The Delhi City Guide

 

 

Some Basic Quick Facts

 

Climate: DELHI is most comfortable between October and February with daytime temperatures of around 71.5 degree F (22 degree C) and cool evenings. December and January are decidedly chilly with night time lows of 39 degree F (4 degree C). The city has a fleeting, but beautiful flowering splendor during the spring months of February and March, when parks brim over with flowers. The summer months of May and June are scorching hot, with the mercury soaring to a high of 114 degree F (46 degree C). Delhi does not have much of a rainy season compared to the other parts of the country. The monsoon or what there is of it in the city lasts from July to September.

 

à So, now you know that you’re here at the best time of the year!

 

Time Difference: The standard time for India is calculated from Allahabad and is common to all cities in the country. Indian Standard time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London, 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Paris, about 10 hours 30 minutes behind New York, 3 hours and 30 minutes behind Tokyo and 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Sydney. Some newspapers give information on this also.

 

 

The Language: What is the language of Delhi? For several hundred years it was Zabane-Dilli, the language known variously as Hindawi, Rekhta (the 'mixed') and finally Urdu. It was refined and polite. Today this refinement has been overwhelmed by the dynamism of a metropolis of nine million people mostly outsiders - all bent on making their living, career and name.

Lifestyle affects language, and the language of the street today is blunt and functional, laced with insults to sisters and mothers. You could call this the lowest common denominator of language, either simple Hindi or Urdu - for they both share syntax, grammar and vocabulary. The difference is that Urdu uses the Persian script and takes higher vocabulary from Persian and Arabic, while Hindi uses words from Sanskrit and the Sanskrit-based Devanagiri script. Urdu grew and flourished in urban centers, especially Delhi and Lucknow. During the independence movement the Urdu language became increasingly identified with the Muslim community alone. It was made the national language of Pakistan, while Hindi became the national language of India and the chief mother tongue of Delhi.

Punjabi, however, is not far behind in the race for the top Delhi language. Delhi has always existed on the edge of Punjab and tens of thousands of Punjabis from Pakistani Punjab settled in the city after Partition. People from the south and east have brought their languages too, and any Delhi cable operator worth his salt shows channels in Bengali, Tamil and Malayalam - and, of course, English.

English was brought into the Indian education system by Macaulay in the nineteenth century to create a class of Indians, imbued with English culture, who would carry out the administration of the Raj. This is the class referred to by one of Delhi's most outstanding literary residents, Vikram Seth, in his poem Divali: O happy breed of Babus, I march on with your purpose We will have railways, common law and a good postal service. But Delhi's army of central government servants does not have the monopoly of English. English has become identified with power, privilege and good education, in a way that no Indian language has. English is the first language of intellectuals, the upper ranks of businessmen, and the language targeted by the upwardly mobile middle classes who aspire to material wealth and prestige. In the process, Indian languages have been neglected. But English, like any invader which has settled in India, is being changed by its adopted land, expanding to include Indian words and concepts. Perhaps in time it will merge into a new Zaban-e-Dilli.

 

 

Smoking: Smoking is banned in public places, public transport and government offices, inside cinema halls and theatres located in the state of Delhi. In several other places boards prominently display the ban on smoking. Most hotels and restaurants have separate smoking zones.

 

Photography: Photography is not permitted at the airport, military installations, and other places where such notices are put up.

 

Buying Liquor: Delhi observes dry days on most national and even some local holidays and shops are closed on the 1st and 7th of every month. Various brands of imported liquor are now available in the market also through outlets run by the Delhi Tourism and Delhi Industrial Corporation. All big hotels serve liquor and so do several restaurants. Dry days are not applicable to hotels and restaurants

 

Police Assistance Booths: Police assistance boots are located at the airport railway stations and the ISBT( Inter State Bus Terminal ) at Kashmere Gate. There is a special booth in Connaught Place to help foreign travellers. There are police assistance booths at several important traffic junctions and other strategic points. Incase of emergency on the road, police patrol vehicles (white is color), should be contacted.

 

Insects and Diseases: Mosquitoes are common in summer and malaria and some waterborne diseases can affect those who are not careful with the water they drink. Though the system of keeping mosquito nets is not very prevalent, it is advisable to carry mosquito repellant creams and other such devices that can keep this insect at bay

Money Matters: Most banks are open from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs. From Monday to Friday and up to 12 noon on Saturdays. Some branches of banks are also open on Sundays and many others have the ATM facility. There are several foreign banks located mostly in and around Connaught Place. The foreign banks include American Express, Bank of America, Hong Kong Bank, Bank of Tokyo, Banque nationale de Paris, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, Citibank and Mercantile Bank, among others. Credit Cards American, Citibank, Master Charge Visa and Diners Club credit cards are generally accepted by large establishments including hotels, shops and airlines

Communication:

Telephone, telegraph facilities: There are several authorized centers for ISD and STD calls as also private outlets in several areas of the city. Full rates are charged from 0800 hrs. to 1900 hrs. On Sundays and national holidays, the charges are 50% of the normal. Charges are also 50% from 0700 hrs to 0800 hrs. and 1900 hrs. to 2030 hrs. daily. The tariff from 0600 hrs. to 0700 hrs. and from 2030 hrs. to 2300 hrs. is 1/3 the rate and from 2300 hrs. to 0600 hrs. it is 1/4 of the rate.

To send a telegram or fax, contact the international telegraph office (Ph: 3362881/2754). The telecom center at Arunachal Building, Barakhamba Road has all telecom facilities including fax from 1000 hrs. to 1900 hrs. on all days except Sundays and public holidays.

Bureaufax facilities are available at the main telegraph offices. The Eastern Court Post Office on Janpath has a multimedia telecom center that offers desk-top video conferencing, high speed transfer and other related facilities.

Postal facilities Foreign air mail rates are Rs. 11 for a letter, Rs. 6.50 for aerogrammes, Card, Rs.7. Inland postal rates are: Rs. 2 for a letter, postcard containing printed communication, Rs. 1.50, letter postcards, Re. 0.75 and ordinary postcard, Re. 0.25. Speed post and courier services: There is a well-developed system of courier services where packets can be sent to any part of the world. Besides this, there is the government's own speed post service which is linked to several parts of the world and is much cheaper than the private services. It is available at several post offices.

 

* In case of loss or theft, especially vital documents like passports, an FIR (First Information Report) must be filed at the Police Station nearest to the place where the loss has occurred. In case of loss of documents the embassy concerned must be immediately informed.