Two days in Delhi
Two days in Delhi
Colourful cacophony
Delhi is big, really big, noisy, polluted, crowded but full of history.
We flew in from Bangalore in the south and I swear the pollution could be smelt even before the plane landed.
Travel in and around the city can be done by tuktuk, taxi, on foot or on the metro. The metro is very clean, but be careful as some carriages are women only and if you get in one of these by accident you will be glared at and at times insulted, so be careful.
A good place to start is in the winding alleyways and market area of Chandni Chowk, before going to the huge Jama Masjid mosque and then on to the Red Fort.
Places to see
After a delicious meal or some street food in Chandni Chowk, be sure to visit Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, then make your way to the hugely majestic temple complex at Swaminarayan Akshardham.
If there is time, take a walk around India gate with the crowds that gather there for the sunset.
If you still have the energy, go down to the area around Connaught Place, in the bars, some with rooftops, and restaurants will surely satisfy your thirst and hunger. We based ourselves from here, which turned out to be a good place to tour Old Delhi.
The next day go to the Raj Ghat
Visiting
The next day, start off early before it gets too crowed to o to Raj Ghat, a black marble platform with an eternal flame, bedecked with flower garlands, this place marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation. It is a quiet and peaceful place on the banks of The Yamuna River and you wouldn’t believe that you are just a stone’s throw from the centre of one of the world’s biggest cities.
Take a trip to Humayun’s Tomb, a Unesco World Heritage Site Built in 1570 and said to have inspired the building of The Taj Mahal – which I’m sure you will notice.
Try to get to Qutb Minar, one of Delhi’s top attractions and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Built in 1192, by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, there are still many things to see here and as sunset arrives it is a magical place.
Markets galore
There are a host of markets in Delhi, where virtually anything can be bought and some that can’t – the atmosphere, sights, sounds and smells.
Near Connaught Square is Janpath market, complete with bands of monkeys watching the goigns on and sometimes stealing from unsuspecting tourists.
Dilli Haat is a charming place which has lots of craft and traditional goods for sale, just watch out for those with ‘made in China’ stamped on the bottom.
Sarojini Nagar is a place to get some pretty cheap clothes and textiles and there is also a sweet and vegetable market nearby.
Another great place for textiles and to really take in the Indian market atmosphere is Lajpat Nagar – the central market in Delhi.
Just walking around you will surely run into a market of some sort as there are lots of them in Delhi.
Food and drink
As in most big cities, food and drinks are very cosmopolitan and Delhi is no exception. We had probably the best kebabs and parathas in Chandni Chowk, Delhi that we have tried anywhere, but some of the more traditional foods are absolutely fabulous here. Although as it is a cosmopolitan city not all originate from Delhi.
Butter chicken is said to have originated here, but they also clailm this in Rajasthan, but we had excellent butter chicken and butter panner in Delhi and the Biryanis are to die for, especially in the Muslim quarter.
Finish off with a cooling Kulfi, sticky sweet jalebi or a sohan halwa.
Nothing beats a mango lassi in the heat of the day, well nothing apart from a cup of sweet, spicy masala chai.
There are restaurants for all budgets in Delhi, from the extremely good and cheap street foods to full-blown fine dining restaurants – there is something for all tastes here.
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More photos …
India Gate Delhi
Swaminarayan Akshardham
Raj Ghat Delhi
The red Fort Delhi
Qutb Minar Tomb Delhi
Patience Chandni Chowk
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir Delhi
Ruins of Qutb Minar Delhi
Alai Minar Delhi
Alleyways Chandni Chowk
Arcades Qutb Minar Delhi
‘s shop Delhi
Chandni Chowk area Delhi
Chandni Chowk Chandni Chowk market with tuktuk Delhimarket 1
Chandni Chandni Chowk market with overhead linesChowk market 2
Chandni Chowk market
Delhi Electrics overhead
Details Qutb Minar brickwork Delhi
Domed ceiling Qutb Minar Delhi
Entrance to Minar Qutb Minar Delhi
Golden Chandni Chowk Market Delhi
Qutb Minar Imam Zamin’s tomb Delhi
Qutb Minar Tomb Delhi
Qutb Minar minaret carvings
Qutb Minar minaret and vestiges Delhi
Qutb Minar domed tomb Delhi
Pillars Qutb Minar Delhi
Painted bull Delhi
Minaret Qutb Minar Delhi
Lattice window Qutb Minar Delhi
Entrance pathway to Qutb Minar Delhi
Chandni Chowk Street Delhi
Qutb Minar, The tomb of Imam Zamin Delhi
Qutb Minat Minaret Delhi
Qutb Minat Minaret details Delhi
Ruined walls and minaret Qutb Minar Delhi
Ruins of Qutb Minar Delhi India
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir Delhi
The red Fort Delhi gateway
Walls in Qutb Minar Delhi
