Delhi Eating: Banana Leaf

Connaught Place has got a make-over in recent times. It was getting run down in recent times, and then a few years ago, coinciding with the launch of the metro (and partly because of it), it has got a make-over. There are shiny new places to shop, to buy stuff, and so on.
One nice place for eating good South Indian food is located in the outer circle of Connaught Place. It is called Banana Leaf and is located in N block. The way to find this restaurant is: If you are coming from Janpath side, just continue walking towards Barakhamaba Road, and approximately mid-way between them, on the outer circle, you will find this South Indian restaurant. It is actually on the stretch of road between Barakhamba Road and Kasturba Gandhi marg.
Delhi serves South Indian food in many places, from the roadside vendor to chains such as Haldiram, Sagar Ratna, Sagar, and most restaurants. However, this restaurant is a good option when you are travelling near CP and get the urge to have a good vada-sambha, or maybe some nice paper masala dosa. Food is not very expensive.
Contact Details:
Telephone: 011-23312355 / 51523777
Timings: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

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Delhi Tourism: Garden of five senses

This is a very recent addition to the tourism map of Delhi, having been inaugrated only in 2003. The Garden of five senses is indeed a treat for the senses, located in around 20 acres. To reach there, you need to take the Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, and the garden is actually located close to the Qutub complex.
Why is it called so ? That is because the garden caters to the senses of sight, hearing, touching, smell, and taste. You can see beautiful flowers, hear soothing music, cater to your taste buds in the food court serving delicacies from different regions, and of course touch and smell the various plants and flora in the garden. Each of these senses is catered to in a separate area of the garden.
For children, it can be entertaining, what with sculptures, water bodies, fountains, different delicacies, wind chimes with their melodious sound.
Some of the attractions that you can find in this garden are: Stainless steel birds, sculptures, water fountains, fragnant shrubs and trees, rare types of plants such as varieties of bamboos and cactii, an amphitheatre, exhibition area, pre-existing vegetation of the area such as kikar and ber bush, regular festivals of art and food, etc.

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Great eating options in East Delhi: Pacific Mall

Pacific Mall, located just next to Anand Vihar ISBT is fast becoming a very attractive eating destination for people living in the area. The top floor of the mall, in addition to a movie plex (Adlabs + an Imax theatre), is also the hub of the eating destination.
There is a food court over there with choices ranging from Chinese, South India, North Indian (Punjabi, Mughlai, Rajasthani, chaat, etc). For kids, there are a range of burger and other such snacks available. A recent addition has been Italian and Mongolian. Some of these are pretty good, and can be availed of as a repeat service. There is also coffee and drinks (non-alcohlic) available, and some amount of sweet stuff including pastries, muffins, brownies, etc. How the food court works is that you get a central swipe card after paying money, and you can use this card at the various food counters, this works out to be very convenient.
In addition to this, there are stand-alone eating joints such as Moti Mahal Delux, Yellow Chilli (now with a bar), a coffee joint with small eating stuff, Chinese Chopsticks, and another eating place called Ocean. One level above, you have a fine dining restaurant called Bridge and a Rajasthani thaali place called Trinkets.
But be warned, on weekends, this place is so popular that you may have to wait, even though overall the seating capacity is pretty large. The food is good though, so I keep on going back.

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Shipra Mall in Indirapuram: Comprehensive

