If you are not a Delhi native like me and have two days in Delhi to shop, then this post is for you! So I landed at 2 am and by the time I got home to my sisters house in Noida it was 4 a.m. We caught up on lots of stuff on the drive home and also a couple of hours at home.We finally decided at 6 a.m we should try and sleep for a few hours before my niece and nephew woke up to go to school. I took a tablet of Melatonin and made of cup of ‘Sleepytime Tea’ but couldn’t sleep a wink! Blame it on jetlag, time difference and excitement.
I was in Delhi for two days and we,i.e. my mom, me and my two sisters were going to Haridwar and Rishikesh for 3 days after. After a hearty breakfast my sister suggested we go to Delhi Haat or Dilli Haat. Delhi haat had been on my radar for sometime now, but usually I just land in Delhi and take the connecting flight the next day to Kolkata, that I never have enough time to shop. But this time since we were planning to go sightseeing to Haridwar and Rishikesh, I had kept two days for shopping before the trip!
Of course, I had to google and find out more about Dilli Haat and found that according to Wikipedia – “Dilli Haat is an open-air food plaza and craft bazaar located in Delhi, run by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC). Unlike the traditional weekly market, the village Haat, Dilli Haat is permanent. It is located in the commercial centres of South Delhi, opposite INA market. The 6 acres of land on which this complex is situated was salvaged as part of a reclamation project and transformed into a plaza. Extensive foundation work, small thatched roof cottages and kiosks give the plaza a village atmosphere. Some shops are permanent but other sellers are rotated, usually for fifteen days.[1] Products offered may include rosewood and sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware, metal crafts, and silk and wool fabrics. A number of shows promoting handicrafts and handlooms are held at the exhibition hall in the complex. To sell wares, there is an application process and spaces are allocated according to which state the seller is from.[2] In all, Dilli Haat, INA Market has 62 stalls allotted on a rotational basis to craftsmen a payment of INR 100 per day for a maximum period of 15 Days.”[3] “You can read more about it here .
What was surprising was that there was an entrance to get in and there was a special price for ‘foreigners’! I am glad I was with my Indian family and paid the rate for locals! Since it was winter, most of the vendors were selling wollens, shawls, stoles, kashmiri jackets. I bought Stoles/mini shawls for all my friends. If you are looking for Madhubani paintings, then this is the place.I didn’t buy any on this trip as my sister had gifted me some a few years back, but she bought 15 small painting to give to a delegation of Japanese colleagues who were to visit her the following week. Each painting has the name of the artist printed on the back and the shopkeepers even frame the paintings at a small price.I bought a saree, few cotton dupattas, small curios for my blog and wooden blocks for printing-cant wait to try those out!
There are lots of food stalls, selling food from different states. We opted for Thupka and Momos. I was skeptical about trying out food which I felt was not hygienically prepared. I was assured the Thupka would be boiled thoroughly before being served. I completely avoided the Momos and the chatnis that came with it though my mom and sisters thoroughly relished it. I didn’t want to get sick on the first day of my trip! we called it a day and headed back home.
The next day we headed to Lajpat Nagar. I wanted to buy a few lehengas for my daughter and a few nice outfits for myself and was told by everyone, Lajpat Nagar was the place to go. It was almost lunch time by the time we got there so we headed first to a Haldirams close by. Though there are plenty of food stalls and street food vendors, I just couldnt take a chance with street food and get sick. Haldirams is amazing, they started as a sweet and snack chain and now serve such a wide variety of foods, from south Indian delicacies to Indo chinese, to chats,pav bhaji,chana bhatura…name it and they had it.
Pictures of the lunch at Haldirams
Lajpat Nagar is an open market/bazaar that sells just about everything at affordable prices. Yes, you can bargain and you must bargain! Parking is an issue, so our driver dropped us off and went to park the car in one of the bylanes close by. I bought a lehenga for my daughter, a nice, unstiched Churidar kurta for myself, a casual kurta with matching palazzo pants, a few knick knacks for the blog and lots of jewelry-to go with western clothes. You can buy purses,shoes, household goods, fake Indian jewelry, bangles, basically any and everything. Definitely a recommended place to shop in Delhi.
The next day our train to Haridwar was at night,so since I had a few hours to spare,decided to check out Hauz Khas Village and one of the newest malls in Noida called the DLF Mall of India Noida.
Hauz Khas is a small area of old houses that have been converted into a shoppers paradise. It has upscale boutiques,art galleries like Akar prakar and shops selling designer clothes, jewelry and handicrafts. Tons of restaurants and bars of every kind. Definitely a place to spend a few hours to see the latest trends in clothing, though everything is expensive!
DLF Mall Of India Noida was a total contrast from Lajpat nagar. I could very well have been in a mall in the US! Every possible international brand, from casual to upscale was there. Besides the international brands all the Indian designers too had their stores in the mall. Just did window shopping and then had lunch in the most unusual restaurant called ‘Soda Bottle Openerwala’ a Parsi restaurant. I had never eaten Parsi food before though had heard of their famous Dhansak and rice. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice and they have tried to recreate the Irani cafes of Mumbai! Most of the menu is catered towards non vegetarians, though they do have vegetarians options as well. Since my mom and Maasi were with me and they are both vegetarians, we opted for the Veg Dhansak which came with Caramelised Rice and Kachoombar(minced salad). Also ordered A veg cutlet, Berry Pulao and their must have Shikanji(lemonade)-with dried plums and mint. Had never drank anything like this before! Followed the lunch by their famous ‘Staff Chai’ and ‘Phateli Coffee’ The Dhansak comes in a steel tiffin carrier! Here is a link to their interesting and unusual menu-https://www.zomato.com/ncr/sodabottleopenerwala-sector-18-noida/menu
I had only time for these places but on my next trip would love to check out the other places recommended by Delhi tourism.
Will also share my pictures about Haridwar and Rishikesh soon in the next post!
Here is the link by Delhi Tourism to all the shopping hubs in Delhi-http://www.delhitourism.gov.in/delhitourism/shopping/lajpat_nagar.jsp
Pictures of the lunch at Soda Bottle Openerwala
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