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A First Timer’s City Guide : DELHI, INDIA

  • DJ
  • Jun 4, 2017
  • 8 min read

NAMASTE !!!

INTRO

Delhi is a city where time travels fast & space experience changes fastly. You can go from Old Delhi, where labourers haul sacks of spices and jewellers weigh gold on dusty scales, to modern New Delhi, with its colonial-era parliament buildings and penchant for high tea. Then on to the Business city: Gurugram(earlier named as Gurgaon) a satellite city of skyscraping offices and glitzy malls.

PLACES TO VISIT

01. India Gate at night Just visit this place at midnight, the feeling of patriotism which comes is incomparable. Don’t forget to have ice-cream in dilli ki sardi! A walk on Rajpath till Rashtrapatai bhavan will be one of the most memorable walk of your life.

Nearest Metro Station : Mandi House & Khan Market

02. Chandni chowk

Your Delhi tour will not be complete without visiting this place. And and and you will need more than one day to visit this place!

Must try food;-

  • Parantha of Paranthe wali gali

  • .Kake ki hatti for bestest naan

  • Gyaani’s Icecream for faluda and gajar ka halwa

  • .Karim’s for Mughlai food

Nearest Metro Station : Chandani Chowk & Chawri Bazar

03. Canteens of State Houses

Delhi being the capital have this advantage of having people from all over the India and have lot of state houses. Just visit these places to have food in their canteens to have the taste of respective states. Some suggestions- Andra Bhavan, Maharashtra Bhavan etc.

Nearest Metro Station : Udyog Bhawan & Central Secretariat

04. A play at Mandi House Mandi House is the hub of art and cultural activities in Delhi. Watching a night show in some open air theater is something which you can’t miss. You will be lucky if any one of Nasreeruddin Shah, Piyush Mishra or Anupam Kher would be performing. Don’t miss to go nearby Bengali market to have dinner (Little costly but worthy).

Nearest Metro Station : Mandi House

05. India Habitat Center(IHC)

India Habitat Center on Lodhi road in Delhi is a brilliant place which hosts some of the great art shows, photography exhibitions, Art/Literary festivals and lot of interesting events around Art/Culture. It's always refreshing to roam around the campus, see some art shows & have food at 'Eatopia' or 'The all American Diner'.

It's recommended to check online if something interesting is happening at IHC, but you can also go directly and I am sure you would not be disappointed as an Art lover.

Nearest Metro Station : Jor Bagh & JLN Stadium

06. Qutub Minar Complex

A 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom, The complex is a UNESCO world heritage site & houses several other places of historic importance like the mysterious metallic Ashoka Pillar. Nearby you can also visit the Garden of Five senses, a modern garden with some good places for lunch & dinner.

Nearest Metro Station : Qutub Minar

07. Some of Famous Temples

There are many temples in Delhi that have been beautifully and tastefully crafted and have ever since remained the talk of the town, some of are listed below for your Delhi visit.

1. Bhairon Temple

You must carry alcohol with you, if you wish to offer it to the deity of Bhairav. The temple doesn’t sell alcohol and you can’t even find a shop nearby.

Nearest Metro Station : Indraprastha

2. Akshardham Temple

A traditional mandir (temple) dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan that reflects the beauty and spirituality of India’s ancient art, culture, and architecture. A spectacular musical fountain show that depicts the cycle of birth, life, and death as described in Indian philosophy, is a must watch.!!

Nearest Metro Station : Akshardham

3. Hanuman Mandir, Connaught Place

The temple holds a Guinness Record for the continuous chanting of the mantra ‘Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Ram’.

Nearest Metro Station : Connaught Place

4. Hanuman Mandir, Jhandewalan

During the evening Aarti; the arms of Hanuman’s giant statuemove back, the chest slides open and the beautiful images of Lord Shri Rama & Devi Sita protrudes to give darshan (sight) to all the devotees. Certainly a dazzling sight!

