The Ultimate Guide to Saadi Dilli

Yeh Dilli hai mere yaar.. Bas Ishq mohabbat pyaar !

This is a post, I’ve done in collaboration with a friend Kirti Arora (blog: The Fashion Flings) from Delhi. I requested her write about it because the city is close to my heart. My Mom is from there, so lots of childhood memories.

cheers 🙂

Globejamun

Now over to you Kirti

Delhi is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is famous for its rich history, vibrant culture
beautiful monuments. From the chaos of old Delhi to Lutyen’s, Delhi can offer you different flavors and
leave you spellbound. I can very well say that whosoever visits Delhi, falls in love with this city.

Dilliwale welcomes everyone with a bright smile. People come here to study from different states, to
work and earn their living and call it their home. The rich past coupled with thriving culture brought in
by migrants from all around the world, gives Delhi an identity that is uniquely its own.

As Delhi is the capital of India and people visit who visit north India makes a hard stop at Delhi, as it is
well connected by all means of transport. So, I thought even if you have one day to spend in Delhi, here
are the top few things which you shouldn’t miss.

I’m Kirti Arora. I’m born and brought up in Delhi. I’m a part time fashion, beauty & lifestyle blogger. You
can follow and subscribe to my Blog “ The Fashion Flings” to follow my stories 🙂

Being a Delhiite, I thought it would be perfect to express my love towards “Saadi Dilli” by sharing an
ultimate guide to explore Delhi the Dilliwala way!

I would like to Thank Karishma for giving me this opportunity.

Here’s your ultimate guide to explore Delhi the Dilliwala way!

It is well connected with Delhi metro to travel within Delhi NCR.

Not to forget Delhi Airport is also ranked second best in the world 🙂 Yes, you read it right! Here’s a
glimpse of the magnificent Delhi Airport!

The hasta (Hand gestures/expressions) mudra represents the heritage of Indian classical dance forms.

There are 12 enchanting Asanas of Surya Namaskar sculptures at Delhi airport.

TOP THINGS TO DO IN DELHI

You can cover the Delhi tour by opting for “Delhi Darshan”

Delhi Tourism has provided Hop on-Hop off (HOHO)AC buses to explore Delhi at your own pace. You can select the package as per your feasibility. You can chose the package that best suits you, based on the no. of days. For e.g., you just have 1 day to explore Delhi , so you can chose their 1 day package in which you can pick and choose up to 8 popular monuments, museums and markets to cover at your own pace. You can check the detailed info – HERE. http://hohodelhi.com/sightseeing-2/

If you don’t want to opt for this bus ride,here’s a list of top 10 places which will cover the beautiful buildings, temples, shopping & food joints.

1.       Lotus Temple -The Bahai Lotus Temple is one of the world’s most beautiful religious buildings and a must-visit when in Delhi.

2.Gurudwara Bangla Sahib – It is one of the most prominent sikh pilgrimage situated in the heart of delhi,Connaught place.

3.DilliHaat – Is famous for its craft bazar, and food joints. It is operated by Delhi tourism.You can buy unique crafts and artwork from DilliHaat. It is situated in INA.

4.Connaught Place – CP is best described as the heart of Delhi. It lies in the center of Delhi, has various restaurants, shopping centers, street food, street shopping, Almost everything.

5.India Gate –situated in Connaught Place, This place acts as a memorial for the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in World War. Even the names of the soldiers are written on this memorial.

6.Akshardhaam Temple–This unique statue has 48 statues of Ganeshji, 200 sculpted figures of great avatars, devotees of Indian culture. It also hosts 25 minutes of the spectacular “Sahaj Anand Water Show” which creatively blends lasers, lights, fire, fountains & projections. It’s a must visit place for an enthralling experience.

7.Kingdom of Dreams –India’s first live entertainment, theatre and leisure destination.Kingdom of Dreams is a perfect fusion of Indian culture, art & crafts, heritage and cuisines found under a single roof.Zangoora and Jhumroo are the two Bollywood musicals exclusively staged at the Nautanki Mahal. It is situated in Gurgaon.

8.ChandniChowk – It is also called as “Old Delhi”. As the name suggests, it is one of the oldest and the busiest places in Delhi. You can find almost anything here. Famous for Jewelry, stationary, silver, zardozi and lace items,antiques, sarees, suits, bridal lehengas, food joints and great religious places (SisganjGurudwara, Jama Masjid) – As I said, everything!

