By Sawyer Andrew Wilson-Mifsud, 8/29/24

The City

Delhi is a quite massive and busy city even by New York’s standards.The urban culture could probably be summed up best as impatient and communal. Things are often a rush in Delhi, and you’ll need to fight to keep your place in line or get served at a kiosk or counter, with the same sometimes being true of foot traffic. At the same time, living in the city is quite cooperative. People expect to stop and talk on the street, with areas around food/drink stalls being particularly social. Talking to fellow passerbys is both encouraged and by far the best way to understand and explore the city.You’ll want some level of hindi, and if you can to talk to people, you’ll find they are generally friendly and will go out of their way to help someone in need.

One thing you’ll absolutely want to make sure to do is set up UPI in some way, which will probably require getting an Indian sim card at the airport. UPI is a form of phone payment used by everyone in India, and many places will accept only UPI or cash. Credit and debit cards are of not much use in Delhi.

Delhi is an extremely policed city and you will see military police stationed throughout most of central Delhi and at all government buildings. While armed guards are the norm, you should generally not have much trouble with them as they are largely a performative statement by the government.

One distinct feature of Delhi’s streets is the constant noise of honking. Indian drivers honk constantly, using the to alert drivers and walkers to their presence and to encourage traffic to move.

Almost all the food available in Delhi’s restaurants is either Chinese or Indian (shocker), other cuisines exist but you’ll have to take a trip usually if you want them. A lot of food is intended to be eaten with your hands and bread, rather than utensils. Get used to eating your right hand only as using the left is considered impolite and unclean by some people.

Traveling in Delhi

Delhi is very much not a walkable city, and going any more than a short distance generally requires walking through traffic, not something recommended to anyone not used to avoiding cars. Luckily, the metro system is quite good, and the bus can get you anywhere else as long as you don’t try to ride it during peak hours.

For trips not on public transit, it’s highly recommended to use uber. The local taxis and tuk tuks are very aggressive and will commonly try to cheat passengers by driving them to other places or by trying to charge for all-day service. Stick to Uber and you will avoid any issues, especially if your Hindi is not very good.

For those used to the New York Subway (which should be most of you), you’ll find the Delhi metro a very different experience. It doesn’t leak from the ceiling or smell like piss, and most train stations feature a gathering space with shops and public areas. The trains are air conditioned and mostly new, which helps keep things livable during packed peak hours traffic. If you ever get lost, take a train to Raviv Chowk, which is the city’s rail terminus.You can get to any part of the city from here, and should be able to find your way to wherever you are going.

Google maps is generally inaccurate in the city, and should only be used for navigating to large buildings or government offices. Asking a local resident for directions is always helpful, and people will happily help.

Accommodations:

My stay in Delhi was spent at the Bloom Hotel, a business hotel found in multiple districts of the city. My particular one was the Karol Bagh location, but the hotels are a uniform chain. I would highly  recommend Bloom for a stay. It is reasonably price, well maintained, and air conditioned.

The hotel has a dining establishment attached with an available breakfast buffet for about $4 (375 rupees). This is about the price you might expect to pay for a good meal in many parts of the city, so the buffet is excellent value especially if you treat it as brunch.

Karol Bagh:

Karol Bagh, the area of the city where I stayed, is one of the youngest districts of Delhi and home to one of the city’s major universities. A popular shopping area, it also has one of the most extensive bazaars in the city. The area is a  good one for foreign students as a lot of the shops cater to students and it is relatively easy to get anything you might need. It is however extremely busy, and you can expect the streets to be crowded in the evening. If you do pass through a bazaar, people will try to sell you something. In my experience, stopping nd telling them you aren’t interested is taken as a sign of haggling, so you will want to keep moving rather than engage in an extended conversation if you aren’t interested in whatever they are selling.

The Archives:

The National Archives of India are unfortunately quite disorganized and require passing through a lot of red tape in order to use them. US citizens will nee to visit the consulate for a letter of introduction and everyone will need to fill out paperwork beforehand to request access to the archives. Once you have access you can use the catalog and make an order, which will give you an appointment in about a week. On the day of your appointment, you will be given a sheet detailing which of your documents are available for order, and can then fill out a paper requisition slip to give to the archivist who will retrieve them in one to four hours.

According to the archive’s use requirements, any material you use from the archives requires their permission to be published. Make sure to start this process asap after your visit, because it can take a long time to process.

The signs in the archives prohibit the use of cellphones and taking pictures, but even the archivists ignore that rule, so you are safe to.
Like most government buildings in Delhi, the archives have armed military police stationed at them, so be aware.