For people in East Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and associated colonies such as Indirapuram, Vaishali, Kaushambhi and Vasundhara, there are numerous malls in the neighborhood. One such cool option is the Shipra Mall in Indirapuram. Located on NH24, in the middle of Indirapuram, this is a massive mall, claimed to be the largest mall in Delhi and its sorroundings. How do you reach it ? If you are coming from Noida, you can take the road that runs next to Sector 62, and joins the NH24. Climb onto NH24 on your left, go straight and at the next right, take a U-turn. After the U-turn, the first left is the road that leads to Shipra Mall. If you coming from the NH24 side from Delhi, keep on going straight on NH24 until you come to a section of tall buildings on your left for some distance. In the middle of this, you will see a off-white building seemingly built on Roman architecture, and there will be a road that turns off NH24 and goes straight to Shipra Mall.
This is a fairly large mall, with a decent parking (although the parking is in the open, so in summer the car will feel hot once you return). It has 2 major sections, and is around 4 storeys high, with the theatre complex called JAM (Just About Movies).
There are numerous options for shopping, with Shoppers Stop, Globus, and a large number of other shops for clothers, jewellery, kids stuff, etc. There are plenty of options for eating, with a food court, Barista, Caffe Coffee Day, Pizza (Papa Johns), Chinese (Yo China), etc.
There is a gaming zone for kids called U-Kids, but this was a disappointment. I compared this with Amoeba (gaming zone located in other malls), and the comparison was obvious. These were all arcade games (like motor-racing, biking, shooting games, and other such games), but games that required some physical interaction such as basketball, and other such games were not here, In addition, a lot of the machines were out of order. My nephew was fairly disappointed, as he had the experience of other malls and this did not come up to his satisfaction.

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Delhi Tourism: India Gate

Come evening time, and people in Delhi many times feel the urge to go somewhere to relax, spend some time in an open space, and where kids can also get to eat some ice-cream or other such stuff. Going to parks in the evening is not exactly recommended, lighting is dim with a general sense of insecurity. In such times, there is a better alternative.
This is India Gate lawns. For people who do not know, India Gate is not only a war / soldier memorial, but there is a lot more. There are wide open, and fairly green large lawns all around the India Gate complex, essentially spreading from India Gate to one end, and moving towards the Rashtrapathi Bhavan at the other end (almost all the crowd is right next to the India Gate though).
There is adequate parking just nearby. Even in the heat, in the evening this place is decently cool. People get bedsheets and spread them on the ground, and can play cards, or just generally sit down over there.
You get all sorts of food stuff over there, with plenty of ice-cream, chana, fluffy candy, cold drinks, etc; so kids will never get bored. In addition, there are hawkers with small toys, some of which are really enjoyed by kids.

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Delhi Tourism: Lotus Temple - A serene place

I remember when I was in school, our school organized a tour to Delhi and Lotus Temple was in the list of sight-seeing. One of the most amazing architecual achievements in Delhi is the Lotus Temple. It is an architectural marvel of the Bahai faith, located in Kalkaji, south of Delhi. It is shaped like a half opened Lotus flower, made up of marble, cement and sand.
The Lotus Temple stresses on the unity of all people in one race. It is set amidst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate silently according to their own religion. The view of the temple is very spectacular just before dusk when the temple is flood lit. The temple is designed to make people conscious about the beauty of life. For, life's beauty can be preserved, rising as the lotus out of swampy slime, clean and perfect - a manifestation of God.
The Bahá'í House of Worship is closed every Monday for cleaning and maintenance. There are
no Admission Charges, therefore entrance is free, and Parking is also free. A few Movies are shown in the Information Centre everyday. These movies are related to the Bahá'í House of Worship and the Bahá'í Faith.
Visiting Hours:
Summer (1 April - 30 September) -> 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Winter (1 October - 31 March) -> 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
I am living in Delhi for the past three years but I am not able to visit this awesome place. I hope it to visit soon and refresh my memories. In order to complete Delhi's trip, one should visit Lotus Temple.

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Mexican eating joint in Delhi: Rodeo in Connaught Place

To get a flavour for the Wild West in a restaurant in Delhi, you got to try the Rodeo. Centrally located in the heart of Delhi, it is in the A-block, the inner circle in Connaught Place.
The place makes an attempt to try for the effects, from the cardboard guns, cowboy hats, the western ambience on the walls, staff wearing cowboy hats, etc. You can actually spend a decent amount of time at this restaurant with friends.
It serves liquor, with a variety of drinks, and the tequila slammers are fairly good. The place is decently expensive, and food plus drinks will come to an average of around Rs. 500 per head. Most people however who have gone to place will go there again, which is a pretty good sign. There is music, with live singing at times. And if you want karaoke, it's there on Saturdays.
If you are late in the afternoon, you can catch happy hours after 3:30 - 7:30, so this is what sometimes we do. Stay there, but order for all drinks by 7:30, so that we can catch the happy hours.
tel # 011-3713780, 3713781

