India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [359]
The Crafts Museum If you plan to shop for crafts in India, this serves as an excellent introduction to what’s out there, though when it comes to the antiques, like the 200-year-old life-size Bhuta figures from Karnataka or the Charrake bowls from Kerala, picking up anything nearly as beautiful is akin to winning a lottery. Some 20,000 artifacts—some more art than craft—are housed in five separate galleries, showcasing the creativity that has thrived here for centuries, not to mention the numerous ways in which it’s expressed, depending on where you travel. The Crafts Museum Shop is also worth your time, at the very least to again familiarize yourself with the best crafts and textiles, and there are live demonstrations by artisans.
Bhairon Rd., Pragati Maidan. 011/2337-1641. Free admission. Tues–Sun 10am–5pm.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Originally built in 1325, but added to during the following 2 centuries, the tomb of the saint Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia (along with a few prominent others, including the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan) is one of the holiest Muslim pilgrimages in India. It is certainly one of Delhi’s most fascinating attractions, not least because the only way to get here is to traverse the tiny, narrow medieval lanes of old Nizamuddin on foot. The entire experience will transport you back even further than a foray into Shahjahanabad. This is not for the fainthearted (or perhaps the recently arrived), however—the streets are claustrophobic, you will be hassled by hawkers (perhaps best to purchase some flowers as a sign of your good intentions upfront), and the smells are almost as assaulting as the hawkers who bar your way. Once there, you may be pressured into making a heftier donation than is necessary (Rs 50 is fair). This would in fact be a three-star attraction if it weren’t for the sense that outsiders are not really welcome (though many report otherwise)—note that the main structure is a mosque, Jam-at Khana Masjid, off limits to women. Best to dress decorously (women should consider covering their heads), pick up some flowers along the way, get here on a Thursday evening when qawwals gather to sing the most spiritually evocative devotional songs, take a seat, and soak up the medieval atmosphere.
Nizamuddin. 6km (33⁄4 miles) south of Connaught Place. Donation expected.
South Delhi
Delhi’s sprawling suburbs keep expanding southward, impervious of the remnants of the ancient cities they surround. Die-hard historians may feel impelled to visit the ruins of Siri (the second city), Tughlaqabad (the third), and Jahanpanah (the fourth), but the principal attraction here is the Qutb Complex (see below), built in the area that comprised the first city of Delhi. Located in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, it has a number of historic sites centered around the Dargah of Qutb Sahib, as well as a number of cafes and boutiques frequented by Delhi’s well-heeled.
Nearby is Hauz Khas on the Delhi-Mehrauli road. Once a village, Haus Khas is now a gentrified upmarket suburb known more for its glossy boutiques and restaurants than for its 14th-century reservoir and ruins, including the tomb of Feroze Shah Tughlaq (Rs 100). If you happen to have a train fetish, you shouldn’t miss The National Railway Museum ( 011/2688-1816; Rs 10; Tues–Sun 9:30am–7:30pm, closes 5pm in winter), said to be one of the world’s most impressive—hardly surprising given India’s huge network. You can ogle all kinds of