Four Days in Delhi

Most airlines arrive in Delhi in the wee hours of the morning so you might want to book your hotel from the previous night. The Delhi airport is pretty chaotic and has lots of opportunities for being ripped off. I have always considered it money well spent (less that USD 50 from a moderate hotel) to have them arrange a car to pick me up. The Metro Orange Line can whisk you to the New Delhi Railway Station in less than 20 minutes for under a few Dollars. Only problem is that they close between 11PM and 6AM, just when most international flights arrive.

Delhi is a city that has been in existence since before written history, so there’s really a lot to see here. Just be prepared that it may not be the India of your dreams – it’s been pretty cleaned up and westernized. Cows banished from the streets and all that. Travesty! The trick to seeing it is to divide it into sections to economize on your driving time.

Uber is here (Uber Pool, Uber Go, and Uber X) a moderate ride will cost you between USD 4 and USD 8. The metro is great – see below. But, the most efficient way, I think, is with a car and driver. They are surprisingly inexpensive – probably about USD 40 per 8 hour day – and you get someone to help you decide where to go when, be there when you need him, and store your shopping safely in the trunk. Your hotel or guesthouse can book this for you, but e-mail them in advance.

Day 1: Northern (Old) Delhi. This was the capital of the Mogul empire under Shah Jahan – hence the old name, Shajahanabad. In 1648, he built his Red Fort in the classic Mogul style of combining fort with palace. Behind massive red sandstone ramparts, you will find the most delicate and graceful white marble buildings with beautifully scalloped archways and pavilions which were (once upon a time) inlayed with semi-precious stones. (last time I was here in 2014, stunned to see how badly this place had been allowed to fall in to disrepair. I vowed never to return, but, in retrospect, OK, I did get good photos. Skip it if time is short – the Fort is Agra is similar but so much nicer.) Just outside the Red Fort, along the Royal Route, is the imposing red sandstone Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque), built 1651. This is the largest mosque in India and surely one of the most impressive in Asia. It will be closed to tourists on Friday, but otherwise we are welcome as long as you are dressed conservatively. After checking out the mosque, hire a rickshaw to ride around Chandi Chowk, the colorful market street of ancient Shahjahanabad. This is now a thriving local bazaar area and full of people. Think about stopping for dinner at the famous Karim’s Restaurant, thriving since the 1930s. If you are a history buff, The Ghandi memorial – where he was cremated – is in this part of town, just a little to the south.

Shopping: As you walk into the red Fort, the old stables have all been converted into curio shops. It’s medium to low quality stuff, so bargain hard. Chandi Chowk is famous for gold shops.

Day 2: The far South. Head out early this morning for the Qutb Complex, the remains of the First Muslim Delhi Sultanate of 1193. The 5 story high Minar – victory tower – is breathtaking and the 4^th C iron pillar is a testament to how advanced ancient Hindu metallurgy was. The mosque, the Quwwat-ul-Islam, was built with the – still visible – remains of Hindu temples. If you fancy more tomb architecture, there are many nearby in the Mehrauli Archeological Park. Time for lunch, so head up to the Haus Khas area which has great restaurants. This area was originally the 14^th C capital of Feroze Shah Tughluq. There are many interesting ruined buildings and a – now dry – water tank. In the last 20 years or so, this area has become and upscale shopping area with cute boutique shops and interesting places to eat.

If you feel like you can do more this day, start off at the Bahai Temple. (Talk to your driver, but in terms of driving time, this probably should be done first – it’s in the far southeast)

Shopping – The Hyatt Hotel has very high quality, upscale gifts, from carpets to jewelry. Haus Khas has wonderful little boutique shops, including one excellent silver jewelry shop. The nearby Khan Market has both Anokhi and FabIndia, the two best places for printed cotton clothing and linens.

Day 3: Central east. When I heard that you couldn’t take photos at the new (2005) Swaminarayan Akshardam Hindu Temple Complex, I almost didn’t go. You will be frisked on your way in! Am so glad I did. In 500 years, when the new sheen is worm off, this will be India’s most amazing temple complex. It’s on the east side of the Yamunna River, so it’s a ways away. Apparently, the evening sound and light show is amazing, so you might want to do it later. While you’re on this side of town, stop by the tomb of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin. It’s not a large necropolis, but it’s one of the most important in Delhi and will always be full of worshippers. Put a flower on Jahanara Begum’s grave, which is also here. Just up the road a bit is the Purana Qila (“Old Fort”) You may or may not want to go here, depending on time. It’s very quiet and doesn’t usually attract too many people, but has good Mogul architecture – The Mogul Emperor Humayun died here in a fall down the library staircase. Definitely my favorite museum in Delhi is the Craft’s Museum. It’s an collection of traditional dwellings with great displays of everyday art work. There’s usually something going on – music lessons, block printing classes, etc. Humayaun’s Tomb is on the side of town and it’s a definite “must see”. This is a UNESCO site and a perfect example of a Moslem garden tomb. It’s also the earliest example of a double skinned dome in the Indian subcontinent.