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Delhi Culture: National Gallery of Modern Art

This is one of the most famous museums in Delhi. The National Gallery of Modern Art is located right in the heart of the city, very difficult to miss. Located just next to India Gate, it is actually located on the traffic hexagon that sorrounds the India Gate complex, and the actual physical location is called Jaipur House. It is open from 10.00 AM to 5 PM on all days, except Monday when it is closed.
The Gallery is run by the Government of India, and was setup in 1954, making it a long standing structure, and enough time to develop a good reputation. The agenda of the Gallery is to preserve and display Indian art from the 1850's.
In addition to works of art, it houses an art reference library which has a vast collection of books. For those looking to carry prints back home, a collection of best contemporary art reproductions are on sale at the counter. Company School paintings of the 19th and early 20th centuries and the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Jammi Roy and Amrita Sher Gil hold pride of place amidst exhibits, which give an overview of the evolution of modern Indian paintings and sculpture.
Contact Information: Tel. 011-23384640, 23382835
Website: http://www.ngmaindia.gov.in/

Location Map:



A map of some of the museums of Delhi (courtesy Maps of India): Click to see in more detail

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Delhi Culture: Kamani auditorium

Delhi is often enough accused of being a city with a very loud culture, not the refined culture. One place that goes a long way towards removing some of that misunderstanding is an auditorium by the name of Kamani auditorium.
This is a fairly large auditorium, located right in the heart of the city. It is located on Copernicus Marg, right off the Mandi House Delhi Metro station. This auditorium has been there for a fairly long time, inaugrated in 1971.
The auditorium seats 632 people, and the stage is a massive item, with 48 feet depth and a 40 feet opening frontage, it can host different types of performances such as plays, ballets, group and solo performances. If you are culturally inclined, you must have visited Kamani auditorium. The place SHRIRAM BHARATIYA KALA KENDRA, one of the premier cultural institutions of INDIA.
If you want to know the upcoming performance schedule for Kamani, refer to the following link:
http://www.kamaniauditorium.org/schedule/schedule.php

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Delhi Restaurants: Haldiram

Haldiram's is not exactly one restaurant. This is a namkeen chain that sold a number of different delicacies and sweets. Those fond of such stuff (including me) would really enjoy these, and not worry too much about their health even when eating some of these fried, salty stuff :-). But I am as guilty as anyone else about enjoying these, so will leave it. Their namkeens and sweets are available widely in the retail chain, and with different sizes available, are a fair hit.
Haldiram's has also started a chain of restaurants in Delhi and NCR. These make available a variety of foods and mocktails at decent rates, thus giving a good option for most people. One thing you need to be aware of is that these restaurants can be extremely busy during office meal hours, so pick your timing with care. You get North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Continental, and a lot of chaat items here, served hot and ready. In addition, you get the normal drinks (non-alcoholic).
Haldiram's is located in the following locations in Delhi:
1. In Mohan industrial estate in south-east Delhi. This is on Mathura road, after you cross Apollo Hospital and then the flyover, after around 1 km, you will find Haldiram to the right amidst a number of car showrooms and other offices.
2. In the heart of Old Delhi. Right next to the fountain and the gurudwara, just get off the Old Delhi Railway Station from the Metro, and look around, or ask.
3. Noida: The spice mall in Sector 25A has a Haldiram at the ground floor.
4. NH8: As you move on the Jaipur highway from Gurgaon, you will find it on the left side.
5. South Delhi, Ring Road: This Haldiram is a bit more controversial since it has been sealed a couple of times, but is now open for business. This outlet is located in Lajpat Nagar, just next to the flyover.

