With my parents belonging to typical Punjabi families from Amritsar and Chandigarh, I’m as Punjabi as one can get – I have a huge family, we love our butter chicken, my dad and uncles are some of the most jovial people on earth, we drink, we celebrate life and well, most importantly, my brother is settled in Canada!
It’s our family tradition to take a vacation every year. While we usually plan the vacation right after Lohri, this time we delayed it because my brother was coming back to India after 2 years! So when he was back, I brought up the topic as soon as he had his share of pampering and relaxation. After a lot of discussion on the destination, we came up with a weekend getaway to Delhi (a small trip because my brother wanted to spend his limited time at home, and not vacationing). Additionally, this would also give us a chance to meet my father’s younger brother and his family after a long time.
I immediately started making the bookings. Since this was a relaxed vacation, we decided to take a cab for the journey instead of self-driving. I looked online for the options and finalised on Savaari’s reliable Chandigarh to Delhi taxi service.
Day 1
We reached Delhi and headed straight to my uncle’s place. It was a very warm reunion. After a delicious breakfast of paneer parathas and chicken, my uncle listed out the itinerary for the weekend – I could barely wait to check out all that this stunning city had to offer!
Since we were about 8 people (four from each family) who wanted to travel together to not miss out on any fun, we booked Savaari’s luxury 9 seater tempo traveller in Delhi.
As soon as the tempo traveller arrived, we loaded into it one after the other and headed to our first destination.
Bangla Sahib Gurudwara
Bangla Sahib, the most prominent gurdwara of the Sikh, is a must-visit for anyone who’s in Delhi. A magnificent, shimmering white architecture, topped with golden domes, this shrine was built as a tribute to the eighth Sikh Guru. We took a stroll around the gurdwara, visited the holy ‘sarovar’ and volunteered for sewa. Despite the crowd, the place filled us with serene calmness. Pro tip: Do not miss the heavenly pure ghee halwa prasad served here.
Connaught Place
Our next stop was Connaught Place, rightly called the heart of Delhi. Gourmet, fashion, art, shopping, heritage, culture – CP is the perfect amalgamation of everything that Delhi stands for. Simply walking down the streets of CP, basking in the grandeur of the place, made me fall in love with Delhi. We also visited the famous underground Palika Bazar, and Janpath market which is known for its cheap street shopping and lip-smacking snacks.
Day 2
On our second day, uncle planned to take us on a tour of old Delhi to witness the rich heritage through its various stunning monuments and eateries.
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk is purani Dilli personified. Known as foodie and shopper’s paradise, its bustling streets are swarmed with vibrant varieties of jewellery, clothes, souvenirs, perfumes, accessories and piping hot street food. After some shopping, we went to the renowned paranthe wali gali, where we hogged on the legendary fried paranthas and malai lassi. They were simply out of the world!
Red Fort
How could we miss the epic Red Fort after coming to Chandni Chowk! Built by Shah Jahan, Red Fort was once the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. The red sandstone walls of the fort are an exemplary example of the Mughal architecture. Due to the long queues for tickets, we purchased ours online and took about 2 hours to explore the exquisite fort and its lush green gardens. The light and sound show hosted in the evening are a viewer’s delight. However, due to time constraints, we could not attend it.
Humayun’s Tomb
If you’re a history buff, you’ll fall in love with this remarkable piece of architecture, which is very similar to Agra’s Taj Mahal. India’s first garden-tomb, the tomb was commissioned by Humayun’s first wife, Hamida Banu Begum, 9 years after his death. Since it was late afternoon by the time we got in there, we managed to click some of the most stunning shots of the monument.
Hauz Khas
Located in posh South Delhi, Hauz Khas is known for its happening nightlife. Since we were all of age, my brother insisted on a visit to the Hauz Khas – its super long lane lined with the most vibrant nightclubs and lounges. Most of the restaurants there had rooftop seating with live music, good food and drinks and beautiful views of the lake. We selected Hauz Khas Social to spend our last evening in Delhi and had an amazing time with everyone.
The next morning we booked our car back to Chandigarh. Although we could barely cover one-tenth of Delhi’s beauty, I was already in love with the city. It was a peaceful journey back home with thousands of memories of a lifetime playing slideshow in my mind!
