Off The Beaten Path: Artsy and Quirky New Delhi

Getting Off The Beaten Track In Delhi

Many travelers visiting India try to avoid New Delhi altogether. Noted as being nothing more than a smog-filled toilet, backpackers and tourists try their best to keep their distance from the capital. Those who do find themselves staying in Delhi seem to be attracted to the bowels of the city in Paharganj. While this district has all of the cheapest backpackers hostels and hotels, Paharganj lives up to the stereotype that Delhi is nothing more than a poverty-stricken cement hole.

While the chaotic slums and creatures of Delhi’s underworld are part of the city’s story, it does not provide the full picture of what Delhi truly is. Other than the cheats and shantytowns, Delhi is a city that puts out some of the best art and music in the country. Being such a massive melting pot of people from throughout  India, new ideas and creativity flow through the veins of Delhi.

For some reason, most backpackers tend to confine themselves only to the roughest parts of town. Little do they know that some of the most laid back, artsy, and quirky parts of Delhi lay just a little bit off of the beaten path.

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Hauz Khas Village

Hauz Khas Village offers a perfect balance between the two things you may be searching for in Delhi: ancient ruins and trendy boutique shops. Located in an oasis within an oasis, Hauz Khas Village can be found in the dead center of a luscious rose garden lined with hiking trails and green meadows. At the southern edge of this small art district lays the tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Once the ruler of Delhi, Firoz Shah Tuqhlaq now spends his eternal sleep within earshot of the lively clubs and music venues of Hauz Khas Village.

The tombs themselves are not quite anything to write home about. Just to enter the complex foreigners will have to fork over 300 Rupees (4 USD). Once entering Firoz Shah Tuqhlaq you will see several sun-baked domed mausoleums clustered together. After exploring more of Hauz Khas Village and Green Park you will find that there are tons of tombs such as the Chhoti and Sakri Gumti which you can visit free of charge. So unless you are a big fan of Firoz Shah Tuqhlaq, save your money and spend it at one of the delicious boutique restaurants nearby.

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Maybe several years ago Hauz Khas Village was a secret hideaway for Delhi’s starving artists. But it is now obvious that India’s creative types have fled this artistic refuge to make way for boutique shops and posh art galleries. Many of Delhi up and coming fashion designers and chefs have moved in and took up residence in this small village. While the prices are far out of reach for most locals and budget backpackers, Hauz Khas is continually attracting Delhi’s growing middle class.

It is not only the art shows and coffee shops which have Delhi’s young entrepreneurs frequenting the stores of Hauz Khas. This trendy enclave is also known for having one of the best nightlife scenes in all of the capital. With loads of clubs and bars, Hauz Khas transforms into a hotspot for Delhi’s youth every night. Although this district is very much under the eyeglass of India’s tourism board, you will find far fewer crowds here than the seedy streets of Paharganj.

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Champa Gali

Champa Gali is one of Delhi’s best-kept secrets. One could only assume that the refugees of Hauz Khas Village would prefer to keep it that way. Tucked deep within the neighborhood of Saket, Champa Gali is not a place that you can simply stumble across. The drab apartment buildings gradually become plastered with colorful graffiti as you make your way closer to the artistic enclave that is Champa Gali.

With several coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, and live houses, one can feel the creative juices flowing the second you find yourself immersed in the vibe of Champa Gali. While Hauz Khas Village has a more ostentatious air to it, Champa Gali is filled with a laid back atmosphere.

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No matter if you are looking to explore Delhi’s artistic community or just cozy up with a good book in one of the lush courtyards, the ambiance alone is sure to have you rethink your impression of Delhi. What was once nothing more than desolate streets littered with garbage transforms into a world of greenery and art.

It is not just great food and drinks that you will find down the lanes of Champa Gali. This art district is also home to live music, poetry readings, and even comedy nights. If you are looking to truly catch a glimpse of what Delhi’s youthful artistic community is up to, this creative sanctuary will show you the true life hidden within this misunderstood city.

