What to do in Delhi: the craft travel guide
Let local craft experts guide you to the best museums, hotels, shops, and eateries in the Indian capital
Sayali Goyal, Delhi resident and founder of cultural agency Cocoa and Jasmine, gives her insider's guide to the city's top craft destinations.
Visit
This museum is home to a huge collection of everyday Indian crafts: including terracotta, textiles, objects in wood and metal, and antiques. It is laid out like a village to showcase the country’s rural economies, highlighting the deep philosophy of craft as a circular self-reliant value system and not just a commodity. It’s special for bringing all parts of this diverse country together under one roof. Craft enthusiasts will learn a lot from spending time with the in-house craftspeople and experiencing live demonstrations.
Pragati Maidan, Bhairon Road, New Delhi 110001
Rina Singh, founder of fashion label Eka, has two top tips for those new to the Indian capital. ‘I’ve lived in Delhi for many years and still go back to the same places to find inspiration,’ she says. ‘Seeing artworks by modernists at the National Gallery of Modern Art (Jaipur House, India Gate) and exploring the old city via Delhi Heritage Walks is always fun’. The programmed walks include the lanes around the famous Jama Masjid mosque, which are filled with colourful bazaars and street food stalls. You can ask the team to customise a walk for you too.
B - 3 / 95, Basement, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029
A maker at the National Crafts Museum. Photo: Sayali Goyal Ikat exhibit at National Crafts Museum. Photo Sayali Goyal
Delhi is home to many galleries small and large, but DAG continues to be a classic that can’t be missed. A host of important artists such as painter Raja Ravi Verma, known for blending Western aesthetics with Indian iconography, and contemporary abstractionist Vasudeo S Gaitonde, are represented by this reputed institution. It also has a lovely art bookstore that’s hard to leave without buying from.
22A Janpath Road, Windsor Place, New Delhi 110001
A recommendation from Urvashi Kaur, a local designer who works extensively with Indian handcrafted textiles, is Dastkar, an NGO that supports traditional Indian craftspeople (especially women) and the sustainable development of the craft sector. It has an annual craft mela (fair) as well as a series of bazaars across the city. Kaur uses these events to meet new and old craftspeople from around the country. ‘I love to explore subcultures within this large city,’ she says. ‘It’s a melting pot of people who have moved here from different parts of the country and opened local eateries and boutiques that are authentic.’ She also suggests Majnu Ka Tila, a predominantly Tibetan neighbourhood that ‘brings culture from the Himalayas to the city’.
Nature Bazaar Venue, Kisan Haat Andheria Modh, Anuvrat Marg New Delhi 110074
After a morning of culture, there is no better way to know the green city than take a stroll through Delhi’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park. The city has witnessed the rise and fall of many empires since the Middle Ages, and one prominent dynasty was during the reign of Lodhi, a Persian ruler from the mid-1400s. The tomb and mosque architecture of the era is still alive in these lovely gardens, with structures that feature decorative incised plasterwork ceilings, corbelled doorways, and roof ‘chhatris’ (dome-shaped roof pavilions). Take a walk across the road to Safdarjung Tomb too, to appreciate a later era of this architecture.
Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110003
Newly opened in the posh neighbourhood of Chanakyapuri is this holistic yoga and meditation centre featuring earthy hues and locally sourced materials. Designed by local practice Studio Lotus, the centre features textured Mandana stone, cedar-framed windows and a type of organic plaster crafted from cow dung, gypsum and clay. Its setting among peepal and banyan trees is unique too. There’s a mindful philosophy and approach to yoga that makes a visit here approachable for all kinds of practitioners. Finish your experience with a stop at its in-house café Eleved.
16/48, Diplomatic Enclave, Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
CMYK bookstore is a must for craft book collectors Vayu store is located within the city's iconic Bikaner House
Shop
Curated by designer and aesthete Vivek Sahi, this one-of-a-kind gallery style shop has a great selection of Indian textiles, objects, books, and small gifts from independent labels. It’s located within Bikaner House, a cultural centre on the iconic India Gate hexagon that was built as a palace of the Maharaja of Bikaner. Vayu is surrounded by three galleries within Bikaner House which I love to check out too when I visit.
