Most talked about cities…

Two metro cities…getting all the attention - be it in India or across the globe! Isn’t it something to be proud of and interesting as well? Yes, surely it is.

These days 2 cities – Delhi and Mumbai, are being most talked about, read about and written about. Mumbai is being talked about because of the Oscar winning Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and Delhi is being talked about because of Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s latest flick Dilli6. So now, movies are the new windows to these cities offering a glimpse of what makes these cities.

Although, the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire candidly potrays the slums of Mumbai– Asia’s biggest slum, but Mumbai has much more to it as a city. The huge coastline running along the city makes it spectacular as a tourist destination. Besides being the India’s commercial capital, the city’s Gateway of India, Church Gate, Elephanta Caves and so on attracts its share of tourists.

Star studded flick Dilli6 has been doing rounds in media, public and news channels. The movie captures the essence of Delhi – the more traditional Delhi and brings home a viewpoint. It also tries to differentiate between how a delhite sees Delhi and how an NRI (Abhishek Bacchan in the movie) sees Delhi. The reviews of Dilli6 has been quite varied and mixed – from being an identifiable movie to boring and lengthy movie. The movie might not have been able to impress all, but Delhi never fails to impress anyone who visits the city.

Delhi has always been the seat of power – be it during the Mughal rule or post independence. With the Parliament and Raj bhawan, Delhi’s power seats also attract a lot of Indian & foreign audience. The age old forts & monuments of the city emphasizes the great historical importance of the city. The Red Fort, the Qutab Minar, the India Gate, the Tughlakabad Fort, the Jamali Kamali complex, the Humayun’s Tomb, the Jama Masjid are just a few historical attractions in the city. Before summer sets in, this is the best time to take a tour of the city monuments, catch the Flower festival at Mughal Gardens or take a trip to the zoo with your kids for the last time this season.

Check out more information on Delhi and Mumbai on Oktatabyebye.com.

While I take a trip to the Flower Festival, you guys can go for Dilli Darshan or Mumbai day out. Enjoy your cities!

Take a Shopping break!

It’s been a longtime since I wrote last. I’ve been busy window shopping!!!

Since last couple of weeks there has been a crisis for space in newspaper supplements because of the BIG SALE ads which were clamoring for eyeballs. From apparel & clothing brands to footwear, home décor brands and even mobile stores were on discounts. Choose any brand, any shopping mall, any market…discounts were all over.

Every weekend, every market was flooded with ‘unlimited’ people. I was so thrilled seeing so many people shopping even in these so called ‘recession’ times. It showed that the spending confidence of the Indian consumers are not at all dwindling but rather going strong, which is a very good sign for the economy as well.

Every year this time around shopping becomes highlight of the season. Not only because of the sale offers and discounts but also because of some of the great shopping melas which happen this time.

The Surajkund Crafts Mela which happens every year around early February or the Patiala Heritage Festival organized during mid-February every year adds to the excitement of the even the non-shopoholics.

While I was observing the city shopping trends, one of my friend was busy putting together the must-visit markets/ shopping attractions of India. Here’s a list of destinations which are also famous for shopping:

1. Srinagar – Famous for Kashmiri carpets, shawls. One of the main markets there is the Floating market which you must visit when in Srinagar.

2. Goa – The flea market at Anjuna Beach is a hit among all tourists and residents alike. The must picks from there are the floral dresses, chappals and goan handicrafts. There’s also a good selection of clothes in Indonesian styles, Nepali goods, fancy jewellery, semi-precious stones etc that’s almost every shoppers’ delight.

3. Shillong – The locals markets of Shillong are flooded with variety of goods. Clothing fabrics, much cheaper yet well-fitted jeans, leather shoes and accessories, North-east special fabrics & shawls etc dominate the markets.

4. Jaipur – Shopping in Jaipur could be an electrifying and wonderful experience if only you buy from the right places/shops. Jaipur is famous for its’Bandhni’ fabrics, handicrafts, jootis & other items made from camel leather. Johri bazaar, situated in the heart of the city, is famous for the precious stones and jewellery.

5. Hyderabad – Some of the major markets in the city are Abids, Nampally, Begum Bazar, and Laad Bazar. The city’s Laad Bazaar is famous for the pearls and jewellery which excites residents and tourists shoppers alike. Some other related items merchandised in the city include brass ware, Nirmal paintings, Kondapalli toys and Bidri ware.

These are markets which you must visit when you are traveling to that place or you plan to buy that special thing.

Till my next blog, happy shopping!

Restaurants in Delhi NCR
...Check these eateries in Delhi! Still to find more...

1. Saleem's, East of Kailash - Mughlai food ...read review
2. Lakshmi Villas Madras Cafe, Green Park - South Indian ...read review
3. Potpourri, Connaught Place - Salad Bar, Pastas etc ...read review
4. Yo China, Vasant Vihar - Chinese ... read review
5. Swagath Restaurant, Defence Colony - South Indian ...read review
6. Relax, East of Kailash - Multi-cuisine
7. Kitchens - Khan Market - Multi-cuisine
8. Laxmi, Noida - South indian
9. Big Chill, East of Kailash - Italian
10. Chonas, Khan Market - Multi-cuisine
11. Khan Chachha, Khan Mkt - Rolls
12. Kakke Da Dhaba, Connaught Place - Punjabi
13. Golas, Connaught Place - Sizzlers
14. Bernado's, Gurgaon - Goan Restaurant ...read reviews
15. Oh! Calcutta, Nehru Place - Bengali food ...read review
16. Spicy South, Kalkaji - South Indian
17. Yatra, Noida - Multi-cuisine
18. Angeethi, Siri Fort - North Indian
19. Pind Baluchi, Gurgaon -North Indian
20. Park Baluchi, Hauz Khas - Mughlai, Afghani
21. Chopsticks, Siri Fort - Chinese
22. Color & Spice, Siri Fort - Indian
23. Suribachi, Malviya Nagar - Oriental
24. Lavanya, Noida - Indian
25. Naivadyam, Kalkaji - South Indian
26. Karim Hotel, Jama Masjid - Mughlai, Afghani
27. Sikkim House, Chanakyapuri - North-Eastern food ...read review
28. Govardhan, Adchini - Indian
29. Moets, Defence Colony - Indian
30. Aap Ki Khatir, Near Oberoi Grand - Mughlai
31. Storm, East of Kailash - Resto-bar
32. Shack, Defence Colony - Sea Food
33. Stone, Defence Colony - Italian Cuisine Lounge Bar
34. Andhra Bhawan, South Indian
35. Ichiban, Pandara Road - Chinese, Japanese
36. Gulati's, Pandara Road - North Indian
37. Saravana Bhawan, Connaught Circus - South Indian