iShop Chandla Ol Market

Heaven of worship

Chandla Ol is one of the oldest markets of Ahmedabad dedicated entirely to products required for religious ceremonies. Locals come here for prayer items, statues, vessels, jewellery and other worshipping accessories. Religion and faith are closely woven into the Indian society and this is a place like no other to experience that. Old Ahmedabad is home to over 300 official places of worship (80 are Islamic, 106 are Hindu, 119 are Jain and the remaining 4 are Jewish, Parsi and Christian) and countless neighbourhood shrines and small temples. In this cacophony of religions, there is constant demand for flowers, costumes and jewellery.

Handicraft business

Bankim Kaushik Chandra, owner of Vrunda Shrungar shares: “In the old days, these accessories were made at home by the women while the men handled the business. They had their shops on the ground floor and lived on the upper floors. It was truly a handicraft industry. With time readymade products became popular and the character of this lane became more commercial. Of course, business is the busiest around the time of Janmashtami and Navratri, but in India with the number of festivals around the year there never seems to be a dull moment here in Chandla Ol”.

Nice to know

Many claim the very first shop in the old city was in Chandla Ol. The very first shop at the start of Chandla Ol from Manek Road is numbered 1.