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Friday, May 23, 2008
Ghantewala sweets shop in Chandni Chowk
Ghantewala (link) is one of the oldest and most famous eateries and sweets shop in Delhi. It went into business in 1790. There's an interesting story behind how it got its name, Ghanta actually means a big clanging bell in Hindi Legend goes that whenever the royal procession moved down this road, the emperor was in the habit of stopping here for a snack - a habit that his elephant acquired too. Well, we all know how passionately fond of sweets elephants are, so of course came the day when he found the way to the shop himself. Apparently he refused to budge and kept on shaking its head until people rallied around with assorted sweets. The bells hanging from the elephant's neck would tinkle whenever the animal went into stubborn mode and shook his head and from there came the shop's name - beat that! (Another story is: A school used to exist near this shop and whenever the caretaker of the school would hit the hammer on the clanger, the sound would echo to the ramparts of the Red Fort. Whenever he felt like tasting some sweets, Shah Alam used to tell his flunkies to go to the `Ghanta Niche Halwai' -- the shop under the clanger. Hence, the name `Ghantewala.') The Ghantewala Halwai is celebrated for its sohanhalwa, a sweet made from dry fruits, sprouts and sugar. Some of the products of Ghantewala are: Kaju Sweets, Desi Ghee Sweets, Badam Sweets, Petha Sweets, Bengali Sweets, Aloo Lacha, Dalmoth Kaju, Dalmoth Plain, Dalmoth Spl., Moong Dal, Kashmiri Mixture, Badam Mixture, Mongra, Chana Kabuli, Chana Dal, Aloo Wafers, Kaju Fried, kaju Masala, Kaju Roasted, Badam Roasted, Badam Fried / Masala, Sem Seeds, Sitaphal Beej, Kharbooja Beej, Mera Mixture, Mathri Gol Kali Mirch, Mathri Methi, Mathri Tikoni, Namakpare, Mathri Karela, Bakarwadi, Biscuits, Snacks, Papad. Contact details: Ghantewala Confectioners 1862-A, Chandni Chowk, Delhi-110006 Phone : +91-11-23280490 Telefax : +91-11-23241851 Email : sweets@ghantewala.com
How many people are there in Delhi who would not have heard of the Surjakund Mela ? A fair number of people would have also taken the trouble to go to the Surajkund complex of Haryana tourism during the time of the mela, attracted by the cultural experience. The Mela also promises to be a great experience of foreign tourists who get a sample of the Indian countryside not far from Delhi. Reaching there is not difficult, one needs to head onto Mathura road till just before Badarpur border and ask for directions from there. It is not very far from there, and is located in Faridabad district. The Mela is organized ever year from Feb 1 - Feb 15 and begins from 9.30 a.m. and closes at 5.30 p.m. each evening, and has been in existence from 1981; the fair celebrates its 28th version in 2008. The Mela has been the brainchild of Harayana tourism as a way to showcase the cultural experience of the Indian rural area, focusing on a different state everytime, and has been a spectacular success. The mela has some specific objectives, such as: 1. To create a rural ambience for the foreign and domestic tourist to see 2. To educate patrons both from abroad, urban centres and educational institutes about the fascinating technique and skills involved in craft creation 3. To introduce crafts and craftspersons directly to the buyers and help them find their patrons 4. To Identify, nurture and preserve languishing crafts of the country and save it for posterity In addition to the culture, the fortnight long celebrations also come as a food festival. Some of the popular food traditions from Punjab come at the Punjabi 'Rasoi'. South Indian delicacies come in from South Indian Section. Popular Chinese and snack foods also arrive for the event along with a special stalls where patrons are introduced to the traditional foods and sweet meats of the selected theme State. Skilled artisans from all over the country display the rich crafts tradition of India in the typical setting of a rural Indian marketplace. Cultural programmes and rural cuisine are also a part of this colourful fair. The fair also provides a meeting ground for the talented painters, weavers, sculptors and craftsmen form all over India who exhibit their creations and the arts and crafts lovers who flock here to admire and purchase these creations.
