what to do in Dehli when your 17?

gregornot

Namaste,
I am taking my 17 year old son to The Maha Kumbh Mela ("great festival of the pot of nectar of immortality")in Allahabad, India, fron Jan 8th - 21st, 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbh_Mela

We are getting to Dehli a couple of days before the rest of the group arrives. As a newbie (I will not have to say this anymore after Jan finally).

I am asking oldtimers or anyone who has been to Dehli to suggest a couple age appropriate things that we can do together.Money is not a problem. He is very mature for his age and has his trip together. I don't want to do anything that would upset his girlfriend.

We have a couple days before and after to do what ever. I will be coming back shortly after I take him home to do my Vippassana retreats and trip around Northern India, following the Buddha trail with a side trip to Nepal.

Anyone have any suggestions that we might do rather than watch TV (i don't do dead eye-TV) or just eating? Just want to do something out of the ordinary that he can tell his friends about, besides The Maha Kumbh Mela.

Appreciate any great suggestions. Thanks in advance, gregor

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a felled tree still puts forth new shoots.
If the underlying habit of craving and aversion is not
uprooted, suffering arises anew over and over again."

PeakXV

Is he Sports or Arts oriented?

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

gregornot

Both
Thanks, gregor

PeakXV

Most kids that age from the embassy's ... party alot. But there
are some good adventure activities, tennis, golf etc. that are easy to partake in and get organized.

http://www.delhitourism.com/dttdc/adventure.html

Why not take a day run to Agra on the Shatabdi .... that will give him something to talk about.

cyberhippie

Ok still no IMer has made it here!!Toilet Museum

Or alternatively there are these!

Railway Museum

Dilli Haat

Habitat Center

Day Tour of Delhi

Gandhi Museum

Nizamuddin Shrine for Qawali Singers

gregornot

Namaste Cyberhippie,

[quote=cyberhippie]Ok still no IMer has made it here!!Toilet Museum

If we do go to your first choice, I will dedicate my bowel movement to you, but I guess that I will still have to bring my own paper or do you think they might sell some in at the concession stand along with assorted dog logs
peace, gregor

on another note did you see this yesterday boingboing.com one of my favorite blogs (run by the editors of Wired Magazine,no less among other old hippies, Stewart Brant of Whole Earth Catalogue fame) So as one old hippy to another peace, brother

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/22...ispenser_.html

Friday, September 22, 2006
SquidSoap dispenser shows you when you're done scrubbing
Squid Soap's mission is to "train tomorrow's great hand washers." The pump-bottle is decorated with a plastic squid, and the top of the pump has an ink-stamper that leaves a ring on your hand when you pump your soap. Once you've scrubbed enough to remove the ink-stamp, you've also scrubbed enough to kill the germs on your hands. Link (via Collision Detection)

Great photo but I could not get it to copy over, check it out and the video that show how effective it is for training America's next set of clean hand washers, Your choice was great so I could let folks know how to properly wash their hands worldwide

manreet_16

oh its simple..he or she must go to explore delhi..as Must go in Metro..completely safe..go to cannaugh palace..go to Ghafar market..visit chandni chownk..ya One week shedule over..take care
Delhi is Safe
regards
manreet_16

capt_mahajan

heres my list for a 17 year old. (cyberhippie has got most of them already)

- nizamuddin qawwali on thursday, also sufi history.
- dilli haat for indian crafts, and food stalls in a tout free atmosphere
- sound and light show at red fort
- drive through india gate, rajpath, and around rashtrapati bhavan

machadinha

Not forgetting: being in frikkin Dilly in the first place!!

I'm sure you'll have a great time. My favorite (age 24 or so): Simply whisking around at night (evening) in crazy rickshaws going here and there (esp. Old Delhi!), hoping you'll survive, carnivals and general mayhem in background but actually the ride's on you.

(Qawwali performances is something that I've stupidly missed btw. Recommended I hear, read a little about Sufism before you go.)

Kumbh Mela will be something else btw. Were you the one asking about that on earlier thread? As was noted there, it can probably be great if you make some arrangements. Whatever you do, expect it to be massive, as in, well, massive. These occasions are really not for the faint-hearted I'd say. I've been to another major festival which was nowhere near as big and it just blew me. Sense of privacy may well have to be suspended for the time. Kumbh Mela will get its share of foreigners though I presume, also from previous replies. Anyway getting lost in Delhi crowds might be something of a (very) mild preparation.

Have fun & enjoy.

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PeakXV

Is the Polo season on in Delhi then or does it start in February? .... can't remember

Seventeen year olds are all different but I can't imagine doing too many static/artsy things with my old man when I was 17 - gotta mix it up a bit and get a few sport/activities in the itinerary!

gregornot

namaste,
We will be able to pick up a couple of things from the lists given. Yes I was one asking about Maha Kumbh Mela and yes we are going with a group that has been before and will have it organized for us. Was looking for activities to ramp it up in beginning and slow it down when we safely made it backand he has to go back to dull USA, but I think He will be hooked on India after this trip.
Thanks for all suggestions and if there are any more keep them coming this way
Peace, gregor

jyotirmoy

Try the amusement park Appu Ghar. Visit the Railway Museum. A metro ride to the University area, eating out at Bikanerwalla, toy musieum at ITO... plenty of things to do. and be very careful about the water & food at the mela. Good luck

gollum

As a big fan of Old Delhi, I would recommend you to explore the area with him. Wonderful experience for a kid; a real challenge for the senses.

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tigerainbowater

hi gregornot,
recently in the yoga,spirituality&religion section "baba"posted a reply to the thread "ardh mela in allahabad jan 2007" giving a link to the following web site(which i find very nice):http://www.divinerevelation.org/Kumb...l#anchor190712
quote from the site: Dates for the Maha Kumbh Festival
(every 12 years in 4 locations)

The next Ardh (half) Mela (festival) will be held January 2007 at Allahabad. Main bathing date: Jan. 19.
In 2010, March-April, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held at Haridwar in the foothills of the Himalayas. Main bathing date: April 14.
In 2013, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held in Allahabad (Prayag), Jan. 27 to Feb. 25. Main bathing date: Feb. 10.
In 2015, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held Aug. 15 to Sept. 13. Main bathing date: Sept. 13.
In 2016, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held April 22 to May 21. Main bathing date: May 21.

this info looks quite reliable so i guess the next mela is an ardh(half)mela and not a maha(great)mela...
there's been a lot of confusion on this subject,until recently i thought it would be a maha kumbha mela in nasik in jan/feb 2007

personally i like delhi very much,my best moments there including night rides on enfield with my girlfriend in mostly cool deserted streets&the paharganj where your son can meet some interesting young travellers...

enjoy the mela

om shanti

PortieOwner

I think the amusement park at Appu Ghar (Pragati Medan) is closed now, they are building a new one in Noida. I think a 17 year old would enjoy walking around the Delhi University campus. There is definitely one coffee shop on campus which will be open during the day, and lots of students his age walking around.