That search brought me to Ants. My first visit to the place reminded me of Café Turtle at Khan Market, Delhi. This café is not the run of the mill …we have 500 branches …and the taste of coffee is exactly the same in each branch… kind of the place. It’s unique.

Well to start with, it is a boutique-café with a purpose. ‘The Ants’ was started under the guidance of the Action Northeast Trust (ANT), a non-profit organization based in Assam. What you find here are treasures made by tribal groups from north-eastern India and coffee in a relaxing environment.

The place is divided into two sections; the terrace café and the shopping area. The ground floor of Ants has apparel, products of black pottery and bamboo furniture. There are kurtis, stoles, scarves and shawls made of cottons and silk. You’ll also find some ethnic jewelry of the Northeast Region. Pots from Manipur, beautiful weave from Nagaland and handicrafts from Assam. Very beautiful and authentic, having spent some time in the NE region, I can vouch for that. I’ll say it is affordable, for the things you’ll find here are extraordinary. The only other place you may buy this is – maybe a state emporium.

Shopping! That always diverts my attention. We were talking about the café. What I like about the place is the ambiance. It is ‘chilled out’, with different levels of seating (although, some may complain since most of it is low seating). The big blackboard gives a long list of specials for the day and there the regulars as well.

The food is good overall. The non-veg sandwiches and the omelets are amazing. Of course, there is coffee and tea and smoothies. There are cakes and pancakes, fresh fruit salads and regular salads. There is also pasta and burgers if you are a bit hungry. Everything is freshly made too. Which is why, you should expect some slow service. But that’s alright- right? The whole idea is to sit back and relax, chat with friends, or read a book. Enjoy!

So next time you need a break from café coffee day, you know where to go.

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The highly anticipated movie, with the sar jo tera chakraye soundtrack according to the promo, was fast paced, with subtle humour and had a sense of visual alacrity and aesthetics not commonly seen in today’s cinema. If one were to regard this as a “Festival Film,” with festival implying catering to the film festival audiences, yes the film has its moments. But if you were to put this in the “Bollywood envelope” it fails miserably.

It does have it few moments, but it seems more for the Festival fraternity especially in a scene where you see the kid (Faisal) giving the customer (Abhay Deol) tea and saying, “tujhe kya lagam yeh starbucks hai?” (Did you think it was going to be Starbucks?) This dialogue in a film, where the country hasn’t even seen Starbucks, a term only the jet-setters or travelling community would know, does not make sense to the average Joe. The other more insane dialogue, which you think could have probably come from a Bingo commercial is the tel dialogue where Abhay offers the local water-lord tel and says that would make him a ‘real man’.

The film doesn’t live up to the promo. It seemed as if the promo’s intention was to entice. With its colours, a fantastic rendition of an old song, interspersed with the best moments of the film, it truly did its job, of bringing people into the theatre. But that’s where it ended. It could however not keep them in their seat, which is where the director truly disappointed.
One would think, that if given more time, the director could have probably managed a screenplay wherein which the story could have been shaped better along with characters having a hierarchy instead of all being middlemen, and no one clear character emerging as the archetypal hero or villain. Even if you keep aside the hierarchical nature of cinema, and think of the director of doing something new, the fact of the story not feeling complete cannot be ignored.

The movie is not only slow, but its visuals after a while, especially those of the road seem monotonous and almost forced. There is a charm to aesthetics, but it only remains if it is used in modest quantities. To simply put it, I would have rather left this movie on the road, then called it a movie in a hall. The only saving grace, its 95 minutes and in the end, you can hear the song played in the promos before leaving the theatre.

Interesting fact: Faisal has previously worked in a final film made by four students of MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia titled ‘Boot Polish’. Dev Benegal was the adviser at the time the film’s proposals were being discussed by the students who directed it.

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Let me start with the popular embroidery, known as Phulkari, which literally means flowering.

Phulkari is a type of single stitch work that is used to make interesting patterns on suits & dupattas. Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation Ltd has set up a number of showrooms (imaginatively called Phulkari) where you can get these & other handicrafts. A Pulkhari duppata can cost you anywhere from three hundred to six thousand rupees, depending on the cloth, the thread used and the type of work involved.

Another interesting accessory that you’ll find in Patiala is in the jewelery department. Pipal-patti is a light-weight, hand-crafted, delicate piece of jewelry. It is so called because the main focus of the design is the small pipal leaf. They have interesting designs, and this art is unique to this area.

