of Deli

Hidden in plain sight, the Red lights district of Deli, officially known as Swami Shradhanand Marg, but still commonly called G.B. Road, pulses with a history as layered as the city itself. The Red lights district of Deli stretches between Ajmeri Gate and Lahori Gate. This area isn’t just a red-light district. It’s a bustling market during the day, brimming with machinery, automobile parts, hardware, and tools. It’s the largest market of its kind in the National Capital Region. Imagine the cacophony of vendors hawking their wares, the rumble of delivery trucks, and the throngs of people navigating the crowded streets. This vibrant commercial activity masks the area’s other life. As the shops close their shutters for the night, a different kind of commerce emerges on the floors above. Approximately twenty buildings house around 100 brothels. The Red lights district of Deli, or G.B. Road, is the largest red-light area in Delhi. It houses over 1,000 sex workers within its multi-story brothels. The history of the Red lights district of Deli dates back to the Mughal era, a time when Delhi had five distinct red-light areas. During the British Raj, a commissioner named Garstin Bastion consolidated these five areas onto this single road, giving the street its original name, Garstin Bastion Road. While the name officially changed to Swami Shradhanand Marg in 1966, the old moniker persists. This concentration of brothels makes G.B. Road one of the few large red-light districts in India, comparable to Kamathipura in Mumbai, Sonagachi in Kolkata, and Chaturbhuj Sthan in Muzaffarpur. After dark, the Red lights district of Deli transforms. It becomes a place of shadows and whispered transactions. However, this area holds a darker side too. It’s a place where crime can flourish, with muggings and thefts occurring frequently. The dangers are real, even for those in authority. In September 2012, a policeman was tragically stabbed to death while trying to protect a man from a gang of criminals. The Red lights district of Deli stands as a stark reminder of the complexities within Delhi, a place where commerce, history, and social realities intertwine.