For people living in Karol Bagh, Roshan Di Kulfi is one of the most famous places in Karol Bagh for eating, and has been there for a very long time. As the name would suggest, it is very famous for the Kulfi (and charges a decent amount for it as well), and one would say deservedly so. People are so fond of the Kulfi that they will go again and again for it. The shop is now much more approachable, since it is located around 500 meters from the Karol Bagh Metro station, on Ajmal Khan Road, and you reach the shop. If you don't have the inclination to walk, rickshaws are very easily available. Of course, you might get distracted since you will cross Ghaffar market, and it is one of the best market for bargains on electronics and mobiles. The shop now serves all kinds of food, including Pizzas, but the traditional stuff of chaat and chole bhature are very good. Lassi is also pretty good. And on the subject of Kulfi, try it with the vermicilli like falooda, and you will realize how good kulfi-falooda can be. What kind of food does it serve? Streetfood (Chhole Bhature, Chaat, Kulfi) Address: 2816, Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh City: New Delhi Phone(s): 25710045 It does not take credit cards, and is not air-conditioned, but most people who go there do not expect anything like that anyhow.
The hotels in Delhi have some of the best restaurants, bars and nightclubs. So, for example, the hotel Taj Mahal (Man Singh) located at the point where Man Singh Road meets Prithviraj Road. Being a plush bar, Rick's is an ideal place to relax and unwind, and spend time with friends or with business associates. What sort of ambience does Rick's have: Spectacular new bar-cum-restaurant with a lively ambience. Offers a selection of the world's most popular wines and liquors and a wide range of cocktails. Exclusive South-East Asian wok cuisine, using the freshest ingredients with natural flavours and spices. Famous for its vodka-based cocktails such as the Guava Berry Martini and the Cosmopolitan. It has a live band. Address: Taj Mahal Hotel, 1 Man Singh Road, New Delhi Phone Number: +91 (11) 2302 6162 Timings : 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm Avg Price Per Couple (Rs) : 2400-2500
Seems strange to mention a garden, a club, and a tomb in the same place, but this is exactly what Roshanara Bagh, located in North Delhi is. Easily reachable, near the North University, it is reachable by going to Kamla market, from there to the Clock Tower and then the Roshnara Road. So what is the Roshanara Garden all about? Well, it is a very old garden, constructed by the younger daughter of Shah Jahan, Roshanara in 1650. She helped her brother, Aurangzeb in the fight for the Mughal throne with Dara Shikoh, and was his favourite sister for a long time. However, things change and she was poisoned in 1671 on Aurangzeb's orders, and buried in the garden. Her grave is right in the middle of the garden, called the Baradari. Right now, it is not in a well maintained condition, but it used to be a simple roofless grave surrounded by carved marble screens, and a big hall with lots of beautiful paintings. The British really liked the garden due its location amongst the greenery of the Ridge, and made some alterations in 1875 to substantially make the place more open. In 1923, the Roshanara Club was opened, which is a fairly exclusive club, and not open by default to everybody; only to members and their guests.
Delhi has a major fort that is very popular, the Red Fort in Old Delhi, where the Prime Minister unfurls the national flag on Indian Independence Day (August 15th). But the Red Fort was constructed by the 5th Mughal, Shah Jehan. What was there before that ? Well, the answer is the Purana Qila (Old Fort). Located on Mathura Road, very centrally, right next to the Delhi Zoo, next to Pragati Maidan, and connected by a short road to India Gate. This looks much more of a ruin, as compared to the Red Fort. The Old Fort has a chequered history, having been completed by the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri who had managed to over-throw the second Mughal, Humayun. The idea of the fort was to defend the city against invaders, and this worked till Sher Shah died 5 years later. Humayun was able to win his way back over the throne, and occupied the fort. However, the reign was short, and he died in a fall from the steep steps of the library. After his death, the Mughals considered the fort as cursed, and eventually started the construction of a new fort, the Red Fort. The Purnana Qila is a wonderful garrison, with its walls being very high, as high as 20 meters in some places, and with a circumference of around 2.5 kilometers. The fort introduced the concept of spy holes in the walls, something which was copied by other forts. The Old fort also has a way to show tourists about the history of the city through an incredible sound and light show, run by Delhi Tourism.
