Things to do in Delhi

indiamike

Since most of the people here have spent some time in Delhi can you list some of the things to do in Delhi besides the usual tourist stuff and things that are listed in guidebooks.

Mike

ps...and please no one mention G.B. Road

Midnite Toker

When asked a question like this I usually say "IIC"

The India International Centre at 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodi Estate (very near the Lodi Gardens - another good place to spend some time in Delhi, but they're in the guide books so don't count) has recitals of classical music, talks and other interesting cultural events. Many of the lectures and performances are free.

Last phone number I had for them was 4619431 but that was in 2001, so could be out of date now.

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riya

1. Local Trade Fairs or Exhibitions
2. Doll House Museum in ITO(Near Connaught Place)
3. Early morning walks in local parks
4. Riding local transportation - mini & double decker bus/scooter
5. Chandni Chowk

Lily

Mahatma Gandhi Museum

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RobL

Read "City of Djinns" by William Dalrymple then use the map from the book to explore. I was there last week doing this and now see Delhi in a completely different light, I love it! I've been to St. James Church, Lothian Rd Cemetery, The old British Residency, Humayun's Tomb, Nizamuddin, Safdarjang's tomb, the Mutiny Memorial etc. etc. Knowing about what you're looking at makes it so much more interesting of course and I am now in Dharamsala teaching fellow travellers all my wisdom and converting quite a few who had belived it was only the place to catch a plane! The day I get back to the UK I am meeting Dalrymple and I can't wait to have a good chin wag about my fave city.

Sindrome

Try out the pubs in Delhi , some of them are really awesome .... particularly No Escape at Connaught Place .... they play the most amazing house and underground music ....there's also a live band called Black Slade on monday nights and a theme party every wednesday

U can also visit the Hauz Khas Village for a feel of old architecture from the mughal era

A visit to Old Delhi - Parathe wali galli is a must !!!

Tigerbob

Carry packed dinner and have it on the India Gate lawns in the night.
Recently a newspaper said that Delhi police estimate that about 10,000 people do this on the week-ends.
I do it with my family and friends, and it is an experience.
When ever I have foreign guests, this is a MUST on their agenda.
They get to see another side of the indian middle class life, and quite enjoy it.

Watson

Lodi Gardens is a must see. Cheap and good food at the Goethe Institute cantina. There is also a nice shopping, market district somewhere near the Defence colony area called Khan (Kahn?) Market where you can shop with absolutely no hassle.

Mirjam

Have lunch at the Andhra Bhavan, or very near to the British Council (Kasturba Gandhi Marg), the south Indian Restaurant where they serve great thalis!

neoncarrot

New Delhi is blessed with some of the best open spaces of any major city, especially nice in the hot season. My personal favourite, as others have mentioned, is Nehru park, closely followed by the Lodhi gardens and the long strip of a park that leads up to the Secretariat area.

Kebab eating is another way to spend time, The ones sold next to the Jama Masjid come in huge plates for few rupees with salad and a huge roti, and there are a couple of good places doing Schwarma kebabs in Khan market. If anyone knows of a good Lebanese in Delhi, please tell.

vinayverma

1. Walks, monuments and observing people in Lodhi Garden.
2. Come out of Lodhi garden and enter IIC and IHC (for exibitions, dance & music concerts etc.)
3. walk around the India Gate.
4. Walking inner and outer circles of CP.
5. Food & Drink:
a. Kebabs and biryani near Jama masjid
b. Parantha & and snacks in Old Delhi (chandni chowk)
c. Pubs like DV8, Rodeo, Djinns, My kind of place, Mirage, Dublin......
d. Catch the late night dinner of Egg/Aloo/Onion parantha near ITO in front of Times of India office
e. Cooling of with a glass of Mango lassi and south indian food at Sagar in Defence colony.
f. Gol-gappas and Chaat (hot-hot and spicy) at UPSC near India gate. Be early on weekends as everything is sold out by 6PM.
6. Shopping:
a. Dili haat, near INA market for shopping with ethinic food.
b. Sarojini Nagar Market for cheap and trendy clothes. (popular with young people and old travellers like me)
c. Karol Bagh, for its sheer size, crowd and bargain
d. Ansal Plaza, if u want to shop in an AC mall
e. Weekly Sunday book market in Darya Ganj.

Aprt from these weekend Enfield rides to Dam-dama lake, Sohna, and Alwar.

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sujai

The Mehrauli Archaeological Complex is in the Dorling Kindersley/Eyewitness guide to Delhi Agra and Jaipur but I have never seen any foreigners there or heard of anyone go there except for school groups.

Even though it is right behind the Qutab Minar, you have to go all the way around the Qutab complex (to the South) to enter it opposite the Mahavir statue on the Mehrauli Gurgaon Road. Alternatively, you can enter it from inside Mehrauli village - but finding it from that end on foot (or parking there) would probably not be fun.

So, once you enter the complex, there is helpful intach signage that marks a suggested route through Balban's tomb, Jamali Kamali's tomb, Rajon ki Baoli, Metcalfe's Folly, etc. There's even a section called "Ruins" ;-)

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/t...01/05/&prd=mp& has a good description, but Lucy Peck's book (on Delhi's monuments) and the Eyewitness Guide are good companions too.

The walk should take you about an hour and a half. Take a picnic along (there are some nice grassy slopes in there where you can people watch if there is a school picnic group), and if you're really adventurous - walk across the complex into Mehrauli village.

ps. It's also free - which is especially nice if you're a foreigner and have just paid 250 Rs (!!) to see the Qutab Minar

steven_ber

Wow, a very old thread, I thought maybe indiamike (the member) was going to visit India again.

Anyway, no visit to Delhi would be complete without 2 things.

1, an Indiamike Delhi meet-up, always great fun, and becoming so popular that we'll soon see touts selling tickets for the meet-ups.

2, Lunch at the Andhra Pradesh Government Office canteen, it's only open 12 till 3, it's located near Janpath in south Delhi, it's fast, very very busy, spicy, in your face, on the spot gorgeous food, grab some tissues as you queue for a table, then decide if you want Veg, Fish or Mutton (the Mutton is fabulous, but very spicy), you’ll then sit at a table and be asked “Veg, Fish or Mutton”, then within seconds (and I do mean seconds) your veg thali arrives, then the fish or mutton, every bit of the thali is good, the table water is safe to drink, and the veg thali costs Rs70, the mutton costs about Rs70 extra, and the fish probably the same.

The canteen can maybe sit about 150 people, but you’ll still queue for 5 to 10 minutes, you pay for the food as you arrive, then your given a number, listen for the number then go to your table.

The veg thali would maybe just make it into my top 10 veg tasty meals in India, but the price and experience would push it into the top 3, the mutton dish is the best non-veg meal I’ve had in India, but it is small, but don’t let that put you off, you won’t finish the meal, I can guarantee that, the waiters just keep bringing more and more of the veg, rice and puris.

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missRenu

wants to do all these things!!! yes sir

SMARTGUY

I feel Vinay's list is really a good one for the tourist who comes to delhi and don't wanna miss good things.