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Sulabh International Museum Of Toilets

If the titles of  “one of the weirdest museums in the world” and “anything but mundane” didn’t already have you sold on visiting the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, then nothing will. This small museum offers displays and artifacts showcasing both the history and advancements of the common toilet. What may start as a tongue in cheek visit, will actually turn into an eye-opening experience to the real problem of open defecation in India.

The curators of the museum truly bring the place alive with their insightful information and explanations on how they are tackling open defecation in the world and turning waste into a source of renewable energy. Viewing the medieval chamber pots and throne-like toilets are sure to have you scratching your head, but the staff of the International Museum of Toilets will leave you with a deeper understanding of real issues in developing countries.

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Lodhi Art District

Even without the massive splashes of color, Lodhi Colony’s unique symmetry is more than enough to have tourists and photographers gawk at the distinctive architecture of this South Delhi neighborhood. Then an organization known as St+art entered the scene and brought together artists from all over India and the world to reimagine the otherwise lifeless district.

The unassuming mundane neighborhood of Lodhi Colony has thus been transformed into the Lodhi Art District. What started as a one time project in 2014 to bring life and street art to the people of India has evolved into an ongoing festival that continues to bring color to the streets of Delhi.

You can find another popular street art destination at Hong Kong’s Rainbow Estate!

Lodhi Art District is an open-air museum where each block of the neighborhood is a single canvas for an artist’s work. Therefore, there is no one street you can walk down where the art will just hit you, thus signifying that you have entered the Lodhi Colony. Since there is no clear beginning and end to the art district, you may find it difficult to navigate your way down the streets to make sure you don’t miss a single mural.

The best place to start your tour of the Lodhi Art District is at the intersection of Second Avenue and Jor Bagh Road and work your way south from there. The graffiti extends all the way east to Fifth Avenue, but you will find the largest concentration of art between Second and Third Avenues.

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Jhandewalan Hanuman Statue

The Jhandewalan Hanuman Statue isn’t quite off the beaten path but is by far one of the most unique temples you will come across in India. It’s not only the massive size of the monkey god which will make your jaw drop but this animatronic robot opens and closes its hands every night at the aarti puja to reveal Lord Shiva and Devi Sita within his chest.

As bewildering as this temple looks like from the outside, it is actually just the beginning. In order to enter the Hanuman Statue, you will have to first step through the jaws of the rakshas, a monster slain by Lord Hanuman. Inside the temple itself, you will find more lifelike figures of gods and the mouths of several other beasts leading into chambers throughout the mandir.

Want to read more about what an aarti puja is? Check out more here!

Being one of the most famous temples in all of Delhi, expect the local holy men to harass you to give donations to the mandir. The orange-clad devotees will quickly rush in front of you to plop themselves on a cushion to hound you for money. If you simply ignore them they tend to get the idea pretty fast. Even the men who run the shoe depository in front of the temple will ask for an astronomical price to watch over your foot ware. Be aware that locals will pay no more than 10 Rupees (0.15 USD).

Despite the popularity of the Hanuman Temple, there have been talks of airlifting it out of the center of Delhi. In recent years, the local government has been cracking down on illegally built structures in New Delhi. Unfortunately, those who built this massive Hanuman Statue never had the proper clearance to construct their towering colossus. Although it has already been over a year since talks of deconstructing of the temple began, who knows how much longer Lord Hanuman will call Jhandewalan home.

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Exploring Off Beat Delhi

Delhi, much like the whole of India, is a city of contradictions. Although a country with extreme poverty, sanitation issues, and people with questionable morals, India is also bursting to the seams with riches, fragrant incenses, and some of the most hospitable people on the planet.

New Delhi is usually quickly written off as an overpopulated cesspool which should be avoided at all costs. Little do they know that India’s capital has one of the most vibrant youth cultures in all of India. From the radiant street art to local cafes, there is a side of Delhi that dismisses all of the slanderous stereotypes which surround this city.

Traveling to the seedy and dark sides of Delhi is all part of the experience. But don’t write off the city based on Delhi’s underbelly. New Delhi offers splashes of color and a booming art scene, you just have to look a little bit off of the beaten path.