A Feast For The Senses

Look beneath the surface of Delhi’s never-ending chaos and you will find treasures both great and small

- Priya Krishna

INDIA’S CAPITAL CITY is often described as “organised chaos,” a concept that applies to every aspect of Delhi: the crowded streets, the boutiques and art galleries coexisting with centuries-old ruins, the fruit and tea vendors traversing the city with their wares.

In recent years, however, the city has undergone a transformation. Interwoven among the stately buildings, relics and beloved food stalls are new restaurants, markets, and developments that lean into India’s bountiful heritage. Instead of gazing outward, Delhi, it seems, is finally looking inward.

I’ve been visiting this city since I was a child. Indian culture normally dictates that I stay at my aunt’s place, so it’ll take some time to adjust to my spacious room at the The Oberoi, in the New Delhi district of Delhi. I’m excited to explore the city on my own for the first time.

ON MY FIRST DAY I decide to dive headfirst into Old Delhi, so named because it was a former capital of the Mughal Empire. It is 1,500 acres of sensory overload: rickshaw horns blaring, frying pooris giving off their nutty scent, and throngs of people weaving through narrow alleys and bustling streets. After breakfast I set off with Vishnu, a ToursByLocals guide. Along the way, we pass the Red Fort, whose moat-lined stone wall separated the palace complex from the rest of the city during Mughal times. I know we’ve reached our destination when we begin to share the road with cows and sugarcane juice vendors.