Another thing on the ‘Must Do in Patiala’ list would be to binge on some street food at the 22 Number Phatak (Railway crossing no 22). Row after row of street vendors come to this place during the evenings and on offer is some really amazing food cooked right in front of your eyes. More than the food it’s the experience that is not to be missed.

Ok! Enough blabbering and on to my favorite thing in Patiala – The Patiala Jutti. A Jutti is a kind of slip-on footwear, made of soft leather. One can choose from the traditional red with some gold work or the full-on dapka embroidery ones. I picked up about five pairs the last time I was there, ranging from Rs. 250 to Rs. 600. There are about 150 odd shops, but the oldest and most recommended is Data Shoes (as in Bata with a D). No other place offers so much variety at such great prices.

The fact that you can get ready-made Patiala salwars gives you an idea about the huge demand there is for these awesome creations of Patiala. Believe me you can try & try but you’ll never find a tailor in all of … aaaammm… out of Patiala who can stitch something so amazing. All of these are available in the famous Adalat Bazar of Patiala.

And finally, the Patiala Peg. The Patiala Peg is a measure of liquor popular here in India. It is about 90ml, though the rough and ready measure is the amount of liquor needed to fill a glass equal to the height between the index and little fingers when they are held parallel to one-another.  And trust me, you’ll forget your peg measurer once you’re used to measuring your pegs using your fingers !

Cheers!!

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The food is always good, in fact on our last trip someone said “I’d like to know what they don’t make well” that says a lot for any place. We have tried most of the things on the limited menu and some on the ‘Today’s special’.  Apart for the Bacon Quiche, I don’t remember anything that I haven’t liked. On the Quiche, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt, though – it was probably just a bad day.

Here are some of my recommendations of what to eat at RoadTrip.

Tangy Prawns

A light and tasty starter, where coral pink prawns are sautéed in garlic infused butter, then some fresh coriander is folded in. It is served with a crunch salad in a vinegar dressing. One portion of Tangy Prawn (Rs. 200) is a great starter  for about 4 people.

Ham & Cheese Pizza

Rarely have I eaten a cracker-thin-crust Pizza that comes close to the freshness and lightness of ingredients and texture that you’ll get at Roadtrip. The menu has something called the Ham & Cheese Pizza (Rs. 275)  with whole-wheat or normal base options. Of course you can ask to customize the toppings to your liking. I like to add the sundried tomatoes & mushrooms to the ham, cheese & basil toppings.

Chicken Ravioli

Ravioli is a type of pasta that looks like little packets of seets. It is basically a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. The Chicken Ravioli (Rs. 250) in white sauce with some sundried tomatoes is divine at road trip. Again the ‘Custom Made’ option is available at no extra cost. This one needs to be eaten to understand how good this really is!

Pasta in Arrabiata sauce with Broccoli

Don’t you think anyone can make good pasta in white-cheesy sauce? I mean if it has cheese and some chicken & herbs, not much can go wrong.

It is the arrabiata sauce that is the real test. Arrabbiata is a Roman sauce of garlic, tomatoes, basil and red chili cooked in olive oil. You know what all’ arrabbiata means? It means “angry style”, named as such due to the heat of the peppers.
Road trip has a great arrabiata recipe, even the veg with just some broccoli tastes smashing. So if you find yourself in Road trip on a day you need to eat only vegetarian, try this one.

Stroganoff

The next thing on my list is the Beef Stroganoff.

This is originally a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream. From its origins in 19th-century Russia, it has become popular in much of Iran, Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa, Lebanon and Brazil, with considerable variation in the actual recipe.

The tender juicy meat was somewhat unexpected at first glance but it was marvelous till the last bite.

These are just a handful of things we have tried and liked. Do try the other Italian and Continental dishes on their menu and let us know your favorites. Road Trip is open from noon till Bangalore closes, seven days a week.

Bon Appetite!

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Have you guys seen the Madhya Pradesh Tourism advertisement? ‘Hindustan ka dil dekha…’
Isn’t it awesome? I totally lov it! Not only is the jingle catchy, the concept was clutter breaking and most of all – enjoyable.

For me the thought of Madhya Pradesh takes me to the years I’ve spent in Mhow.

Mhow?!?

Haven’t heard of it, have you? Here is some info to get you started.

MHOW

Must Know – Mhow is a acronym for Military Headquarters of War. It’s a cozy little town about 25 km from Indore and one of India’s most prestigious military training establishments. The military cantonment was founded in 1818 by Sir John Malcolm and is located in the Malwa Plateau. It was established as a result of the Treaty of Mandsour signed by the British Government and the erstwhile Holkar king.

