India, Oct. 10 -- It is five in the morning, and the sky is still black. A crescent moon is visible in the narrow wedge of sky between the house roofs. Lamplight is falling on the shutters, leaving stretches of the Old Delhi street in shadow. No crowd fills the silent passage at this hour. The houses are shut, the shops yet to open. Even so, the street feels crowded, being dense with wires, balconies and signboards.

At the street's mouth, where the street meets Matia Mahal Bazar, packets of double roti are heaped on a folding table. Behind it stands Aslam, a dweller of the street. He sells breakfast bread at this hour every day. A municipal board behind him identifies the street as Katra Gokul Shah.

In the traditional city layout, a kat...