©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd #_ D e l h i Why Go? 1Red Fort. 60 Medieval mayhem, the New India, stately maiden aunt: give 2Sights . .62 it a chance and this schizophrenic capital could capture your CActivities . .77 heart. Yes, it’s aggravating, polluted and hectic, but hey – nobody’s perfect. TCourses . .78 Like a subcontinental Rome, India’s capital is punctuated 4 Tours . .79 by vestiges of lost empires: ancient forts freckle the sub- 4Sleeping . 81 urbs; Old Delhi was once the capital of Islamic India; the 5Eating . .86 British built New Delhi, with its exaggerated avenues; and 6Drinking . .92 even-newer Delhi features utopian malls linked by potholed 3Entertainment . .94 roads. These disparate, codependent elements are all now 7Shopping . .94 gloriously intertwined via the new metro system. Greater Delhi . .102 There are also magnifi cent museums, temples, mosques, and a busy cultural scene – and shopaholics, you are home: all the riches of India twinkle in Delhi’s emporiums. Prepare yourself to tuck into some of the subcontinent’s fi nest food, including the famous Dilli-ka-Chaatt (Delhi street Best Places to Eat food) – which, rather like the city itself, jumbles up every fl avour in one bite. » Saravana Bhavan (p 89 ) » Bukhara (p 90 ) When to Go » Indian Accent (p 92 ) Delhi » Monsoon (p 90 ) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm » Olive (p 92 ) 40/104 32/800 » Gunpowder (p 91 ) 24/600 20/68 » Rajdhani (p 89 ) 16/400 0/32 Best Places to Stay 8/200 » Shanti Home (p 85 ) -20/-4 0 J FDNOSAJJMAM » Devna (p 86 ) » Bnineteen (p 86 ) Oct–Mar Delhi May–Aug These Jun–Sep Mon- » Cottage Yes Please (p 83 ) at its best – the are the months soon season weather is bright to avoid – it’s hot (heaviest from and sunny but not and humid. July to Septem- too hot. ber) is also worth avoiding if you can. Top Tips MAIN POINTS OF 57 ENTRY » Ensure your taxi or autorickshaw driver has taken you to the hotel/shop you requested, as some try to offload pas- Indira Gandhi Inter- sengers at places where they receive commission. national Airport, New » Decline offers from taxi or auto drivers to take you to Delhi train station, Old hotels/shops of their choice. Delhi train station, and the Inter State Bus » Avoid chatty young men who hang around touristy spots, Terminal (ISBT). some of whom claim humbly to be students wanting to improve their English. » Don’t believe the helpful chaps who try to direct you to a ‘tourist office’ around Connaught Place. There is only one Fast Facts Government of India tourist office, at 88 Janpath. » Population: 12.8 million » Carry small denominations (below ₹50) as drivers often » Area: 1483 sq km have a lack of change. » Area code: %011 » Ignore touts who surreptitiously dirty your shoe and offer » Main languages: Hindi to clean it at a price. and English » Sleeping prices: $ $$ DON’T MISS below ₹1000, ₹1000 to ₹5000, $$$ above One of Delhi’s most mystical and atmospheric experi- ₹5000 ences is to hear qawwali singers and musicians perform devotional songs at the Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah. This is a beautiful Islamic holy shrine, where song per- Planning Your formances take place after sunset prayers on Thursday. Trip The air is thick with incense and the shrine thronged » Book accommodation with pilgrims. ahead at http://hotels. lonelyplanet.com » Call your hotel to con- Delhi’s Top Festivals firm the day before you arrive » To check dates contact India Tourism Delhi (p 98 ). » Book train tickets for » Delhi celebrates Diwali and Dussehra (Durga Puja) with longer journeys at least particular verve. a week ahead on www. » Republic Day (26 Jan, Rajpath, p 71 ) Incorporates a indianrail.gov.in spectacular military parade. » Beating of the Retreat (29 Jan, Rajpath, p 71 ) The closing R e s o u r c e s of the Republic Day celebrations is marked by the Beating of the Retreat – more military pageantry. Tickets are essen- » Delhi Tourism (http:// tial for both events and are available at India delhitourism.nic.in/delhi Tourism Delhi. tourism/index.jsp) lists » Independence Day (15 Aug, Red Fort, p 62 ) India cel- government-rated home- ebrates its Independence from Britain in 1947 and the prime stays and recommended minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort ramparts. tourist agencies. » Qutb Festival (Oct/Nov, Qutb Minar, p 102 ) Held over » A free AA map is avail- several days, featuring Sufi