College of Combat, Infantry School and MCTE are the three institutions situated within the cantonment. At has all thinks that are fauji, a golf cource, open air theater, swimming pool, Army School, Command Hospital and lots and lots of faujies.

Must See- Many of my memories of Mhow are of the picnics we had. Mhow is famous for its mild and pleasant weather, beautiful countryside and thus picnics were almost mandatory.

A few of the picnic spots near Mhow worth visiting are Patal Pani Waterfall (5 km), Berchha Lake (8 km), Mandleshwar (70 km), Nakheri Dam (8 km) and Choral Dam (12 km) . Chaaki wale Mahadev, Paatal Hanuman and Kaali Mata temple are the three significant temples in the town.

Must Do – If you are going to Mhow, I am assuming you know someone from the India Army and so something you must do is watch a movie in the open air theater at Infantry/ MCTE movie hall. The experience of watching a movie under the starts is very different for our normal run-off the-mill multiplexes. Another favorite activity for a lot of people in Mhow is fishing at Berchha Lake, although I have absolutely no patience this.

Also, if you do get a chance to see the light & sound show put up by the army, you must. It is truly out of the world. The sounds of live fire and the fireworks display at the end. I was fortunate to see a couple of them & will cherish those fun times.

Must Buy – Mhow is famous for a special kind of embroidery called ‘smoking’. A

must buy are the night gowns and kiddy clothes. They are easily available and ask around in the market for shops that stock them.

About a decade or so back there was a weekly market by the nomads. (don’t know what the situation is now).This was an open air market where what you’ll find was like going on a little adventure. One could find anything from beautiful handmade jewelry or artifacts, clothes, vegetables, knives, gardening equipment, well anything!

Must Try – There is a strong Parsi legacy to this small town as well (the architecture will tell you that) and so the bakeries here are wonderful. Also, try the sabudana namkeen it is a sweet & salty snack with potato flitter, peanuts and sabudana.

The lyrics:

Hindustan Ka Dil Dekha
Bandar dekha, haathi dekha.
Barahsingha, aur cheetal dekha.
Mowgli ke jungleon mein,
Sher Khan ko dekha.
Pachmarhi Satpura ka ajooba,
Bhopal lake mein suraj dooba.
Mandu ka jahaz mahal,
Aur marble ka pahad dekha.
Mahakaal mandir mein pooja,
Photo khicha jaake Orcha.
Gwalior ke kile mein bhatka,
Khajuraho ne de diya jhatka.
Dhim tana dhi re na… nadir…
Purvajon ko milne jule,
Jaa bahita mein Bhimbhetka.
Train ki chik chuk sunte,
Aa pahucha mein Sanchi stupa.
Sanchi ki shanti mein,
Khudke aandar jhaak ke dekha.
Hindustan ka dil dekha.
Hindustan ka dil dekha.

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Let’s have a pop quiz. Think of 5 fine dining restaurants in Bangalore.

DONE ?

I can bet at least one (or more) of them are courtesy the BJN group. The BJN group boasts of having about 19 brands & 40 restaurants in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Pune and Mumbai. They also run the boutique hotel, Museum Inn, in Bangalore.

Bangalore may not be the epitome of a ‘foodie’s paradise’ or claim to have their own unique cuisine, but has adapted brilliantly to the multicultural population that resides in it. BJN has done its bid by having restaurants & bars serving a variety of cuisines and incorporating diverse themes. Whatever mood you’re in, chances are there will be a BJN joint to cure your mood swings.

In the mood for some good Chinese ? Aromas of China may be the answer. We had a buffet lunch on a Sunday afternoon and were delighted with the service and the assortment of food.

The décor of the place is very oriental with beautiful Statues of Lord Buddha. For lunch there were dim-sums, freshly made at a counter and served with spicy sauces. In the non-veg section, mouthwatering prawns, fish, lamb and chicken dishes were on the menu. In the veg section there were some dishes but with so much more around, I didn’t ever bother.

Desert was a no brainer, honey crispy wontons and ice-cream. Would you have given a second thought? There was a couple of pastries, soufflé and of course, the chocolate fondue to experiment with (p.s. Have you noticed the chocolate fondue seems to be a trademark of sorts in all BJN buffets ?) At Rs. 400 per head the buffet included a soft drink, soup, a couple of starters, main course & desert, it’s a great way to spend a lazy Sunday.

