DELHI Delhi – with Its Tenacious Touts and Crush of Mechanical And
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© Lonely Planet Publications 119 DELHI Delhi DELHI Delhi – with its tenacious touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic – can be downright confronting and confounding for the first-time visitor. But don’t let petulant first impres- sions muddy the plus points of this truly multidimensional metropolis. Scratch beyond the gritty surface and you’ll swiftly discover that India’s capital is sprinkled with glittering gems: captivating ancient monuments, magnificent museums, a vivacious performing-arts scene and some of the subcontinent’s yummiest places to eat. A vibrant melting pot, you’ll hear a jumble of vernaculars spoken in Delhi, the most common being Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu. In terms of its layout, Delhi encapsulates two very differ- ent worlds, the ‘old’ and the ‘new’, each presenting deliciously different experiences. Spacious New Delhi was built as the imperial capital of India by the British; rambunctious Old Delhi served as the capital of Islamic India. Visitors can easily dip into both, spending half the day immersing themselves in history at the dramatic Red Fort, Jama Masjid and medieval-flavoured bazaars of Old Delhi, and the other half reviving themselves over frothy cappuccinos or frosty cocktails at one of New Delhi’s swanky cafés and bars. Furthermore, Delhi’s recent global cuisine revolution means that hungry travellers can now feast on everything from meaty Mughlai curries and plump South Indian idlis (rice cakes), to crispy wood-fired pizzas and squishy sashimi. For those here to catch a flight home there are some glorious last-minute shopping op- portunities, with handicrafts from all around India – a real blessing if you regret not buying that twinkling mirrorwork bedspread in Rajasthan or striking Madhubani painting in Bihar. HIGHLIGHTS Wander around the Red Fort ( p127 ), a phenomenal testament to the once-mighty Red Fort Mughals Jama Masjid Peruse the capital’s outstanding museums and monuments: shining stars include the Crafts Museum National Museum ( p131 ), Humayun’s National tomb ( p130 ), Gandhi Smriti ( p130 ) and Museum Gandhi Smriti Crafts Museum ( p131 ) Humayun's Tomb Marvel at India’s largest mosque, the majestic Jama Masjid ( p129 ), which can hold a staggering 25,000 worshippers Gaze upon Qutb Minar ( p161 ), a soaring victory tower built to proclaim the arrival of Islam in India Shop ( p152 ) like a mad thing at the capital’s Qutb Minar bevy of earthy bazaars and chichi boutiques Quaff cocktails at a swish bar ( p150 ) then dine at one of Delhi’s superlative restaurants ( p145 ) DELHI 120 0 2 km DELHI 0 1 mile Radio 12 Delhi ὅὅὅὅ Dr KB Hedgewar Marg A B C Colony D E F ὈὈ To Chandigarh Ὀ Shalimar (248km) Bagh Wazirabad Rd ὅὅὅὅModel Rohini East Town 1 Majnu-ka-Tilla 1 Outer Ring Rd The Mall 18 Kohat Netaji Subhash 33 Enclave Place Khyber Pass Depot Ashok Grand Trunk Rd Khyber Yamuna River ὈὈὈὈVishwa Ὀ Pass Vihar Vidyalaya Vidhan Keshav Puram Sabha Ring Rd Rd Delhi University 2 Ring 2 Kanhiya Nagar (MG Kamla Nagar Rd) Civil 20 NH10 InderlokὈὈὈὈὈ New Rohtak Rd Lines Civil Lines Shastri Nagar Sabzi Mandi Jhansi Rd Kashmiri Boulevard Rd Train Station Gate Shastri Park Pul Rani Sarai Rohilla Pratap Nagar Kashmiri Gate 57 Silmpur Train Station Bangash Tis Silmpur Sabzi Hazari See Old Delhi Map (p128) Mandi Delhi Train Station Pontoon Bridge Kishan Ganj (Old Delhi) Train Station (Nov-Jun) Marginal Bandh Rd Chandni 3 Moti Nagar Patel Sadar Chowk Vijay 3 ὈὈὈὈὈὈQutb Rd ὈὈὈChandni Chowk ὈὈὈRed Rd Ring Ὀ Nagar Desh Bandhu Gupta Rd Bazaar Ghat Kirti Nagar Fort Old Delhi Ramesh Nagar Shadipur Karol (MG Rd) Shanti Patel Rd Bagh Chowri Bazaar 44 49 Vana Rajouri Garden Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg Pontoon Bridge 22 Karol Bagh 58 See Paharganj (Nov-Jun) Patel Nagar 23 Map (p140) New Delhi Tagore Garden Kirti Train 34 Station Train Station Pusa Rd Jhandewalan Paharganj Delhi Raj Rajendra Place Panchkuian New Delhi Rajendra Gate Ghat Sabhash Nagar ShankarNagar Rd Marg Naraina Train ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ 42 lonelyplanet.com Station Ganga Ram Shivaji Bridge Hospital Rd R.K. Ashram 13 28 Marg Train Station 16 New Rajendra World Trade Tower 4 19 4 Nagar Connaught 56 Place Bengali Market Mandir Marg Barakhamba Road Indraprastha Marg See Connaught Place To Anand Pusa Hill Forest Map (p136) Pragati Vihar Bus Southern Patel Mandi Maidan Stand Ridge Chowk House (2.5km) Forest Baba Kharak Singh Marg Indraprastha ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈilak MargὈ T ὈὈὈ lonelyplanet.com T Central Pragati Maidan President's Secretariat Train Station Estate Buddha Jayanti Rajpath India Brar Square Smarak Park Train Station Gate ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈRing Rd (MG Rd) Train Station New Yamuna Delhi 5 5 Mahavir Sunder Ring Rd (MG Rd) Jayanti Nagar Akbar Rd Hapur Bypass Delhi Park Panchsheel