India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [378]
Aurobindo Marg, opposite INA Market. 011/2611-9055.www.india-crafts.com. Entry Rs 15.
Fabindia If you’ve coveted Indian ethnic-chic at stores like the Conran Shop in London or New York, here’s your chance to buy the fabrics and crafts at one-tenth the price. Fabindia sources its products from more than 7,500 craftspeople and artisans around India. Their distinctive use of handloom weaving techniques, natural dyes, and both vivid and earthy colors have made their products very desirable. Do bear in mind that these fabrics usually require gentle hand washing and drip-drying. Also, sizing and quality can be inconsistent, so it’s best to try on any item of clothing before you buy. There are branch stores all over India as well as in Rome and Dubai. The Connaught Place store is open daily from 10am to 7pm; the Khan Market store is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm.
N-Block Market, Connaught Place: 011/4151-3371 or -3372. Greater Kailash Part I: 011/2923-2183 or -2184. Fabindia Craft Store: Central Hall, Khan Market. 011/4368-3100.www.fabindia.com.
DELHI AFTER DARK
“The dawn breaks orange . . . The peacock sings . . . And Delhi still swings . . .” go the words to an uplifting dance track by one of Delhi’s top ethno-electronic-music outfits, the MIDIval PunditZ. Despite the capital’s reputation for early nights (stand-alone restaurants, bars and clubs within Delhi proper must close at midnight) and boring diplomatic gatherings, you won’t want for a buzz these days. That said, bars and nightclubs in Delhi can be extremely popular for months, or even years, and then suddenly and inexplicably the crowds stop coming. All the establishments listed below have been popular for a significant period of time and are unlikely to turn into has-beens by the time you get there, but fads and trends guide people’s movements.
The trick is to sniff out the latest fad or craze before it’s died out; your best bet—and where you’ll find the most extensive news about current events and entertainment—is the twice-monthly Time Out New Delhi, and also check out the score at www.delhievents.com. And, if contemporary music is your thing, do try to catch the PunditZ live.
MUSIC, DANCE & FILM Dances of India is an organization that regularly stages classical and folk dance performances, showcasing styles from around the subcontinent; call 011/98-1012-5772 to find out what events are lined up. Call the India Habitat Centre (Lodhi Rd.; 011/2468-2001; www.indiahabitat.org) for information on theater, film festivals, and other cultural events held almost nightly. Nearby is India International Centre ( 011/2461-9431;www.iicdelhi.nic.in), which also hosts a variety of cultural performances and film screenings (mostly in the cooler months of the year), as does Kamani Auditorium (1, Copernicus Marg; 011/4350-3351; www.kamaniauditorium.org). Entry to most events is free or nominally priced. Like in other big cities, you will find Max Muller Bhavan ( 011/2332-9506; www.goethe.de), Alliance Francaise ( 011/4350-0200;www.alliancefr.org) and Italian Cultural Institute ( 011/2687-1901; www.iicnewdelhi.esteri.it) organizing regular film screenings among other activities. Other than the bigger newspapers like the Times of India and Hindustan Times, cultural events are listed at www.delhievents.com.
BARS & PUBS Cultural attractions aside, Delhi is in many ways most interesting at nighttime, when the “conspicuous consumers” to whom William Dalrymple refers in his City of Djinns head out and schmooze. Note however that, unless they