We chanced upon Aromas of China, as the restaurant next to it Café Masala was full. I’m a bit disappointed because this is almost always the case (mental note: make reservation next time). It has an Indian barbeque buffet and I’ve heard it is much better than the current fav of Bangalore, BBQ Nation.

Vaayu is the third of BJN’s restaurant at Eva mall. Vaayu is the sky lounge with a stunning view of the stars or so they say, I’ll have to try this one sometime.

‘Bamboo Shoots’ is another place where authentic Chinese, Thai, Malay, Korean and Singaporean fare comes alive. It has won the H&F S National Award for Excellence in Oriental Cuisine  (which they advertise enough) It is situated in BJN’s Museum Inn, along with Angeethi & Tavern at the Inn.

Tavern and Firangi Pani have an ‘English Pub’ feel to them. The large kegs turned into tables, leather upholstered chairs, rich-dark wood furniture and large beer mugs complete the look. It’s a great place to unwind or chill out before catching a move at PVR Forum.

Sahib Sindh Sultan is the restaurant next to Firangi Paani. It’s one of our ‘let’s indulge’ places, not so much for the prices but for the amount of desi ghee they put in the food.

The cuisine served at Samarkhand comes from the North West Frontier region of Pakistan/Afghanistan. So you can expect lot of Tandoori and Mughlai dishes. A bit over priced but I guess when one says fine dining they mean ‘expensive’.

BJN Group’s new offering to add to their already impressive list of North India cuisine is Khansama. Khansama follows the “Royal Indian Theme” located on Concorde Block, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road.

Dilli ki chatt & Bengal ka puchkka, that you wouldn’t have expected from BJN ? But you’ll be surprised at the variety at Bombay House. Not to confuse with- Bombay Post this attempts to recreate the magic and romance of Bollywood of the sixties and seventies. All I can say is its’ thoda hatt key’.

Hypnos is a Mediterranean Lounge, which serves Greek, Lebanese and Spanish Food, and cool cocktails, that is typical of the Mediterranean or so I hear, never actually having been there.

Where I have been a couple of times is Indijoe Resto Bar. Go there for their afternoon buffet – at 350/- it’s not too bad. They serve a mix of Italian, salads, Thai food and Biryani. The desert section has the chocolate fondue obviously.

The other choice is to spend the evening drinking & talking with some beer and good company. The last time we went there we had some Tortia Chips with Cheese Sauce (Rs 150), non-veg combo (Rs 285), Garlic Toast (Rs 95) along with a couple of Pitchers of Draught (Rs 475).

All in all BJN has been able to add a unique dining experience by creating themes of the English pub, Palace on wheels or rustic charms of a dhaba and fine dining oriental flavors or the delights of the northern frontier, while never taking away the taste and quality of the food. Their restaurants are a bit expensive, for sure, but it lives up to its motto is `Khao, Piyo, Jiyo’ !

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The only place is one place most old timers will know of. It used to be THE place to go to for juicy steaks, delicious burgers and cheesy pastas. The location has changed but the place is still the same, for better or for worse.

The restaurant apparently got its name long back as it used to be the only place one could get beef ! I’m not sure how true that is though.

The Only Place has moved from its Mota Royal Arcade, Brigade Road address to an outdoor’sy area on Museum Road. Parking is available at the parking lot in Raheja Chambers next door. The restaurant is very popular with expats as well the local crowd and seems to have a lot of regulars frequenting it. Go there if you are a meat lover and when you don’t want to count your calories. It is ideal for a casual dinner with family and friends.

The restaurant is located in a courtyard-ish area covered by an interestingly tiled roof. Red and white checked tablecloths on the wooden table give a festive, picnic look. The tables are well spaced and the corners have wooden benches instead of chairs.

Creamy Pastas, Juicy Steaks, Sloppy Joe Burgers, Sizzlers and Sumptuous Desserts sum up the menu. I don’t remember what I ordered the first time I went there but over the past year I have been there several times and keep going back for more.

On our last visit, Chicken Chowder Soup (Rs 75) is the first thing we ordered. Chowder typically is a rich and creamy soup full of chunks of ingredients that almost make it like a stew. Traditionally made chowder has a base of bacon and is thickened up with crackers that have been broken into the base. The one here is thickened with chunks of potatoes and corn, and is quite tasty, if I may say so :-)

For the main course, we tried the Vienna steak (Rs 250) which was moist, succulent and delicious – truly a treat for meat lovers. The steaks in this restaurant are served with sides of creamed potatoes, vegetables and garlic bread. You can also customize your plate at an extra cost by adding on pepper or barbeque sauce or jacket potatoes and so on.

