Trip to India Jan-Feb 2013, Delhi 4

The main street in the backpacker area, a couple of blocks from my hotel.

Some of the bicycle cyclos haul interesting cargo.

Oh Oh, the area is going a bit upscale.

Well, maybe not.

Lots of fast food in the area.

And an interesting old building being remodeled.

The stamp seller where I purchase all my wooden stamps.

Trip to India Jan-Feb-2013, Delhi 3

I tried my usual good market, Dilli Haat, in the southern part of New Delhi but it was full of Kashmiri traders selling Pashmina scarves which I am not interested in.  (most of them are of dubious quality)

There was this interesting display.

Art work inside one of the Metro Stations.

The large square next to my hotel in the evening.  There is a restaurant on the third floor of the building I am facing.

I was fascinated by this tree growing out of the wall.

And this doorway.

Trip to India & Nepal - More Delhi Shopping

Just when you can't look at another roll of trim its all over.

You begin seeing some shops selling fabulous saris.

And then the street runs back into Chandi Chowk and the mad traffic of Old Delhi.

Time for a snak in New Delhi after a foray to the Central Cottage Emporium for fabric and handicrafts. There is a wonderful chain of Coffee Shops in India which serves decadant desserts.

And coffee too pretty to stir and drink.

Back to the neighborhood around our hotel for the last afternoon and evening.Oxen pulling carts are familiar scenes in this area.

There is an area where two roads join with a large intersection full of shoppers and stalls.

Dozens of cheap hotels flank this street. Although they aren't all that cheap as Delhi (and all India) attracts more and more tourists including the current 100 million middle class Indians.

Textiles hanging from the side of the building.

Trip to India & Nepal- New Delhi- Kinari Bazaar

I loved this piece which came in several sizes. Great handbag trim.

There are often tourist groups through the lane on cyclos snapping photos.

Beautiful trim everywhere. Unfortunately not cheap.

Some of the dealers remember me from trip to trip.

Some of the carts looks like they carry impossible loads.

Choices, choices.

The wiring is quite imaginative.

Its best not to look up.

After awhile the shops all start looking alike.

And it takes something special to lure you in.

A bit of sparkling trim from this friendly dealer.

Hmmmm......

So many choices.

And here's that wonderful alleyway I found on my last trip. This time with people in it.

Trip to India March-April 2010 - Back in New Delhi

After another overnight train...this time from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi, I check into my hotel and take off for a bit of shopping.  The main street is still torn up...this time closer to my hotel but thankfully not on my street.

This is the main street in the backpacker district of Paharganj, but it also a popular shopping district for the locals.  Stores open late in the morning and it is a riot of color and activitiy early in the evening.  There was a bombing here a couple of years ago and a number of people were killed.  There is a Metro station a couple of blocks away.  I like it because of the inexpensive hotels and easy access to the Metro and the New Delhi Train Station a few blocks away. 

After a few confrontations with tuk tuk drivers (they like to take you to shops where they receive commissions) I finally arrived at my destination...Dilli Haat...a wonderful open air market in South Delhi.  The shops are rented on a two week basis so they change frequently and artisans come in from all over India.  And there are a few fast food resturants where you can stop for a break.  I usually fill a portable stroller bag at a minimum here.

The "strings" across the way are brightly decorated stuffed animals such as elephants and camels.

The next morning I set off for Kinari Bazaar, a narrow lane in Old Delhi near the Red Fort.  It is famous for wedding decorations and brilliant trim and doodads of all varieties.  I love just walking around here.  And I usually fill at least one huge bag.

I saw carts filled with these colorful squash all over Delhi.  The colors were just wonderful.

This alleyway in Kinari Bazaar was a big surprise.  Usually the buildings here are quite rundown but this one looked well cared for.

Back in New Delhi for more shopping I ran into some sort of peaceful demonstration.

Back in my neighborhood the shopping was starting to pick up.  This is a big open area where two streets connect and full of street food.

A typical alleyway in this area.  Some of the alleys are very narrow and full of tiny shops and hotels. 

Trip to India - March-April 2010

Another trip to India. This time to Delhi, Kolkata, Puri and Bhubaneswar. I began the trip as usual in New Delhi. After a late arrival I was picked up at the airport (thankfully at midnight) by a hotel taxi driver. Its always wonderful not having to deal with all the hassle of taxi drivers at the airport and is well worth the extra cost. After a good nights sleep and fortified with the usual carefully wrapped breakfast on the rooftop I was off to my favorite museum in New Delhi, the Craft Museum.
I have been there a dozen times I am sure and have sneaked photos of their textile collection, some of which I have shown on previous blogs. This time I decided to concentrate on the collection outside. There are also always a collection of artisans in another courtyard selling their work. This time I bought some drawings.

A mural of the type found on the havelis in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. The real murals were painted around 100 years ago and are much more faded than these versions. I visited this region around 9 years ago.

A pidgeon house from Gujarat. The buildings in this compound are examples of village buildings from all over India.
I love the little figures on this gate and purchased fabric pieces with the figures printed on and some traditional brown/white paintings of the figures.
A typical open air village building

Farm implements.