Marg Delhi National River Station Rd 2 Subramaniam BhartiGolf Rd Zoological Army Upper RidgeSardar Rd Patel Marg Lodi Course Gardens Golf Chanakyapuri Colony Club ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈRacecourse ὈὈὈὈὈὈ 5 Nehru Chanakyapuri Lodi Rd Nizamuddin Train Station Park NH8 Jor Train Station Sarai Kale Delhi Bagh Khan ISBT University 17 Safdarjang Jawaharlal (South Sarojini Nagar Aerodrome Nehru Stadium Gurgaon Rd Campus) Train Station Lodi Colony arg Sewar Nagar Jangpura M Train Station 6 Train Station 29 6 rez Anand Niketan See Central Delhi Map (pp132–3) Jua Marg 9 53 Palam Rd Rao Tularam Marg INA Market Defence Mathura Rd Kalidi Benito 8 50 ὈὈὈὈSarojiniὈὈὈ47 SouthὈὈὈColony ὈὈὈ 54 Rao Tularam Nagar Extension 40 Nehru Lajpat Ring Rd (MG Rd) Part I Nagar 4 Nagar 31 55 37 36 Indira Gandhi Deer Park Ansari 1 Rama Krishna Nagar New Friends International 7 (RK) Puram South 45 Airport Extension Colony Basant Safdarjang 11 26 Lok Enclave Part II Hare Krishna Domestic 35 24 Iskcon Temple Okhla Train Station Terminal 1 46 Hauz Airport Rd Vivekanand Marg East of Complex 27 Khas Gulmohar 52 Siri Fort Kailash 38 48 Park Rd Josip Broz Tito Marg 7 Vasant 3 10 7 Poorvi Marg ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ Vihar Khel Gaon Marg Africa Ave To Sulabh International Museum 14 Green Park Nehru 51 59 of Toilets (1km); Centaur Hotel (1.5km); Olof Palme Marg Main Market Place International Terminal 2 (4km) 41 Siri Siri Fort 25 Rd Greater Kailash I 32 6 Begumpur Outer Ring Rd 30 Ho Chi Minh Marg Mehrauli Rd 15 Lal Bahadur NH8 Jawarharlal To Apollo Nelson Mandela ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ Nehru Hospital (2km); University Surajkund (24km); Agra (200km) Aurobindo Marg Malviya Nagar Sha 8 See Qutb Minar 8 s 39 Gurgaon Rd Complex Marg tri Greater Saket To Ashok Country Map (p161) Press Enclave Marg Kailash II Resort (1km); Jaipur (259km) To Gurgaon 43 121 (15km); British To Tomb of Guru Ravi Das Marg Airways (15km) Ghiyas-ud-din Mehrauli (1.4km) 21 DELHI DELHI 122 DELHI •• History lonelyplanet.com INFORMATION SLEEPING Geoffrey's...............................(see 45) All India Institute of Medical Bajaj Indian Home Stay.............22 C3 Hookah Bar & Lounge............(see 46) Sciences................................. 1 D7 Ess Gee's...................................23 C3 Kylin.......................................(see 46) DELHI DELHI Bangladeshi Embassy..................2 C5 Home Away From Home..........24 D7 Lizard Lounge.........................(see 55) Citibank ATM.........................(see 35) Hotel Tarra...............................25 A7 Shalom Med Lounge Bar........(see 52) East West Medical Centre...........3 E7 Icon Towers..............................26 B7 Foreigners' Regional Registration Icon Villa...................................27B7 ENTERTAINMENT Office (FRRO)........................4 C6 Master Guest House.................28 C4 Dances of India.........................42 E4 Maldives High Commission.......(see 9) One Link Rd..............................29 E6 PVR Priya Cinema...................(see 46) New Zealand Embassy................5 C6 Peace House...........................(see 33) PVR Saket (Anupam 4)............. 43 D8 Singaporean Embassy................. 6 D7 Radisson Hotel..........................30 A8 Satyam Cineplex.......................44 B3 South African Embassy...............7 C7 The Manor................................31 F6 Tapas Lounge.........................(see 46) Teksons..................................(see 54) Uppal's Orchid.........................32 A7 Timeless......................................8 E6 Wongdhen House.....................33 E1 SHOPPING Wildlife Protection Society of Yatri House.............................. 34 D4 Ansal Plaza................................45 E7 India...................................(see 51) Basant Lok Complex.................46 C7 EATING Cottons..................................(see 52) SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Arabian Nites............................35 C7 Defence Colony Market..........(see 40) Ashoka Pillar...........................(see 13) Café Turtle (Branch)...............(see 52) Dilli Haat.................................. 47 D6 Ashtaang.................................... 9 C6 China Garden.........................(see 39) Fabindia..................................(see 52) Bahai House of Worship (Lotus Diva........................................(see 39) Hauz Khas Village..................... 48 D7 Temple)................................10 F7 Ego Thai....................................36 F7 Karol Bagh Market....................49 D3 Concern India Foundation.........11 E7 Flavours....................................37 E7 Lajpat Nagar Central Market.....50 E6 Coronation Durbar Site.............12 D1 Govinda's..................................38 F7 M-Block Market........................51 E7 Firoz Shah Kotla........................13 E4 La Piazza...................................(see