Dessert options consisted of apple or peach pie, blueberry cheesecake, chocolate tri-layer cake or trufle pudding. We decided to stick to tradition and ordered the apple pie (Rs 90). It was yummy – warm and delicious with the vanilla ice-cream providing the right amount of coolness !

The decor is a bit dates, the service is slow, but if it’s only the food that you crave, The Only Place is pretty good.

No hard drinks are served, but it’s an absolute delight for foodies. Go a bit early or you might have to wait for your table. Experience a slice of old Bangalore at The Only Place.

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Stores in GK range from the usual branded shops of Levis, W, UCB, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Esprit, L’ Affaire and so on, but what makes this market universal for shopping is the range & variety one gets in the stores and outside them (in small concaves). These smaller setups have pretty decent stuff & definitely worth a look. For instance you can get sunglasses from the branded stores for as much as Rs. 20,000 and cheap knock offs (may I add, pretty good cheap knock offs) for anywhere around 200 bucks at the outside stall.

While Sarojini is great for bargains, Khan Market for the foreigner-type of-mal, M Block has the best of both. Luxury goods, branded clothes, Indian handcrafted paper products (Rio Grande) and shoes (Finesse) and so on. Along with the shopping, you can have a quick bite at – Café Coffee Day, Barista or Costa Coffee. With so much choice, there’s no question why M block is a hot favourite among the youth, the socialites and also the drivers, who can’t but resist a pan from the famous Prince Paan Shop which has been there for decades. 

Evening brings with it the hip-and-happening crowd, as night clubs, bars, pubs and restaurants come alive. While housing the popular eating joints like Pizza Hut and McDonald’s, it also has China Garden, Spins & We2.

The only thing, one must remember is that parking can be a handful. Though there are ample mini parking lots, all around M block, but one must be prepared to not find a spot if you come in rush hour. Recommended option is a chauffeur driven, whom you can call your driver on the cell to meet you, once you are done.
 

GK1 – N Block Market

While there is tons in M block market, its alphabetical counterpart N Block houses some of the quiet glamour that is missing in M Block. 

One dominating feature in this market is the FabIndia chain. You can have a go at the traditional fare, with FabIndia which house clothes, accessories, toiletries, furnishings – you name it and its there – that too on either side of the road. If FabIndia doesn’t suffice, Cottons is an alternative.
Once you have had a handful of ethnic shopping, you can go in for designer wear with Ravi Bajaj’s who in fact owns an eatery here too. The Shoe Shop, Hidesign, Next, Apartment 9, Forest Essentials, Urban Shore London are some other good haunts.
Must visit Navrattan Jeweller for exquisite Jewellery.

And if shopping isn’t all that you are looking for, there are book stores cum cafés and tons of pubs and restaurants to satiate that hunger. You can head into Café Turtle for a cup of coffee and a time out to read books, or try the Breads & More, for bakery delights. Or else, there is Kasbah for some Italian, while Urban Pind and Shalom are the hot spots for the partying kinds.

Your trip to Delhi, isn’t complete without at least a stop-by at one of the GK markets. By-the-way there is GK-2 too… more on that later. Try this one till then.

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Udhagamandalam aka. Ooty

Must Know – Ooty is the “Queen of hill stations” and the capital of the Nilgiris district. It used to be one of the most popular summer and weekend getaways for the Britishers during the colonial days and still retains the old world charm.

Most movies in the 70’s and 80’s had at least one song shot in Ooty, if not entire sequences. It did not matter whether the movie was Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or Mallu. It was a place where the hero and heroine would sing in the rolling tea fields or the hills. A large number of potboilers were shot here, as well as well-known hits such as Karz, Moonram Pirai, Gitanjali, Saajan to name a few. Mithun Da’s cult classics like Cheetah, Gunda, Ravan Raj have been shot here.

Must See - Winding roads, cool breeze, tea plantations, beautiful cottages, the lush and verdant greenery, the War memorial at the prestigious Defence Service Staff College at Wellington, the lakes and the botanical garden at Ooty.