Tickets available at - DTTDC Office, N-36, Connaught Place, New Delhi, India 110001. Phone : +91-11-3315322
Connaught Place Coffee Home, New Delhi, India 110001. Phone : +91-11-3363607
The Old Fort is supposed to have been built on the site of the historic Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas. In some excavation at the site of the Old Fort, pottery dating back to 1000 BC has been found; and in addition, coins and such relating to the Gupta and post-Gupta dynasties (4th century AD onwards) have also been found.
This is a great nightclub. Even though newer Elevate in Noida is acknowledged as the number one rocking place in the Delhi region, Djinns has its own appeal and charm. You can consider it as a hybrid of pub-disco-restaurant-leisure club. Located in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, at Bhikaji Cama Place in South Delhi, this is easily accessible from South Delhi, West Delhi and Gurgaon. Bhikaji Cama Place is located on Ring Road, in between AIIMS and Moti Bagh. Contact number is Phone: +91 (0)11 2679 1234 The place looks beautiful, complete with hardwood floors and brass fittings. A band usually plays in the evening. It can get quite crowded in the evening, and on weekends, so you may need to reach early. It is still fairly popular, even with the large number of clubs that have proliferated all over the city.
This is a pretty well maintained park, located in the midst of the diplomatic area of Chanakyapuri. It is a plush park, very well maintained and frequented by a number of the high and mighty of the capital city. The park is spacious, being around 80 acres in size and is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. It is located next to the Ashoka Hotel and borders the Diplomatic Enclave. The park is open on all days, is open from sunrise to sunset and there are no admission fees. There is parking available. The inside of the park is beautiful, comprising of green mounds, lots of flowers and rocks inscribed with the sayings of Nehru. The park attracts a number of fitness enthusiasts who come to the park morning and evening to work out. The park also has a swimming pool and a snack bar. In addition, Nehru Park also has a number of musical events such as Morning Ragas on Sunday morning, with performances by famous musicians and vocalists.
Delhi, with its heat and grime, is mostly like a concrete jungle. The parks that Delhi has are extremely valued for the green cover they provide, as well as a comfortable place for morning and evening respite from the heat. One such park, very famous in the Lodi Road area is Lodi Garden. Bounded by Jor Bagh on one side and right next to the India International Center, Lodi Garden is like a green paradise for people of all ages. The garden houses a number of tombs of the Lodi and Sayed kings who ruled over Delhi in the 15th and 16th century. For a view of some of these structures, click on this link. Some of these tombs are in a surprising good condition, considering their age. But the main attraction of Lodi Garden are the well-kept lawns, excellent walks through some lush foilage and numerous trees. There are a fair variety of different types of plants and trees in the Garden. The Garden is a favourite among India's civil servants, many of whom live close by, this also ensuring that the garden is always kept well-maintained. Visiting the Garden, you will find people of all ages coming for morning walks, jogs, for various games, couples out to have a good time, or people coming for a picnic. In the evening, the monuments are highlighted by halogen lamps. In winters, the Garden is a good place to bask in the sun.
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.
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.
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
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
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
Razia Sultan was unique. She was the only woman monarch of Delhi, that too in a time period when such an event was unthinkable. She was born in 1205, and died in 1240 (and ruled only for 4 years). Maybe because she was a woman, she had to face rebellions, and was eventually defeated and killed after losing to her brother. Read this link for more details. One would think that her grave would be an important place, given her significance in history, but her grave remains in neglect for a long time. The grave can be found close to the Sitaram Bazaar and the Kalan Masjid, and is located in Bulbuli Khane locale. The grave is raised on a raised platform within the premises of an open courtyard. On one side, there is a serene center for prayer. Nowadays, with the movement to improve the upkeep of historial monuments, there is a much greater focus on trying to improve the condition of the tomb. The tomb is open from sunrise to sunset, and can be reached from the Chawri Bazaar metro station. The other option is to reach old delhi and take a rickshaw from there.
