Siri Fort: Khalji Walls, Shahpur Jat & Visit Honesty
Siri Fort, Delhi—Alauddin Khalji’s second-city wall scraps, Shahpur Jat, Asiad overlay, Metro last-mile, and how to pair Hauz Khas without fake tickets.
The Archive
SCHOLARLY DISPATCHES
Periodic essays, culinary histories, and travel notes from the Seven Cities excavation projects.
Featured Flavors: Butter Chicken & Moti Mahal · Paranthe Wali Gali · Flavors hub
Land in India Prepared: Money, Rides & Tickets for Delhi Day One
Before you fly and after you land at DEL—set up money, rides, connectivity, and official ASI tickets so day one in Delhi is calm, not chaos.
Indira Gandhi Airport to Hotel: The International Arrival Sequence
Clear steps from DEL arrivals to your hotel—prepaid taxi, Airport Express Metro, or app cab—without touts or guesswork.
Khan Market Delhi: Books, Fixed Prices & the Afternoon After the Tombs
Khan Market after Lodhi Gardens—Faqir Chand's maze, Bahrisons, fixed-price cotton, Gate 4, and the high street built from Partition keys.
Lodhi Gardens Delhi: Sayyid & Lodi Tombs, Morning Walks & Visit Guide
Lodhi Gardens: free Sayyid & Lodi tombs, Jor Bagh Metro, morning walk—no ticket, no touts; Safdarjung’s Tomb is a separate paid ASI stop.
Nai Sarak, Old Delhi: The Weekday Street Where Textbooks Still Breathe
Nai Sarak—Old Delhi’s weekday textbook spine after Partition, Metro access, Sunday vs Daryaganj, cash/UPI, and the British ‘new road’ cut through Shahjahanabad.
Purana Qila Delhi: Dinpanah Fort, Indraprastha Memory & ASI Visit Guide
Purana Qila morning plan: ASI tickets (~₹300 foreigner), Supreme Court Metro last mile—Old Fort gates, mosque, Sher Mandal for international travelers.
India Gate Delhi: Kartavya Path Walk, War Memorial & Metro Tips
India Gate & Kartavya Path: free lawns and War Memorial, Udyog Bhawan Metro—no entry ticket; skip VIP tour sellers for international travelers.
Agrasen ki Baoli: Stepwell Near Connaught Place — History & Visit Logistics
Agrasen ki Baoli near CP: typically free ASI stepwell, Mandi House/Janpath Metro, steep steps—short stop for international travelers.
Begumpur Mosque & Bijay Mandal: Jahanpanah Palace and Friday Scale
Begumpur & Bijay Mandal: typically free ASI ruins, Hauz Khas Metro, rubble safety—Jahanpanah half-day for international travelers.
Chandni Chowk Shopping Survival for International Travelers
Should you visit Chandni Chowk? Value props, go/skip advice, Metro last-mile, cash/UPI, touts, textile traps, and how to shop Old Delhi without regret.
Chandni Chowk: Old Delhi’s Moonlight Bazaar for Travelers
Chandni Chowk walk: Yellow/Violet Metro, weekday mornings, cash/UPI—living bazaar from Red Fort to Fatehpuri, not a ticketed attraction.
Feroz Shah Kotla: Ashokan Pillar, Tughlaq Fort & Visit Guide
Feroz Shah Kotla visit: ASI tickets (~₹250–300 foreigner), Delhi Gate/ITO Metro, Ashokan pillar—short fort stop for international travelers.
Ghiyasuddin Tomb: Fortress Mausoleum at Tughlaqabad
Ghiyasuddin Tomb: ~45 min opposite Tughlaqabad Fort on the same ASI ticket (~₹250–300 foreigner)—Violet Metro last mile for international travelers.
Humayun's Tomb: UNESCO Garden Tomb, Architecture & ASI Visit Logistics
Humayun’s Tomb morning plan: official ASI tickets (~₹550 online), Nizamuddin last mile, Isa Khan included—UNESCO garden tomb for international travelers.
Lal Kot & Indraprastha: First Foundations for Travelers
Lal Kot & Indraprastha: two maps, two ASI tickets—Qutb (~₹550) and Purana Qila (~₹300)—not one combo for international travelers.
Red Fort Delhi: UNESCO Citadel Walk, ASI Tickets & Old Delhi Logistics
Walk Shah Jahan’s Red Fort west to east—Lahori Gate to marble riverfront—with ASI tickets (~₹550) and Lal Qila Metro.
Qutb Minar Complex: UNESCO Walk, ASI Tickets & Mehrauli Logistics
Qutb Minar morning plan: official ASI tickets (~₹550 online), Yellow Line last mile, no tower climb—UNESCO complex walk for international travelers.
Butter Chicken & Moti Mahal: Delhi Origin Story for International Travelers
Butter chicken and Moti Mahal in Delhi—origin story, dining hubs, and logistics for international travelers.
Dariba Kalan: A Definitive Guide to Old Delhi’s Historic Silver Bazaar
Dariba Kalan silver lane: weekday 11:30–16:00, Chandni Chowk Metro—established shops for silver and attar; skip unofficial guides.
Kinari Bazaar, Old Delhi: Where Bridal Glitter Is Sold by the Roll
Kinari Bazaar—Old Delhi’s bridal trim lane, Naughara havelis, Shop 2225 khurchan, Metro access, and the twin street to Dariba’s silver.
Gali Paranthe Wali: A Culinary Survival Guide to Old Delhi’s Historic Lane
Authoritative guide to Chandni Chowk’s Paranthe Wali Gali—history, three surviving shops, cash rules, and logistics for international travelers.
ASI Tickets & Monument-Day Sequencing for International Travelers
Deep Access guide—official ASI ticketing, foreigner tiers, Monday/prayer closures, and how to sequence Delhi monument days without tout traps.
Getting Around Delhi: Metro, Autos & Monument Days for International Travelers
Imperial Archive Access cornerstone—Delhi Metro, autos/Uber, ASI tickets, heat, and how to sequence monument days without scams.