Must Do – Take a trip on the ‘Nilgiri toy train’ that connects Coonoor to Ooty. The train itself is a charming blue and cream with wooden coaches and large windows. This train averages at 10.4 km per hour and
is probably the slowest train in India. It leaves Coonoor at 7.45 a.m. crossing Wellington, Aruvakadu, Ketti, and Lovedale, it reaches Ooty by about 9 am. The fare is Rs. 4 for adults in second class and Rs. 76 for adults in first class.

There are many tunnels along the way and the deafening whistle of the train as it goes through the tunnels has a charm of it’s own. If you enjoy taking pictures, keep your camera ready for a few memorable shots of the valley, plains and the picturesque landscape.

Must Buy – Ooty’s famous chocolates. Do pick up some fudge & chocolate from King Star Confectioners. It is a tiny shop at 33 Commercial Rd, Ooty, next to HP Gas. Well known for its home made chocolates of every conceivable description. You just can’t leave Ooty without trying some chocolates from King Star !

Must Try – Shinkows Opp. the Nilgiri Library, Ph: +91-423-2442811, for Chinese. Like they say, In the hills, things never change, Shinkows was recommended by my parents who were in wellington 25 yrs ago, and is still going strong.

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78% of all men/women when asked about his/her ideal way to spend their leisure time would say Shopping.

It a way to de-stress for some, for others it’s the reason why they earn. Purchasing something new, innovative, colorful, antique basically anything interesting gives most of us shoppers a high.

But for the other 22% shopping can be tiresome & boring. How many malls can one see & how many shoes can one try ?

The distinct feature of Delhi markets is that every shopping hub has its own ambience and specialty. Here are a few of my recommendations for people who don’t want to go to the same old boring branded shops.

Dilli Haat

Situated in the heart of Delhi, Dilli Haat is an upgraded version of the traditional weekly market, offering a delightful assortment of craft, food and cultural activities.

The handicraft stalls are allotted on a rotational basis to craftsmen from all corners of India, usually for fifteen days. This ensures a kaleidoscopic view of the richness and diversity of Indian handicrafts and artifacts. One gets to appreciate the hard work & skill that goes into creating one-of-a-kind handicrafts while watching the live demonstrations by craftsmen.

Dilli Haat is a joint collaboration between the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Department. The basic idea of setting up this crafts bazaar was to promote the Indian handicrafts industry and Indian cuisine. Spread across 6 acres of land, Dilli Haat is situated on Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite the INA market.

There is an entrance fee to go in, but it is well worth spendingthe Rs. 20,  just to see the imaginative landscaping, creative planning, see the artists, and eat the regional food, even if shopping is not on your mind.

Santushti Shopping Arcade

The Air Force Wives association runs this small shopping complex, which is a favorite haunt of diplomats’ wives, located opposite the Ashoka Hotel. More than a dozen boutiques are ringed around a small garden. This isn’t the best spot for bargains, but it is the perfect place to find high fashion Indian clothing.

There is a handbag shop here that has an annual one-day sale when everything in the shop is on a discount. I strongly recommend going to the sale and get there soon because you know how women get around the ‘Sale Sign’.

Must have a ‘spot of tea’ at the popular Basil & Thyme restaurant.

Pragati Maidan

Pragati Maidan hosts a variety of exhibitions, trade shows and trade fairs each year. Functional since 1972, Pragati maidan is a premier event venue in India. It has a dozen indoor halls and almost 10,000 sq. m. of open display space that is spread across 61,290 sqm. Facilities here include Medical aid, ATM’s, Restaurants & parking.

India International Trade Fair & the New Delhi Auto Expo are the well known events, but something or the other is always happening here.

There is plenty to see near Pragati Maidan:

• Crafts Museum which is open from 10am-5pm daily, except Monday. Pick up some souvenirs from Crafts Museum Shop.
• Dolls Museum – A unique museum of Dolls is located near the ITO crossing on the Bahadur Shah Jafar Marg. These dolls are collected from different parts of India as well as from other countries of the world. Pick up some children books from Children Book Trust of India in the same building.
• National Science Centre
• Rajpath and India Gate

Sundernagar Market

If you are a jewelry buff, Sundernagar should be on your Top 10 things to go to. A choice selection of Antiques and silver trinkets, especially of silver jewelry from Ladakh, semi- precious stones, some textiles, brass, copper and silver artifacts are available here.

The Sundarnagar market also has shops selling India’s finest tea and a tea tasting session at one of these shops should be on the top of your itinerary.

Shopping is always on top of the itinerary for me, especially when visiting Delhi. There is whole hoopla of places to go for hard-core shopping. However, this list is for those looking for something more unique, something different.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

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