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Delhi Restaurants: Park Baluchi

Friends of mine who have eaten at this restaurant are great fans. The restaurant serves North-Western Frontier (Afghani) food, made famous by Bukhara restaurant in the Maurya Sheraton. The location of this restaurant is great, it is inside the Deer Park in Hauz Khas Village. You can, if lucky, get a table that looks to the park and see deers, a lovely view for children of all ages, and quite a lot of adults as well. The vier of the manicured lawns and trees give a good setting.
The ambience has been rated as very good, with a nice seating arrangement. The only problem that is typically seen is that the food serving could be faster.
The contact number of the restaurant is:
Tel:+(91)-(11)-2685 9369
A meal for 2 could cost between Rs. 400 - Rs. 600. Liquor is also available.

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New gaming zone in East Delhi in Cross River Mall

Good news for people living in the trans-Yamuna belt. This area, more famous for being
called Shahadra by the rest of Delhi, has a brand new playing game. So, if kids are screaming for playing some arcade games, friends are over and you do not know what to do, or you are thinking that trying to have a bowling game involves going to South Delhi or to Noida, cheer up; there is a place nearby.
I wonder how many people have heard of a mall called Cross River Mall in East Delhi ? It styles itself as the longest mall in Delhi, and it is fairly long, that is true ! This mall is located on the outer edges of Surajmal Vihar. If you are coming from the Vikas Marg - ITO - Laxmi Nagar side, then you need to follow Vikas Marg till the road actually comes to an end at a T-joint (at Yamuna Sports Complex), turn left from here, and keep on going straight (crossing the Surajmal Vihar market on the left side), until you come to a 4-way. Cross the intersection and go straight. If you turn left from there, then you come to Cross River Mall. If you are coming from Anand Vihar ISBT side, then you need to proceed straight after the ISBT, cross the railway over-bridge and turn left at the first signal. If you go straight from here, you will eventually cross the Surajmal Vihar market as described above, and proceed stright, you will see it.
Once you reach Cross River Mall, go upto the second floor through the escalator on the left side, and then it's at the end of a long corridor. There are 3 bowling lanes, and a fair ammount of arcade games. Kids should have lots of fun, and grown ups who want to enjoy (such as grown up kids like me) would also have lots of fun.

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Delhi Tourism: Jantar Mantar

This is an incredible place. Located in the heart of Delhi, within one of the busiest sections of the city, it stands out as a place of peace and quiet. Located at a stone's throw from Connaught Place on the busy Parliament Street, Jantar Mantar will be easily seen as a place of red structures, with a lot of open spaces between them.
What is the Jantar Mantar? This is a fact of history that was there in school text books, but not something that too many people in Delhi will remember. The Jantar Mantar is a set of astronomical instruments, built on a large scale. They were built by the Sawai Jai Singh in the early 18th century in 5 cities, Jaipur, Varanasi, Delhi, Ujjain and Mathura.
These instruments are meant to measure the movements of the sun, moon and planets. There is a massive instrument that depicts the time accurate to within 4 minutes, and there is another instrument that also depicts the time in 4 other cities as well. Another instrument depicts the longest and shortest days of the year.
These structures are an invaluable part of our cultural heritage. Read more about these at 1,2 and 3

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Playing in Delhi: Essex Farms, a games place

A group of colleagues were trying to work out various options on how to celebrate an accomplishment. This would mean an outing for around 20 plus people. Celebrating with a dinner was one option, going to a movie plus dinner was another option, an outing to an amusement park was another option. But the feeling was that, people, all being kids at heart would really enjoy a place where fun and games were involved and where they could spend some time playing and then have a nice time. After some time, we decided that Essex Farms it was.
Essex Farms is located on Aurobindo Marg, if you are going from the AIIMS side towards IIT, and you cross the signal under the flyover on outer Ring Road, it is the first establishment just after the signal. It comprises of restaurants, snack bar / bakery, and games, a fair amount of games.
So, let me describe a scenario. You go there with friends, leave the car with valet parking, have snacks along with a drink. Then you move to the playing area, doing bowling first, then a game of pool, following by arcade games such as racing, some air hockey, and then a game of bumping cars (the game where you get into rubber lined cars and proceed to bump and crash into one another). We did this particular a number of time, having real fun.
There is a lot for kids to enjoy, plus they can have their usual quota of cold drinks and snacks over there. A nice place overall, just be reminded that it can be a pain to reach there in peak traffic times.

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