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Photo by Bhavitya Indora
“Yeh sheher nahi, mehfil hai”. Remember this dialogue from the movie Dilli 6? It never fails to ring a bell in our hearts! There are several reasons why Delhi is famous. It’s full of history, with its ancient monuments, but also has a modern side of malls and markets. Being such a diverse and historically rich city, Delhi has a lot of valuable wisdom to offer. We’ve put together a list of seven life lessons you can learn from this amazing city.
1Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way!
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Just picture this – you need something or have a problem, and instead of buying a fancy machine to fix it, you can just come up with a homemade solution, also known as jugaad. It’s all about finding creative and low-cost ways to make things work. Delhiites are Pro at this – they have a knack for fixing anything and everything with jugaad.
With a Jugaad, the majority of Delhiites possess a secret engineering portion of their brains that can fix anything. Whatever the meaning behind the adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Delhi is the best place to learn it. This city’s jugaad culture, which emphasizes coming up with creative, economical, and constructive ways to accomplish goals, is what makes it such an extraordinary hub of innovation.
2Bargain Till The End!
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If there’s one thing Delhiites never get tired of, it’s definitely shopping. Whether you’re hitting up big malls or browsing through markets like Dilli Haat and Chandni Chowk, it’s easy to get carried away with all the options. You can find everything from cheap clothes at Sarojini and Janpath to unique handicrafts at Dilli Haat or even sketchy electronics at Gaffar Market and Palika Bazaar. But if there’s one thing you should know about Delhiites, it is that they will bargain till the bitter end. Everyone in Delhi loves a good bargain, whether they’re haggling with a shopkeeper at Sarojini Market or trying to get some free cilantro and chili from the street vendor.
3Invent Your Own Language
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Delhi folks have their own way of talking, with slang like kabab-shabab and daru-sharu, and if you haven’t used words like jugaad and vella or picked up Punjabi from hearing cuss words, you’re not a true Delhiite. We’ve got our own names for places, too, like calling AIIMS “Medical” and Delhi Zoo “chidiya ghar,” and anything east of Delhi is just “Jumna paar.” People belonging to every caste, creed, and community live in Delhi, and every single soul speaks a special Delhi-style Hindi! This mixed culture also has one thing in common: the cuss words! It is their way of showing brotherhood and affection.
4Embrace The Horrible Weather!
Photo by Mary Taylor
Delhi experiences weather that is like two ends of a spectrum. Here summers are too hot, and the winters are bitterly cold. For the first half of the year, they live through burning hot summers. Summer power cuts are punishing, and all ACs in your flat are useless. Walk twenty steps out in the scorching sun and fill a drum of sweat! Then, live through freezing cold temperatures for the next half of the year. Wear multiple layers of clothing and yet have your bones frozen. Driving in the winter is also a pain with heavy fog and finger-numbing temperatures. And still, people in this city are full of life, unaffected by the sun or storm!
5Sleep is For The WEAK!
Photo by Maurício Mascaro
Delhi’s nightlife is full of colours, after the assignments, deadlines, crazy work schedules, meetings, and presentations have been dealt with and the office hours are over, it is time for some much-needed relaxation to kick in. Sleep is secondary! Delhi’s ‘happening’ aspect comes alive at nighttime when the streets are almost empty, and the unadventurous population of the city has gone to sleep.
This city’s nightlife has no boundaries, infusing light in the dark forever. Delhi believes in brightening up its night with the partygoers dancing to the latest beats in overflowing clubs. Booze and savouries on your platter. But nightlife in Delhi isn’t just about the music and drinks—it’s a gastronomic journey too, with most of the eateries being open till late at night. From street food at Paranthe Wali Gali to upscale dining experiences at popular restaurants, the city offers an array of culinary adventures to complement the nightlife scene, making sure no partying soul goes hungry!
6Street Food is The Way to go!
Photo by Anirudh
If you’ve been to Delhi, you probably reminisce about the amazing food. There’s all sorts of cuisine everywhere you turn, thanks to the influence of the Mughal Empire and surrounding regions like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi loves putting its own spin on dishes like biryanis, kababs, dahi bhallas, and aloo tikkis, so you’ll taste something unique and delicious in every new dish. It is also the perfect checklist for things to do in Delhi for youngsters. You can hog all day on the street, fill your stomach till your throat, and still have only a few hundred spent on food. Street food in Delhi is affordable, lip-smacking, and filling!
7Value History And Culture
Photo by Ranjeet Chauhan
Delhi exudes an asymmetrical, chaotic beauty. It is a powerful old territory that has seen multiple dynasties rule over it throughout the ages, but it has always maintained and enhanced its cultural beauty, one of the most prominent things Delhi is famous for. A portion of Delhi still features historic buildings, narrow streets, traditional settlements, and markets.
While New Delhi is thriving due to modernization, Old Delhi continues to uphold its traditional values. Delhi is bordered by Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. As a result, Delhi’s traditions and way of life are greatly impacted by the civilizations of its surrounding areas, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations because of its diverse culture.
So make sure to follow @things2doindelhi for all the latest happenings in and around the city!
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Ritvik Agarwal April 14, 2023