Delhi has often been accused of having a very limited night life; in fact a lot of people believe that the city shuts down by 9 PM. This may have been true in the past, but with the proliferation of malls and movie halls, such a statement is getting more difficult to make. The icing on the cake is the presence of night clubs / disc where people can groove and shake a leg till pretty late on night. The one place in Delhi (or suburb) that can be said to be the most popular one is the nightclub known as 'Elevate'. Elevate is comparatively new, and is located on the 6th floor of the Center Stage Mall in Sector 18 Market of Noida. Elevate is open till 4 AM, but does not have the concept of happy hours. The club has several different levels for different clientele and can accomodate around 2000 people in total. Elevate is however open only on weekends, and features international DJ's. Drinks average around Rs. 600. The nightclub has tremendous musical power, with upto 1,00,000 watts of power. The dance floor is called a Body Sonic Dance Floor with vibrations being induced in the dance floor through motors.
When anybody from outside Delhi comes visting, quite a few of them want to see the sights of Delhi, including places that are tourist worthy. One of the places in Delhi to see from a tourist point of view is the Qutub Minar. Located in South Delhi near Mehrauli (in fact if you go straight on Aurobindo Marg towards South Delhi, you will reach the Qutub complex). The Qutub Minar is named after Qutb-ud-din Aibak who started the tower, and it was completed by Iltutmish. The Qutub Minar is 239 ft high and has 5 storeys. The complex contains another marvellous item - a 2000 year old 7 m high Iron Pillar. For more details, please click here.
I am an ardent fan of reading, and am alwasy on the hunt for a new place from where I can get books, preferably at as low a cost as possible. This is not so easy nowadays, where the cost of a good book will be in the range of Rs. 300-500, hence making the buying of more books on a regular basis something of an expensive affair. I was generally roaming around in the South Extension 1 market when I came across this bookstore that was selling a lot of books for the sum of Rs. 100 each. Now none of these books were in a pristine condition, even if they had not been read before, they had gone through some amount of weathering. But I was hooked. Obviously in such a case, a lot of books would have been something that I would not be looking to buy, but I did come across a lot of books that I thought were worth buying, and I was soon trudging out of the bookstore with 11 books weighing down my hand, and some of these books were hard cover editions. I picked up books by Arthur C Clarke, Jonathan Kellerman, Robin Cook, Michael Critchon, and numerous others. Where exactly was this located, this is right at the end of the South Extension 1 market, in the side closer to INA. It was located in the basement of a shop, but was fairly easy to locate once I was walking on the road in front of it since it had a banner flying high. So if you like books, and do not mind buying books that are not in a mint condition, then this is a good place to explore.
What is Dilli haat ? Dilli haat is a cultural complex, located in between AIIMS and Safdarjung flyover, right opposite the INA market. It is located in six acres, and if you are culturally inclined, it is a treat to visit and spend time over there. Be warned, on weekends it is so crowded that it will take some time to get parking. However, there is a fair amount of parking available, and finding parking should not be a problem. No valet parking available though :-) What is inside Dilli Haat ? Dilli haat primarily has 2 main features - stalls having artisans from a wide section of the country and food stalls representing the popular cuisine of different states. What do the artisans display ? Various types of jewellery (note, you get some pretty good low-priced fancy jewellery (silver based as well as traditional, but not heavy gold types)), clothing from different areas of the country (good place for ladies to try to enrichen their wardrobe - I did not see too much stuff for the gentlemen over there though), different types of footwear, wall hangings, table settings, cermaic bugs, etc (you get the idea, I am sure). These artisans are rotated every 15 days so that artisans from all over get a chance to be here, and every time you come, you will see something different. In addition, there are region or state specific festivals where you can hear the regional music and other fine arts, in addition to a specific focus on the clothing and other wares from that region. Now if you get hungry, what do you do ? There are a large variety of stall from all over the country. You want some type of Rajasthani thaali, or some momos from a North-eastern state, or some South Indian ware ? All is available. In my experience, the difficult part was to decide which one to select. Finally, we selected one where there was some free seating space.