Nearest Metro Station : Jhandewalan

5. Jhandewalan Mandir

Dedicated to Goddess Durga, this temple is built after Badri Bhagat (one of the great devotees of Mother Goddess) who saw an idol hidden underneath the ground at the place where the temple stands in one of his dreams.

Nearest Metro Station : Jhandewalan

6. ISKCON Temple

A massive structure built for the praise and worship of Lord Krishna, ISKCON is situated on Hare Krishna Hill in East of Kailash. Also, do not miss the Mangala Aarti in the evening and the Robot Show that lasts for about an hour or so.

Nearest Metro Station : Nehru Place

7. Lotus Temple

The lotus-shape of the temple is what attracts the visitors and no doubt that this has made it one of the major tourist attractions in Delhi. The peace here is impeccable, and a person can spend hours here meditating and contemplating this unique place.

Nearest Metro Station : Kalkaji Mandir

8. Kali Mandir, Chittaranjan Park

Not only a religious place but is also reckoned to be a centre for social and cultural activities for Bengalis all over Delhi. During the Durga Puja this place comes to live and lakhs of devotees visit here to offer their prayers and gratitude to their beloved Kali Mata.

Nearest Metro Station : Kalkaji Mandir & Nehru Place

STREET FOOD

Delhi and Delhi-ites are known as much for their insatiable appetites as they are for the unending variety of food found in the city. Any cuisine, Indian or international, you name it, we have it.

But what really captures the essence of the city is the street food that changes colour and taste but gets only better with discovering the city. Here is an list of some best delhi street food eateries.


01. Paranthe Wali Galli

Paranthe Wali Galli is located in the famous Chandni Chowk area of New Delhi. As the name suggests, this place is known for the numerous shops that sell parathas, also called fried Indian bread.

A great place for vegetarians as the parathas sold here are strictly vegetarian, from the usual suspect such as Paranthas made of Aaloo, Paneer, Cauliflower, etc., one could even try Paranthas made of Papad, Banana, Khoya, etc.

Nearest Metro Station : Chandani Chowk & Chawri Bazar

02. Khandani Pakode wala

There is nothing better than munching on pakodas and sipping on tea during the winters. The Khandani Pakode wala in Sarojini Nagar Ring Road Market is heaven for those who love to gorge on some pakodas. The outlet dishes out 10 types of pakodas at any given time. The bread pakoda and the Paneer pakodas are the hottest properties at this outlet and the chutneys that come along are just an icing on them. The price for these lovely pakodas is in the range of 15 to 25 rupees only!

Nearest Metro Station : AIIMS


03. Natraj Dahi Bhalla

Natraj is located near Bhai Mati Das Chowk at the turning to Chandni Chowk metro station. It was started in 1940, they have only two items on the menu – dahi bhalla (dumplings of ground lentils is served with yogurt and spicy sauces) and aloo tikki (flattened potato dumplings, deep fried on a large pan and served with spicy sauces). Both are worth a taste!!

Nearest Metro Station : Chandani Chowk


04. Karim’s

Right opposite Jama Masjid is the original Karim’s-a gastronomic delight for non-vegetarians which was established back in 1913. All meat lovers must make a pit stop at Karim’s for their heavenly kebabs and divine mutton nahari. Karim’s has been serving peerless curries, kebabs, and breads for almost 100 years and has opened several branches within and outside Delhi with its fourth generation now running the show.

Nearest Metro Station : Chawri Bazar

05. Khan Chacha

The most sought after place to gorge on non-vegetarian food, Khan Chacha’s located in Khan Market will serve the best rolls, kebabs, rotis and much more! Not just non-vegetarian food, the vegetarian fare on offer is also something worth trying. Prices are little on the higher end, but with such amazing taste, it is worth every bite!!

Nearest Metro Station : Khan Market


06. Al-Bake

The list of amazing street food is incomplete without mentioning Shawarma at Al-Bake in New Friends Colony Market. A small joint with few tables lined for customers, each shawarma roll costs not more than Rs. 60 and it is more than satisfying!!

