India, April 9 -- AGRA The bustling lanes of Noori Darwaza, historically renowned as the capital of Agra's Rs.500-crore petha industry, are falling silent. Shortage of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), sparked by the US-Iran conflict in West Asia, has left hundreds of manufacturers without a viable fuel source, bringing the production of India's iconic confection to a near halt.

Legend has it that this market earned its fame centuries ago when Mughal empress Noor Jahan stopped to admire and taste the sweet. Today, the market is a pale shadow of its golden past.

According to Rajesh Agarwal, president of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Kuteer Petha Association, the majority of the city's 500 petha-making units have either suspended opera...