| Designed during the British Raj as Lutyens Delhi and expanded over the next half century into the proud capital of the country with a population of about 12 million people spread over an area of 30 miles, replete with ancient as well as modern architecture, cultural centers as well as shopping malls, educational as well as residential areas, Delhi is not a city that can be covered in a single day. | ||
| Assume however for just a moment however that we do have twenty-four available hours in this day and also have a helicopter to take us around, then here�s how this day would be. | ||
| Midnight: Step into Djinn�s at the Hyatt Regency where the night would just be getting started. Not just a pub with a live band, great drinks and snacks but the place to hang out for all of Delhi�s happening crowd, this is where you�d see designers and their designs flaunted extravagantly as you�d dance into the wee hours of the morning stopping only when you see the crack of dawn and decide then to stop by the coffee shop to have some caffeine to wake you up and take you through the day of sightseeing in Delhi. | ||
| 5 am: There�s only one place to be this early in the morning (other than watching the planes touch down at Jumbo Point near the airport) and that�s outside the IIT gate on Delhi�s outer ring road having parathas, egg bhurji and a hot cup of chai served typically in a small palm sized glass. Nothing like some thella food to get you going in the morning. | ||
| 7 am: Drive to the Red Fort in the old part of Delhi. You will not be able to believe that there was a time that all of Delhi lived inside that fort and were protected therein from attacking emperors of neighboring princely states. The guides tell stories about how each stone in the red fort contained precious jewels hidden behind it and how they were all looted by the Britishers. | ||
| 9 am: Just behind Red Fort is Chandni Chowk. A must visit for anyone who�s getting married, buying in bulk or who�s just seen Monsoon Wedding and is enthralled by the place depicting hundreds of open wires crisscrossing around the market. A three wheeled rikshaw would take you straight to the heart of the market where most likely most shopkeepers would be opening up for the day with a prayer at the small mandir most keep in a part of their tiny shops. | ||
| 11 am: Leave North Delhi and arrive instead at Connaught Place, now rechristened Rajiv Chowk but still fondly called CP by all and sundry. The circular structure of white buildings comprising an inner circle and an outer circle would be a hotbed of activity this time for offices, shops and hawkers all of whom you�ll see walking around in a frantic pace of activity. Stop by also at the Cottage Emporium where an extensive variety of Indian products and handicrafts are available for purchase at government controlled prices. | ||
| 1 pm: Drive past the round parliament building around India Gate where a fire for the tomb of the unknown solider burns bright and gaze in awe at the landscaped lawns, fountains, wide roads and architecture of the North and South Block buildings. Magnificent stone structures a mix of orange and pink standing proudly at the end of an inclined road; they are the offices of the government of India and the President himself. | ||
| 2 pm: Stop by at Bukhara (Maurya) for a taste of Mughlai cuisine enjoyed by Bill Clinton and many a celebrity as you sit on small stools wearing a napkin around your neck and relish the Frontier cuisine. | ||
| 4 pm: Drive past the Qutab Minar, constructed in the 12th century a tower made completely of sandstone, it was the pride of ancient India and drive onward to the Lotus (Bahai) temple. A place for meditation and not devoted to any statues it is open surrounded completely by lawns and is shaped like a closed lotus about to blossom. It is truly an architectural beauty. | ||
| 6 pm: Having done a sufficient amount of sightseeing by now, drive towards the South Extension market where a variety of labels, retail outlets and malls await you. | ||
| 8 pm: A visit to Dilli Haat is a must. Not just to experience the open-air ambience of this traditional looking bazaar but also to see such a wide variety of Indian made goods from artisans of all the different states that you are held mesmerized by the colors, fabrics and handicrafts that are available here. | ||
| 10 pm: Dinner. The choices are endless. Specialty restaurants offering the finest Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai and many other types of cuisines are available everywhere be it in locality markets, five star hotels or stand alone restaurants. The Great Kabab Factory at the Radisson is my recommendation. A buffet meal where the snacks and food are served non stop at your table in both vegetarian and non vegetarian are going to ensure that you are completely stuffed and most likely rather exhausted too by the end of this day. | ||
| Go to sleep by midnight knowing only that you�ve barely scrapped the tip of the iceberg and another complete day in Delhi is not only warranted by wholly desired. | ||
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