Historic Delhi Sweet Shop, Patronised by Nehru and Indira Gandhi, to Close After 96 Years

A 96-year-old historic sweet shop in the nation's capital will close its doors on December 31st. Dignitaries such as Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi have visited this shop. Read the full story to know more.

A historic shop in Delhi's Chandni Chowk, which had been operating since before India's independence, is set to close after 96 years. This is the same shop from which even the country's Prime Ministers used to order sweets. Not only that, when India won the World Cup in 1983, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had sent sweets from here for the Indian players. After a legal battle that lasted for about three years, the shop will now be permanently closed on December 31. For people in the capital Delhi, whether it was a festival or any occasion for celebration, they often preferred to buy sweets from here.

Know why this shop is special

The name of this shop is Annapurna Bhandar, which was established in the year 1929. For the last 60 years, this shop has been run by 81-year-old Mihir Mukherjee. Annapurna Bhandar has been particularly famous for its Bengali sweets. It was started by Mihir Mukherjee's grandfather, M.M. Mukherjee, who was employed with British Railways. After retiring from British Railways, M.M. Mukherjee came to Delhi from Kolkata in 1911 and started this shop of Bengali sweets. For many decades, everything ran smoothly, but in the last few years, a dispute arose between the shop owner and the landlord. The landlord was demanding an increase in the shop's rent to one to one and a half lakh rupees. Due to this dispute, the decision to close the shop was finally taken.

These dignitaries tasted sweets from here

Annapurna Bhandar was not only popular among common people but also among many prominent leaders of the country. Dignitaries like the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and former Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu have visited this shop. After India's World Cup victory in 1983, sweets were sent from here for the Indian cricket team by Indira Gandhi. After which, this shop gained historical recognition.

Impact on employment

A total of 12 people, including artisans and helpers, were employed by this shop. All of them are residents of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. After December 31, all of them will become unemployed. The closure of Annapurna Bhandar is also considered a major loss to Delhi's culinary heritage. It was such an old and prestigious shop, with fans spread across Delhi.