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Chickpet and Avenue Road, Bangalore
The Everything Bazaar
Chickpet is Bangalore's old trading quarter, laid out as market streets when Kempe Gowda I founded the town in 1537. Today it is a dense grid of silk and sari shops, jewellers in neighbouring Balepet and wholesale lanes, with Avenue Road along its edge. It is a daytime place: come in the morning with cash and comfortable shoes, and bargain.
👥 Who it suits
silk and saris the everything bazaar bargaining
Staying here
Nowhere to stay: a daytime silk expedition.
🌙 In the evening
Shops shut by evening; come by day and travel light.
Getting there
Ⓜ Chickpete (Green)
Where to eat
Shopping
👣 A morning through the bazaar
The lanes do not need a fixed order, but this one starts with breakfast and ends near the next area south. Places are in the lists above.
- Breakfast in Balepet
Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan, open since 1926, is one of the oldest Udupi eating houses still standing: vinyl floors, slow fans, granite tables and a masala or sagu dosa. Vegetarian, cash only.
- The jewellers of Balepet
Balepet, next to Chickpet, is lined with dozens of shops selling gold, silver and traditional jewellery.
- Silk lanes
Chickpet itself is the silk quarter: everyday fabric next to handwoven saris with gold and silver thread, which is why families come here for wedding outfits. Small shops sell turmeric, black pepper, incense and oils; the wholesale lanes are busiest in the morning.
- Avenue Road, then south
Finish on Avenue Road, the bazaar's long edge, with books among the shops. From there the old town runs on south to KR Market, the fort gate and Tipu Sultan's palace; by metro it is one stop.
✅ Before you go
Advice that the market and souvenir pages give for Chickpet.
- Cash — Bring cash; Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan, for one, does not take cards.
- Comfortable shoes — The lanes are narrow and crowded, and you will walk a lot.
- Bargain — It is a wholesale district and bargaining is expected.
- Travel light — Shops close by evening; come by day and leave room in the bag.
Chickpet or Commercial Street?
They are different places. Chickpet is the old wholesale bazaar of the original town, cheaper and more crowded, with silk the main reason to come. Commercial Street is the old shopping street of the British Cantonment near MG Road: clothes, shoes, fabric and jewellery in a mix of fixed-price showrooms and stalls, and Mysore Saree Udyog for certified Mysore silk. KR Market to the south is the same old town at dawn, flowers rather than cloth. For a guided walk through the trade streets of the old pete, see walking tours in Bangalore.
When to come and how to get there
Morning: fewer crowds, a better choice and the wholesale trade at its most active. November to February is the driest time in Bangalore; September and October bring heavy showers. Chickpete station on the Green Line is in the middle of the district, one stop south of Majestic. During Bengaluru Karaga (12–20 April 2027, expected) the night procession goes through the old pete, and the festival page names wide Avenue Road as the easiest place to watch it.
❓ FAQ
Is Chickpet near Majestic?
Yes. Chickpete metro station on the Green Line is one stop south of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda (Majestic) interchange.
Are Chickpet and Commercial Street the same?
No. Chickpet is the old wholesale bazaar of the original town; Commercial Street is a separate shopping street near MG Road, in the former Cantonment.
What is Chickpet famous for?
Silk and saris, from everyday fabric to bridal saris with gold and silver thread, plus jewellery in neighbouring Balepet.
Is Chickpet good for street shopping?
Yes, if you come in the morning with cash and are ready to bargain; it is a wholesale district with low prices and heavy crowds.
Can I stay in Chickpet?
The area is a daytime trip, not a base. For Karaga night, the festival page suggests staying near Majestic or Chickpete, within walking distance of the cordoned old city.
Sources (2)
Facts checked: 12 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
Other areas of Bengaluru
In the app: the city's areas on the map, the places inside and a route.
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