Overview
- Main Attractions: Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, National Museum, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Humayun’s Tomb
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Local Specialty: Mughlai food
- Travelled By: Train, Metro, auto rickshaw
- Cost: $$
- Duration of Stay: 3 days
- Location: Delhi, India
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Summary
Among the capital cities of India, Delhi is, perhaps, my favourite for a number of reasons. The attractions are some of the best in India, well-presented and well-preserved; the food is delicious and diverse; shopping is a delight at the bazaars in Old Delhi and the glitzy malls in New Delhi, and the Metro to take you everywhere you want to go.
Delhi: Our Experience
11th January, 2014 (Day 1)
Finally returning to Delhi, where we were spending three days before visiting Agra, the highlight of our trip to India, we checked into a hotel in the Paharganj area next to the Delhi Cantt railway station. After a hot shower, we stepped out on to the streets of Delhi and took the Metro to Chandni Chowk, the centre of Old Delhi.
Old Delhi is tourist town, the place to visit to get a glimpse of what Delhi used to be during the reign of the Mughal empire in India. It’s not for the fainthearted, especially if you’ve just arrived into India. The streets are clogged with traffic which doesn’t seem to move, so the best way to get around is on foot. If you don’t care to walk, hop into a cycle rickshaw and take a tour of the backstreets of Old Delhi which will excite and scare you at the same time.
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If you’re like me and love street food, the capital cities of India are the best places to find them and Delhi is one of the best, if not the best. And the place to visit to try some of the best street food in Delhi is right here in Old Delhi. We stopped in Chandni Chowk and tried out a few different street food options including my favourite, jalebis from Jalebiwala.
Old Delhi has two attractions that are worth visiting – Red Fort and Jama Masjid. If you’re here for longer, you can take a self-guided tour around Old Delhi including shopping at the many bazaars that line the streets. If this is your last stop before leaving India, the bazaars in Old Delhi are the perfect places to get those souvenirs you want to take home not just for friends and family but as keepsakes for yourself as well.
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Our first visit in the morning was to Red Fort next to Chandni Chowk. This fort was the seat of power for the Mughals when they ruled India from Delhi. Built in 1639 by Shah Jahan, the most prolific architect and builder of the Mughal empire, it took nine years to build and is said to have cost Rs 10 million, much of which was spent on the opulent marble palaces within.
Today, the fort is only a shadow of its former glorious self as it was plundered and ruined by invaders who followed after the Mughal lost their stronghold in India. The semi-precious stones and the Peacock Throne were ransacked when India was plundered by the Persians while the British ruined the fort by making parts of it into barracks and further destroying the palace interiors. Nevertheless, the fort is still magnificent and opulent as ongoing efforts to improve the fort and gardens have made a difference even though many of the buildings still look neglected.
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It was late in the afternoon by the time we reappeared out of the Red Fort onto the streets of Old Delhi. We made a beeline for Karims Delhi to have lunch as we were famished. Karims is located in a narrow lane opposite the south gate of the Jama Masjid. Specialising in Mughlai cuisine, they are hugely popular with both locals and tourists alike. Surprisingly, we were able to get a seat at one of their eating areas although a few minutes later we were joined by an American couple who were told to share a table with us. We tried a couple of their specialties – Burrah kebabs and Chicken biryani and loved it. Although the portions are a bit small for the price, they are really delicious and worth it. One of the best restaurants in Delhi for sure.
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We were timing ourselves so we could get to the Jama Masjid before they closed their doors for evening namaz (prayers). Unfortunately, we were a bit late so we had to wait on the steps outside till they had finished their prayers. When it was time to enter, we found out that we had to pay Rs 300 to take our camera inside even if we weren’t going to use it. So while Graham sat outside, I went in with our handy mobile phone.
Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India capable of holding 25,000 people during the Muslim festivals of Id. Apart from its sheer size, it is rather stark inside as I find with most Mughal architecture. While it is possible to climb the minaret to get lovely views over Old Delhi, I resisted and inspected the interiors on the ground instead.
In our opinion, the Jama Masjid is spectacular but only from the outside. It is worth walking on the streets around the mosque to get an overview of the mosque from afar. The architecture of the Jama Masjid as seen from the outside is magnificent especially when seen around sunset. The domes and minarets when viewed together have perfect symmetry and beautiful lines.
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After our visit to the Jama Masjid, we wandered back to the laneway opposite the south gate to have some lassi. We had spotted a couple of shops selling sweets and lassis so we ordered a couple of glasses and enjoyed it in the shop. I love having lassi in a clay cup; the clay seems to give the lassi an enhanced flaour.
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We returned to our hotel in Paharganj to relax from our hectic day of travel. Since we had eaten a fair bit over the day, we decided to have a light dinner. As we walked around the streets in Paharganj, we spotted a street stall selling paneer kebabs which looked inviting. I had not had paneer kebabs before so we ordered some for dinner which came wrapped in romali rotis to form lovely paneer rolls. Not in my wildest imagination did I think that vegetarian kebabs could taste so good, but these really did. Marinated in tandoori paste and yogurt, the paneer was soft, full of flavour and melted in the mouth. If you ever stay in Paharganj, try to find this street stall and you will have yourself a lovely meal/snack.