Shopping: One of my favorite shopping areas is Sunder Nagar, not far from the Purana Qila. It’s has a coffee shop and a snack dhaba as well as a couple of (perhaps real?) antique shops, some medium priced curio shops, and a good jewelry shop. Also, the Craft Museum has a small but excellent shop.

Day 4: Central West. Concentrate on the central part of Delhi today, which is the commercial and government area. If you’re not going to spend too much time shopping, I would start the day at Safdarjung’s Tomb. This was built in the 1750s, and it’s kind of Mogul architecture gone rococo. The Lodhi Gardens are always a good bet for the early mornings as lots of people will be here doing yoga and just hanging around. This is kind of an archeological park, full of various tombs dating back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries. The National Museum opens (except Mondays) from 10AM to 5PM. Everything historical is here – some of the best bronzes and statues from all over the country, miniature paintings, textiles, and decorative arts. Once outside, you will be at the heart of the British Raj. The capital was moved from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, and the great architect, Edwin Lutyens, went to work, blending Hindu, Mogul, and British building styles into something uniquely Indian. While you are grooving on old Raj history, you might want to try having lunch at the Imperial Hotel nearby on Janpath Road. Inaugurated in 1936, this was once (and might be, once again), the in place to be. The afternoon can be given over to shopping. Just across the street from the Imperial is the Cottage Emporium. Run by the Indian Government, this 4 story store has good (but not great) quality merchandise and fixed prices. It will help you figure out what prices should be. Shopping or not, a walk past all the shops on Janpath Road is one of the Delhi experiences that should not be missed. One street over, at 15 Connaught Circus is People Tree, which has great tee shirts and hand blocked clothing. If you still need more, get back in your car and go the short distance to the State Emporium shops on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Splurge on dinner at Bukhara at the Sheraton hotel? My personal fav upscale eatery) Reservations essential!

Hotels…

First of all, it’s really hard to get information about a particular hotel’s proximity to a metro stop. Hotel owners just don’t seem to be on board with this yet, so far as not even mentioning it in their ads. Trip Advisor still does not show the metro, but an Indian hotel search engine, www.agoda.com does. A wee bit hard to see, but it’s there.

There’s only a few heritage hotels in Delhi. By far the most lusciously grand – not to mention expensive – is the Imperial on Janpath Road, which is the perfect location. www.theimperialindia.com In the high season it’s pretty fully booked and will not give discounts, but if you are slightly off season, give it a try. The other really nice heritage hotel is the Maidens Oberoi in Old (north) Delhi. www.maidenshotel.com Not the best tourist location, but the hotel is wonderful. A simpler – but really well located hotel is Lutyen’s Bungalow close to Lodhi Gardens. www.lutyensbungalow.co.in My other favorite spot is the Devna. A classic 19^th C merchant’s home, it is in Sunder Nagar which is convenient but not really “central”. There’s only 5 rooms, so book early. www.10sundernagar.com A lot of guesthouses have sprung up in the last 15 years and they are a wonderful alternative to high-priced hotels or hostels. Unfortunately, most of them are in the southern suburbs and not convenient to taxi or Tuk-tuk stands. You almost have to have your own car and driver. One that is walking distance of the metro is Colonel’s Retreat in Defence Colony. www.colonelsretreat.com It’s simple, but the food is yummy and the owners are really helpful. It’s also close to a wonderful Jain Temple. Treetops in Haus Khas is delightful: e-mail baig.murad@gmail.com.

The backpacker’s meeting place is Paharganj, ideally located near the New Delhi train station. Just be a little careful. A lot of Americans and Europeans – when they want to see how far out from society they can fly – come to India, and this is where they start. There’s a lot of crime, drugs, and weird stuff happening here. If you want to, perhaps try the Bloom Rooms www.bloomrooms.com or Cottage Yes Please www.cottageyesplease.com . The Vivek Hotel is a long time favorite – www.vivekhotel.com , and the Jyoti Mahal Guesthouse has some great architecture. www.jyotimahal.net

If you need an inexpensive place near Connaught Place, try the YWCA Blue Triangle Hotel. It has private rooms with attached baths and is good for families. I would call it “Indian clean”. TEL: 91 11 4355 3142

The Delhi Metro It’s fantastic! Even if you opt for a car and driver, take it a couple of times just for fun. You’ll be surprised. Some of it is underground, a little bit is above ground, which means lots of stairs. There is very tight security (long lines at rush hours). There’s a special women’s car on every train which makes the metro one of the safest ways for women to get around, provided the walk to your destination is OK. There are 1 and 3 day passes for tourists at the ridiculously low price of 100/250 Rupees. There are maps available in India, but getting information before you go is a problem. There are maps at www.delhimetrorail.com but the streets are not superimposed so it’s hard to see where you are. The “Eyewitness Top 10 Delhi” has a tiny, hard to read street map that shows the metro stops but not the names.