9.HauzKhas Village – HauzKhas village is a popular complex in HauzKhas which has some amazing restaurants. It is famous for its night life, hauzkhas fort & lake.

10.QutubMinar

WHAT TO EAT?

• Food – Delhi is famous for its North Indian delicacies & street foods. I’m Punjabi and a big time foodie hence, my love for food is obvious. It is so difficult to list down only few places here as wherever you go, every place has its own food specialty. So, discover food your own way and as you walk down the streets of Delhi. But make sure , you don’t miss the below:

Street Foods

• ParantheWaliGali – Situated in ChandniChowk, famous for their Paranthas. Paranthas are the staple breakfast in Punjabi household, no1 can beat Punjabi paranthas hence, paranthas are a must try , if you haven’t tasted it yet, you are surely missing something in your life.
• Chaat – Alookitikki, alookichaat, Natraj ked ahi bhalle in chandnichowk, golgappe.
• Butter Chicken – You must have tasted it in all other parts of India but for a proper Mughlai taste head to “Gulatis restaurant” at Pandara Road
• Chholebhature – “Sita Ram Diwanchand” It is mostly available in the breakfast menu options in many restaurants. They are heavy and rich in spices.
• Nihari – It is a slow cooked meet. You can head to Karim’s –Jama Masjid to experience this Mughal delicacy.

There’s a lot more apart from this list,Delhi has lot to binge on. You will get tired of eating but this city will leave you craving for more. Check other options HERE

https://www.holidify.com/blog/delhi-street-food-guide/

http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/food/39-dishes-you-must-try-when-youre-in-delhi-230829.html

Fine Dining restaurants

• Parikrama: The revolving restaurant –This restaurant is located on the 24th floor of a building and gives very astounding and breathtaking panoramic view of Delhi.
• On the Water Front – Perfect for your date night.
• Amour – The Patio Restaurant, Cafe & Bar- Perfect ambience with a lake view.
• Lakhori – Haveli Dharampura – Royal Dining experience in a 200 year old restored Haveli with cultural experiences like Kathak, Classical Music, & Kite flying
• Lodhi-The Garden Restaurant – Beautiful ambience.

And there are zillions of cafes in CP &HauzKhas , check them out on Zomato.

PRO TIP – Party in Hauzkhas or CP. Some of the best options are Lord of the drinks, MTV FLYP, Social ,Tamasha, F Bar.

WHERE TO SHOP?

• Janpath – It is famous for its street shopping, you can buy trendy accessories, denim shirts and dresses, aviators at super affordable price. Pro Tip – Bargain more than 50% at the street shops here.
• Sarojini– Have you heard of that song “KudiSaturday ..Saturday kardirehndihai,sarojinikekapdepehenkejati madam disco” . Yes, they are talking about Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar market here. You can buy dresses at throwaway prices here. Again, bargaining is the key. You can even score a sequins dress at INR 100 and I’m not kidding!
• GK- GK -1 M block market is hot spot destination to score 1^st copy branded clothes, bags, footwear, accessories. The prices are a little higher, but definitely a good buy.
• Rajouri Garden- famous stop for suits, sarees, kurta, footwear shopping. Here bargaining won’t work, coz they are proper branded shops which offer good quality clothes & I swear they are irresistible. You would definitely want to buy something for your family /friends, so this is the best market to shop any stuff.

PLACES TO COVER AROUND DELHI

Delhi is also surrounded by hill stations and various places which can be also be covered easily of you are planning to visit Delhi, depending upon the no. of days in hand. To name a few, I would recommend Agra, Jaipur as they are not that far from Delhi or if you want to explore the northern belt , You can check out other places HERE.(Link URL)

• Agra(Distance from Delhi – 243 Km) – Famous for its magical allure “Taj Mahal” which is among the Seven Wonders of the World

• Jaipur (Distance from Delhi 281 Km) – also known as Pink City as the whole city is painted in Pink color. Famous for royal palaces, lakes and their rich heritage.

History, culture, green parks & delicious food at every turn: the capital city has a lot to offer. We hope this list will help you move beyond Delhi’s tough, reticent exterior, and delve into the city’s many delights like a local!

You can follow me on Instagram – The Fashion Flings

If you need any further information, please leave a comment in the comment section below J

Cheers!

Kirti