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12th January, 2013 (Day 2)
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We started our second day in Delhi by having breakfast at Sita Ram Diwan Chand located next to our hotel in Paharganj. If you ask any local, they will tell you that Sita Ram Diwan Chand makes the best chole in town and they are right. The chole is cooked in a chaat masala that is so delicious and it is accompanied by bhature (fluffy fried Indian flat bread) that has a spice and paneer filling. Oh, what a wonderful way to start the day; I was in food heaven.
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After breakfast, we took the Metro to Udyog Bhavan in New Delhi, the closest station to the National Museum. We spent half our day here inspecting the 200,000 plus artifacts on display. Along with our foreigner ticket, we also got an audio guide which was really helpful in providing us with a dearth of information on the highlights in the museum. For us, the top attraction at the museum was the Indus Valley Civilisation gallery which had archaeological pieces from the pre 2500 BC period. While we have been to many museums all over India, we can clearly say that we found the National Museum in Delhi to be the best of all the museums in India. Apart from some real gems to be found here, the museum is well-presented and well-preserved.
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In the afternoon, we took the Metro to Race Course station to visit Gandhi Smriti, the last place where Mahatma Gandhi lived and was assassinated. Even though we have been to a few places around India where Gandhi lived, this museum was really well presented with his items neatly laid out in the room he lived in. While there might be too much information on his life and death, the museum is also presented with photos and dioramas of his life. We also liked the concrete footprints to replicate the path Gandhi took before he was assassinated.
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In the evening, we took the Metro to Jor Bagh station to wander among the gardens and tombs within Lodhi Garden, also located in New Delhi. This is a great place to visit if you want to get away from the chaos and noise on the streets of Delhi. This pleasant and picturesque gardens is best visited on a week day for peace and quiet or you can come on the weekend to watch Indian families having picnics and couples canoodling under the trees. Some of the tombs are worth inspecting; we really liked the mosque, Sheesh Bumbad (“Glass Dome”).
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Before the sun could set, we hurriedly made our way to the last attraction for the day – Humayun’s Tomb. One of the highlights of a visit to Delhi, this is the first and finest examples of Mughal garden tomb architecture in Delhi. Built to house the remains of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor of India, the monument served as an inspiration for several later Mughal monuments including the famed Taj Mahal in Agra.
As with all Mughal architecture, we think that the best views are to be had from the outside looking at the external architecture of the tomb. From the ornate domes and finials to the more delicate latticed jalis, the architecture is magnificent. We also thought that this attraction was really well-preserved and well-maintained which is a rarity on the Indian tourist trail. The gardens are a delight as is the fountain in front of the tomb which is a great spot for photos of the tomb and yourself of course.
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After sunset, we took a short walk to Nizamuddin to listen to the qawwalis at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. Clearly the highlight of our trip to Delhi, the Dargah is where the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin is buried and is a pilgrimage site for Sufi Muslims in India. Unfortunately, we didn’t time our visit right and missed the first qawwali session in the evening. So, we walked back along the narrow lanes to find a bite to eat.
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Nizamuddin restaurants are well known locally for some of the best kebabs in town. Not only are they cheap, they are really scrumptious and come with some nice condiments. The down side to eating here is that the restaurants themselves are quite dingy and austere to say the least which detracts from the experience of eating some really nice kebabs.
We stayed at the Dargah for a while and contemplated leaving a few times as the namaaz which usually lasts between 30 mins and an hour took almost 2 hours to finish. One prayer led to another and while I could understand most of what was being said, it was getting late. Finally, the qawwalis began and we were glad we stayed. The music was beautiful and the devotional songs were full of love, respect and devotion to Allah.
13th January, 2013 (Day 3)
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On our last day in Delhi, we took the Metro to Qutub Minar station located on the outskirts of New Delhi. Our last visit was to the famous Qutub Minar, a monument to mark the site of the first Muslim kingdom in northern India. The minar is truly a sight to behold; standing at 73 metres tall, it is the tallest minaret in India. The Qutub Minar is actually a complex of religious buildings and monuments so we spent the day here wandering through the ruins of an old mosque, tombs and, of course, peering at Koranic inscriptions on the minaret from down below. The ruins were wonderful and we liked the mixture of Hindu and Mughal architecture together, Koranic script inscribed besides lotus images.
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Outside the Qutub Minar complex, there are a line of dhabas that serve some good thalis for lunch. We picked one and had a couple of thalis for lunch before heading back to our hotel.
Our train left for Agra around 6 o’clock that evening. We took a small backpack with us leaving the rest of our luggage at the hotel in Paharganj since we were returning in a couple of days to fly out of India from Delhi.
Among the capital cities of India, Delhi is, perhaps, my favourite for a number of reasons. The attractions are some of the best in India, well-presented and well-preserved; the food is delicious and diverse; shopping is a delight at the bazaars in Old Delhi and the glitzy malls in New Delhi, and the Metro to take you everywhere you want to go. Even though I grew up in Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), I have always been drawn to Delhi for its magnetic atmosphere which has always stuck with me as being imbued with the romantic heyday of the Mughals regime in India.