Bikaner House, Pandara Rd, Pandara Flats, India Gate, New Delhi 110011
This giant art bookstore in Greater Kailash 2 (or GK2) is run by publishers of Roli Books, Priya and Kapil Kapoor. Spread over 1,000 square feet, this shop is a must for book collectors, hoarders and anyone who loves seeking out the best illustrated titles sourced from around the world.
M-75, First Floor, Greater Kailash 2, M Block Market, New Delhi 110048
Detail of Camellia collection by Shades of India Detail of Serena Kurta by Shades of India
Tulsi by Neeru Kumar and Shades of India by Mandeep Negi
While Delhi’s famous Khan Market (established in 1951), and village-like Santushti Shopping Complex, are home to the boutiques of many stylish independent local designers, there are two that stand out for me. Neeru Kumar and Mandeep Negi are the OGs when it comes to using Indian textiles in a versatile global way. Kumar uses traditional techniques and indigenous materials in an experimental way, while Negi is inspired by travel – Phulkari from Punjab, Suzani embroidery, and Beshir carpets. Both offer sophisticated cuts and contemporary surface applications for timeless womenswear.
Tulsi - Shop No.19, Santushti Shopping complex, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi 110003 and Shades of India - Shop No. 26-A, Ground, Khan Market, Rabindra Nagar, Delhi 110003
The shop of the Crafts Council of India offers items that are authentic, directly from artisans. It’s an ideal place to shop for gifts and souvenirs whether you are looking for handloom sarees, painted wood spice boxes or a soapstone ‘kadai’ (two-handled cooking dish). Located right opposite the iconic Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, craft lovers can also browse the many state emporiums that are on the same street as Kamala.
Gallery no. 1, Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, Baba Kharak Singh Rd, Raja Bazar Road Area, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001
Stay
One of two boutique homestays in a green peaceful neighborhood in central Delhi, with many cafe options around. Styled with contemporary Indian home décor, this is an ideal option for travellers who want a local experience of Delhi and perhaps a longer stay.
C 99, Defence Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110024
Built for the aristocrats, this is an iconic hotel from the colonial era with influences from Victorian, Art Deco and Lutyens styles. The Imperial has a collection of over 5,000 original artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries, housed within white marble colonnades, and rooms finished with Burma teak, Persian hand-knotted carpets, antique chandeliers, and furniture.
Janpath Lane, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi, 110001
A modern luxury hotel spread across seven acres near to Lodhi Gardens, The Lodhi’s rooms and suites are spread among courtyards, reflecting pools and spaces divided by intricately carved stone screens. It’s a stone’s throw from the Khan Market shopping district and has an award-winning fusion restaurant, Indian Accent.
Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003
Sunday brunch at the arty Coast Café
Eat
This atmospheric eatery filled with flea market finds and kitschy treasures (chor bizarre means thieves’ market) is popular for its authentic Kashmiri wazwan and Mughal delicacies, going far beyond the usual curry and naan. Kebab lovers – I highly recommend it.
Bikaner House, Pandara Road, India Gate, New Delhi 110011
Mr D Vasudevan first brought his south Indian coffee roastery and bar to the city in the 1950s, giving tea-drinking north Indians a taste of something new. Devans is a family affair, now run by son and grandson Keshav and Siddhant, who continue to serve Delhi residents and locals the best artisan coffee. The café, designed by Aishwarya Keshav, architect and granddaughter of Devans’ founder, is a great space to learn about the family’s craft.
131, Khanna Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi 110003
Above fashion store Ogaan in the trendy Hauz Khas neighbourhood of south Delhi is this bright and breezy coastal-inspired café filled with glass lamps, terrazzo floors, teak and cane furniture, and a fluted marble bar. Owner Aashti Bhartia commissions the art here from young and unknown artists. For an ideal Sunday brunch, choose the appams and coconut curries that come with an array of chutneys.
2nd & 3rd Floor, above Ogaan, H2, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016
