Shopping & Entertainment in Delhi
The hallmark of shopping in Delhi is the bewildering variety of merchandise, markets and styles. Besides Connaught Place, almost every residential colony boasts a market. Old, established shops, bazaars and markets co-exist happily with glitzy, high-end boutiques and department stores, and one can buy anything from seasonal fruits and traditional handicrafts to designer clothes and the latest imported. electronic items. Delhi also has a rich and varied cultural life. The city's cultural calendar livens up between October and March, when the season sin full swing. The number of events multiply as all major festivals of music, dance, theatre and cinema are held at this time of the year.
Shops and Market in Delhi
New Delhi main shopping centres are in and around Connaught Place and Janpath, where the state emporiums and Cottage Industries offer an exciting and varied range of textiles, jewellery and souvenirs at fixed and reasonable prices. In the north is Chandni Chowk the traditional market, while to the south are Khan Market, Sundar Nagar and Santushti, the old urban villages of Hauz Khas, Shahpur Jat and Mehrauli, and Dilli Haat, a crafts bazaar on Aurobindo Marg. Meherchand Market on bustling Lodhi Road offers quirky fashion boutiques and quaint eateries.
Where to buy Antiques, Jeweller and Silver Sopping in Delhi
Genuine antiques are rare to come by and, in any case, cannot be taken out of the country unless certified by the ASI. However, Lota, the Crafts Museum shop, hotel boutiques and Sundar Nagar market stock excellent reproductions of miniature paintings, wood-carvings and bronzes made by artisans today. Superb pieces of traditional jewellery, including kundan and meenakari, are available at Sundar Nagar market, especially at Bharany’s. Silver jewellery, both traditional and modem, can be found in the gullies of Dariba Kalan in Chandni Chowk, and SundarNagar. Ravissant and Cooke & Kelvy are the best places for contemporary silverware.
Where to buy Textiles, Shawls and Carpets in Delhi
Traditional textiles are available in most of the better shops and emporiums, particularly Cottage Industries on Janpath. A wide and exclusive selection of personal care products are on offer at Forest Essentials in Khan Market. The Shop, Anokhi and Fab India are the best places for good-quality ready-made garments, linen and light cotton quilts. Lodi Colony market has several boutiques offering eclectic Indian designer-wear, including the stylish Abraham &Thakore. Shyam Ahuja sells linen, textiles and dhurries, while The Carpet Cellar is an excellent outlet for Afghan and Kashmiri carpets and pashmina shawls.
Where to buy Handicrafts and Gifts in Delhi
Lota, the Crafts Museum shop, Tulsi, Kamala and Dili Haat have a wide selection of Indian handicrafts and other gift items, while Tibet House has woolen shawls, jackets, thangkas and carpets. For quality leather goods, such as handmade shoes and jackets, the many Chinese-owned outlets in Connaught Place set the standards for comfort and durability. For trendier goods there is Da Milano. In Chandni Chowk's Dariba Kalan is Gulab Singh Johari Mal, a marvellous old-fashioned shop, where one can test Indian perfume (attar) from cut-glass bottles. Their soaps are also worth buying. Herbal cosmetics, incense sticks, perfumed candles and aromatherapy oils and lotions are available in many of the larger stores, including Good Earth, which also stocks towels, bathrobes and massage mats. Cosmetics by Vama Ayurveda, Biotique and Shahnaz Herbal are found at most chemists. Spices and fresh seasonal fruit are found at INA Market and Indian tea is sold in Kaka Nagar Market (near the Oberoi Hotel on Zakir Hussain Marg), Khan Market and at Mittal Tea House in Lodi Colony market.
Get Entertainment Guides, Tickets and Venues details of Delhi
All newspapers list the day's entertainment on their engagements page. Other useful sources of information on events, restaurants, sports and related activities are Time Out Delhi and Little Black Book Delhi, both can get from online. At several venues in the city, such as the India International Centre, entry is free. At others, such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), it is by invitation only. Tickets for selected music and dance festivals and theatre, however, are advertised and sold at certain bookshops or at the box office. Most of Delhi's cultural activities are clustered around Mandi House. Thecity’s largest auditorium, Kamani on Copernicus Marg, hosts concerts, plays and classical music and dance performances throughout the year. During the season, music and dance events are also held at FICCI Auditorium, on the roundabout, Triveni Kala Sangam, on Tansen Marg, and at Azad Bhavan, the main venue for performances organized by the state-run ICCR. Excellent plays, in both Hindi and English, are held at the open-air auditorium of the National School of Drama, the main repertory company at Bhawalpur House, and at the Shri Ram Centre nearby. Colourful folk dances from all over India, organized by the Trade Fair Authority of India, are held during the annual Trade India Fair in November, at Pragati Maidan, the huge exhibition grounds on Mathura Road. Both the India Habitat Centre and the India International Centre, on Lodi Road, organize a variety of events including films, plays, concerts, exhibitions, lectures and discussions. The mega Siri Fort Complex, in South Delhi, is the venue for most prestigious events. Popular Indian and foreign films are screened at the many cinema halls dotted all over the city. Among the better equipped halls are PVR Select City walk and DT Cinemas in Saket.
Performing Arts in Delhi
Delhi is the best place to experience the range and richness of classical dance and music. Performances by the best exponents of the major styles of Odissi, Kathak, Bharat Natyam and Kathakali take place during the high season, between October and March. The same is true of concerts of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. India’s vibrant folk dance and music traditions such as the devotional music of the Sufis, dance-dramas from Kerala, and puppet shows from Rajasthan and Karnataka, can also be seen at various venues. Check newspapers for details on location and tickets.
Where is Exhibitions Spot in Delhi
Major exhibitions are held at the Pragati Maidan, Nehru Stadium, National Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, Art Heritage and the Crafts Museum. These include special collections of rare sculpture and paintings from museums all over India, as well as from abroad. Recent years have seen exhibitions of Picasso's paintings, the Nizam of Hyderabad's fabulous jewels and Mughal paintings from Queen Elizabeth I's private collection. Regular exhibitions of contemporary art and craft, photography and graphics are also held in the many art galleries around Mandi House.