singing and classical dance able in many places but, performances. for street-by-street detail, Delhi newsstands sell the » Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF, Dec) Three weeks excellent 245-page Eicher of exhibitions, performing arts, films, literature and culinary City Map (₹340). events at Delhi-wide venues. DELHI 58 G D d Keshav r r a Delhi ASHOK K Y R n ¡# Puram amu g VIHAR d University B n T i H r R n Delhi u e aR n d kR Kanhiya ¡# g iv Highlights KAMLA e d Nagar w e NAGAR r a 1 Experience the r Civil Lines ¡# M sometime splendour a Welcome ¡# r of the Red Fort (p 62 ), Inderlok Shastri Sabzi Mandi CIVIL LINES g ¡# N Nagar Tis Shastri ew R Train Station 1 ¡# a sandstone queen ohtak ¡# Kashmiri See Old Delhi Park Rd £# Hazari 1 ¡# bee overlooking the ¡# Gate Map (p64) ¡# Seelampur £# Pratap ¡# ¡# Old Delhi hive Nagar Delhi Train Station Daya £# SEELAMPUR SABZI Pulbangash (Old Delhi) 2 See the great Basti £# MANDI Kishan £# M 1 a Mughal tomb that PATEL NAGAR Sarai Rohilla Ganj Train Sadaar Bazaar Lothian r Kirti Chandni¡# g inspired the Taj £#Patel Nagar Train Station Station Train Station £# Cemetery Red in Nagar # a Train Station Chowk 1 Fort l Mahal, Humayun’s ¡# SADAR #6 B Pat a #5 Delhi by Cycle n Tomb (p 67 ) e BAZAAR Dilli-ka-Chaat d lR KAROL h Q OLD DELHI d R 3 Explore the BAGH u ¡# Chawri R RAM d ¡# t Shadipur i greenery-surrounded Karol NAGAR b Bazaar PARDA n g R BAGH R Qutb Minar (p 102 ), in #£ Kirti Train ¡# Bagh d ¡# New Delhi d Station ¡# £# Hindi Patel PAHARGANJ Train Station ( a Delhi suburb. M ¡# Pusa Rd Park Nagar ¡# G 4 Jhandewalan See Paharganj New Delhi DARYAGANJ Hear qawwali 1 Rajendra ¡#Map (p76) R singers at Hazrat Place 1 Minto Bridge d ) NEW Rajiv Chowk £#Train Station Nizam-ud-din RAJENDRA GANDHI RAJENDRA (Connaught £#Shivaji Bridge Dargah (p 69 ) NAGAR ¡# DARSHAN NAGAR Place) Train Station 5 g Sample delicious See New Delhi & Barakhamba ¡# ar Tilak Bridge Indraprastha M Dilli-ka-Chaat (p 87 ), Around Map (p68) Road £# High Tea at the Imperial #7 ¡# Train Station Delhi’s famous street Pusa Hill d R Mandi ¡# food Forest e See¡# Connaught g House Pragati id Place Map (p72) ¡# 6 Take an early- R Maidan Indraprastha r PRESIDENT'S morning ride around e p ESTATE PRAGATI Pragati W £# p Central MAIDAN Old Delhi with U ¡# Maidan Train i Secretariat India l l Mughal Gate Station DelhiByCycle (p 80 ), i Delhi n Gardens MEENA ending at Karim’s g BAGH NEW Boating Polo d ¡# Lake o DELHI s (p 87 ) Club n Motilal as Cr Udyog Nehru yp e Rd B s Bhawan Place j KAKA SUNDER ur a Khan p Mahavir ir NAGAR NAGAR Ha Jayanti DIPLOMATIC ¡# Market ithv Park r ENCLAVE P Y Ya Army ¡# m Racecourse u £# Sadar Patel Marg Delhi Golf Course n Golf # a Train Station 2 R Club Lodi d iv Lodi R # er Chanakyapuri th Garden 4 M Humayun's Tomb 7 Indulge in high £# a Nehru Jor Bagh ¡# a nRd Train Station p Park JOR Hazrat Nizam-ud-din t tea at the Imperial o ti h £# Nizamuddin g u r BAGH Dargah an LODI r Train Station (p 84 ) – more English Gurga a a h ¡# Safdarjang M COLONY JL Nehru R S d than the English, with Aerodrome o Lodi Colony Stadium Delhi University £# d n a decadent array of (South Safdarjang £# i Train Station Jangpura b £# £# £#Lajput Nagar Campus) ANAND Train Station o KALINDI dainty sandwiches Sarojini Nagar r ¡# Train Station NIKETAN u Sewa Nagar COLONY and cakes Train Station A Rao T ¡# Train Station ularam INA NEHRU Marg NAGAR SAROJINI DEFENCE LAJPAT FRIENDS RAMA NAGAR Lajpat COLONY Ring Rd COLONY ¡# NAGAR KRISHNA ¡# (MG Rd Nagar WEST DEER AIIMS ) (RK) PURAM SOUTH PARK Ol EXTENSION g BASANT r ¡# o a Moolchand f PARK II Okhla Train LOK P M £# a o Station lm t M e i Kailash M HAUZ KHAS T ¡# athura Rd a Green ¡# z Colony r o g Hauz Park r Lotus #æ Nehru VASANT B ¡# Khas GREEN Temple p Place VIHAR i ¡# PARK s NEHRU o d J PLACE Kalkaji R Hauz Khas SIRI Mandir la ¡# GREATER arg KAILASH I inh M BEGUMPUR Outer Chi M VASANT Mande Ring Rd Ho n Jawarharlal KUNJ o s Nehru (SECTOR C) l Ne University g r MALVIYA a M Malviya M e g NAGAR i h r r r Nagar t au a li M ¡# s R a d o d GREATER in Sh SAKET r Qutab Minar #3 b KAILASH II o u r ¡# Saket d u a h A a 02km MEHRAULI B e# l 01miles a Qutab L See South Delhi Map (p78) ¡# Minar 59 DELHI DELHI DELHI ABIGAIL HOLE ABIGAIL Red Fort HIGHLIGHTS The main entrance to the Red Fort is through Lahore Gate – the bastion in front of it was built by Aurangzeb for increased security. You can still see Salimgarh bullet marks from 1857 on the gate.