Nearest Metro Station : Kalkaji Mandir


07. Old Famous Jalebi Wala

A popular sugary treat, sweet jalebis are made out of deepfried batter soaked in syrup. What's even more indulgent is that the ones at Old Famous Jalebi Wala are fried in pure desi ghee. They're thicker than usual and have been prepared according to the same exclusive family recipe for the past century.

Nearest Metro Station : Chandani Chowk


08. Rabri Faluda at Giani's Di Hatti

The original shop was Giani di Hatti. Later when ice creams were introduced, branding happened & Giani’s became the branding for shops all across delhi. So the branding at the old shop became Giani’s di Hatti!!

Although there is no seating arrangement, it remains crowded throughout the year.The quality of the food they serve here is unmatched anywhere else in India. Highly recommended!!

Nearest Metro Station : Chawri Bazar

09. Prince's Paan and Chaat Corner

This up-market place is perfect for those who want to sample Delhi's delicious street food but aren't keen on venturing into the depths of Chandni Chowk. For those who love their paan, there really is no substitute. No Polo, no Chlormint, no Happydent, no questionably laced saunf will do, when Kalkatta Sada is on your mind. Prince Paan has been king in this department, for as long as most Delhiites can remember.

Nearest Metro Station : Kailash Colony

BUDGET SHOPPING

If you’re travelling to the national capital and wondering which place to visit for some quick and cheap shopping, this list would come out as a great help.

01. Sarojni Nagar

Bargain, bargain and bargain! If you have a knack to play with the price of items, you can use your skill in the Sarojini Nagar Market. From shoes to clothes to hair accessories and even beauty products, there’s nothing that you won’t find in this style maze of a market. Finding your favourite styles, new styles and the trendiest of fashion is so easy and so much fun!​!

Nearest Metro Station : INA

02. Lajpat Nagar

All your shopaholic fantasies can see daylight here. You can get hold of some trendy clothes, footwear, accessories in this popular south Delhi market. Take some time out to get your hands decorated with mehendi from the popular mehendiwalas there.

Central Market has with it popular outlets like Hakoba, Sarees giant Ram Chandra Kishan Chandra, ready to wear shops like Shehnai etc. It is here one can buy variety of footwear from Kins where a wide range of shoes, sandals and slippers are stocked.

Nearest Metro Station : Lajpat Nagar

03. Karol Bagh

The perfect place for your wedding shopping, from your wedding chooda, to designer lehengas - you find everything here. Other than wedding stuffs there is the good old Ghaffar Market. Known for imported and smuggled products in every conceivable category, it is also famous for cheap mobile phones, often second-hand ,and iPods and iPhones. You will also get cosmetics, footwear and imported hair clips here too. You can find all items listed in your shopping list, here!!

Nearest Metro Station : Karol Bagh

04. Janpath Market

The Janpath market in Connaught place has all exquisite stuff that you would want to lay your hands on. From hippy attire to handicrafts, from paintings to cheap jewelry, you name it & you have it. The more interested you are in a good the better bargain tactics you should behold to be the proud owner of the goods! Prices sometime fall beyond the half of the ‘fixed prices’ set by the shopkeepers.​

Nearest Metro Station : Connaught Place & Janpath

05. Chandni chowk

Chandni Chowk, is one of the oldest and busiest markets located in central north Delhi. It is believed to be the largest wholesale market in Asia. Being pretty expansive and very, very crowded on all days of the week, you can find from lehengas and sarees to spices and herbs of all kinds to stationery items and books. There are also many accessories shops in this market dealing in precious and semi-precious metals and stones.

Nearest Metro Station : Chandani Chowk & Chawri Bazar

It is possible to love and hate Delhi at the same time. But it's recommend you carry your camera around – Delhi has a lot of interesting sights and it never fails to surprise!!

Hope you'll find the information useful

NAMASTE !!!

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