If toy ambassadors, CNG taxis and auto rickshaws are more to his liking, pop in to the Gift Palace at Khan market.
>B-52 Khan Market
Tel: 011 2461 8613
Timings: Mon to Sat 11 am to 8:30 pm
Prices: From Rs 86
Car Parts Bazaar
One of the largest second-hand spare parts markets in the world can be found in Chandni Chowk. South of the Jama Masjid, the stalls that make up this bazaar pile seemingly impossibly high new and secondhand automobile parts from all models, ranging from speedometers and the all-important horn for Delhi traffic. One can even find complete engines waiting to be purchased. Big and little boys who are good with their hands, and even those who aren’t, can find all the things they need to trick out any car.
>Khari Baoli Road after crossing the Fatehpuri Masjid on the western end of the main Chandni Chowk Road
Nearest Metro: Chawri Bazaar
Timings: Mon to Sat 11:30 am to 6 pm
Entry: Free
Cricket
You cannot say India without saying cricket. King Khan reigns supreme in Bollywood and cricket reigns supreme, well, everywhere else in India. The game is played anywhere there is grass or a street or a small wedge of space. Test matches are played at Ferozshah Kotla Stadium. You can also catch the Delhi Daredevils of the Indian Premier League (20/20) matches here.
>Ferozshah Kotla Stadium Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg Test matches: Sept to March IPL matches: April to June
Tel for tickets: Tejpal Cricket Club 011 205 1994; Sunrise Cricket Club 011 248 4611.
Web: Go to www.kyazoonga.com for tickets to the Delhi Daredevils matches and for handy directions to the stadium. Cheap seats cost Rs 500. The more expensive ones go for Rs 4,000.
Fishing
Fishing is a wonderfully relaxing pastime and if you enjoy this sport or want to try it for the first time, try the Badhkal Lake, Surajkund Lake, Okhla Dam located on Mathura Road (closed on Mondays).
Badhkal Lake
Located 32 km from Delhi, the man-made lake is set in the middle of the Aravalli Hills in Haryana and is bordered by scenic gardens. Badhkal Lake is very famous for its water sports like boating, canoeing, kayaking, etc. (See Beauty and the Beast, pp.12–13.)
Bhalswa Lake
Bhalswa Lake located in northeast Delhi is also home to a multi-sport and leisure complex. (See Beauty and the Beast, p.13.)
Okhla Dam
This dam is situated near the Yamuna river canal and has good facilities for fishing. It is a popular picnic spot surrounded with lush lawns. Friday is a good day to go and it is buzzing with visitors and local vendors.
>Okhla, Delhi–Mathura Road, near Holy Family Hospital
Timings: Sunrise to sunset
Tel: 011 2462 9365
Surajkund Lake
The site of the annual Surajkund Mela, there is a golf course, an exotic hotel and one can fish and also go boating on Surajkund Lake in Haryana. (See Beauty and the Beast, p.29.)
Go-Karting
Go-karting is a craze that has really caught fire in India, especially in and around Delhi in the last couple of years. It was launched in Faridabad in 1997 by JK Tyre. It provides quite an adrenaline rush to race around the track at high speeds. Formula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher learned the art and science of motor-racing on a go-karting track. Go-karting is suited for kids 10 and older.
Chandigarh (15 Scorpion cars)
>Albert Ross Racing, 41/8 Milestone, Ambala–Chandigarh highway, Zikrakpur. On the Delhi–Chandigarh GT Road at the union territory border just 20 minutes from Delhi. The track is 350 m and the facility offers 3 twin-engine karts, the rest as usual are with single engines.
Timings: Daily 3 pm to 10 pm
Entry: Rs 50 for 3 laps; Rs 100 for 8 laps; Rs 150 for 15 laps.
Length of track: 350 metres
Destination Point (10 Scorpion cars)
>12/2 Main Mathura Road, Faridabad
Tel: 0129 227 5139
Cost: Rs 100 for 6 laps; Rs 120 for 8 laps; Rs 180 for 15 laps.
Length of track: 320 metres
Fun and Fair (10 Scorpion cars)
>A-38 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Main Mathura Road
Tel: 011 2695 9563
Timings: Daily 10 am to 9 pm
Cost: Rs 100 for 8 laps
Length of track: Less than 1 km
Planet Bowling (5 go-karts)
>A-38 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate Mathura Road, Badarpur
Tel: 011 2695 9665
Timings: 10 am to 9:30 pm
Cost: Rs 100 per go-kart; Rs 50 per bumper car
Thirty Second Milestone (8 Mobile go-karts)
>Chander Nagar Gurgaon (Near Signature Tower)
Tel: 0124 233 2571
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Cost: Rs 100 for 6 laps
Web: www.32ndmilestone.com
Horse Play
Polo matches are fun to watch and even more fun to participate in. The Haryana Polo Club provides horses and trainers to whet the appetite of budding polo players. Managed by one of India’s families that have almost become synonymous with polo, the Kalaans, boys will get a rush out on the field. Mornings are the best time to learn and games are usually played in the afternoons.
>Haryana Polo Club Village Garhi–Harsaru, Gurgaon–Pataudi Road, Haryana
Tel: 011 2619 2407
Entry: Rs 4,500 for 90 minutes
Timings: Call for timings
Paintballing
We all like to paint the town red. But sometimes, we get to paint…each other…a rainbow of colours. Paintballing is some of the best fun that can be had in under an hour. It’s action packed and takes some strategy to dodge the ‘enemy’ without being tagged. But half of the fun for kids would be to get tagged. Players get extra lives, after getting shot, they step off the field for 1 minute and join the game again. The paint is non-toxic and washable, though it’s not advised kids wear their fancy clothes for the event. The intensity of the pellets from the guns is downgraded for children. Prices include rental of all equipment and gear: markers, C02 gas tanks, paintball pellets, overalls, chest guards, masks, gloves and field rental. All games are conducted under the supervision of trained instructors. For ages 10 and older.
>Best Westin Resort Country Club Resort, Gurgaon, About 40 km from Delhi
Tel: 91 9971 200 530; 98187 38378 for information or for reservations
Timings: 10 am to 6:30 pm; closed Tue
Cost: Rs 500 per person plus taxes. Includes equipment rental and 50 paintballs. Reload packets of 50 paintballs are Rs 250. Food and drinks along with paintballing starts at Rs 850 per person.
Duration: About one hour, but the time depends on the kids
Web: paintballdelhi@gmail.com
Shooting
If you want to practice skeet, double trap, trap, air pistol shooting, the best place to go is the Dr Karni Singh shooting range close to Tughlaqabad Fort. Maharaja Karni Singh won the National Championship in Clay Pigeon Trap and Skeet for 17 years from 1960 to 1977. He led the Indian team in various international competitions and participated in 5 Olympic Games—Rome, Tokyo, Mexico, Munich and Moscow. Abhinav Bindra won a Gold medal for India in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The stadium is considered one of the best shooting ranges in Asia and is the location for shooting events of the Commonwealth Games of 2010. Equipment can be rented, so parents and kids can try out an afternoon of fun and won’t have to commit to the sport.
>Tughlaqabad
Tel: 011 2698 6802
Timings: Daily 9 am to 5 pm
Entry: Imported air pistol rifles on rent and 50 pellets from Rs 100
Nearby sights: Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple
Siri Fort Complex
>August Kranti Marg, near Siri Fort Auditorium
Tel: 011 2649 7482
Timings: Daily 6 am to 9 pm
Other Attractions
Indian Air Force Museum
Boys who love toys would really enjoy a visit to the Indian Air Force Museum. From pictures to uniforms and of course, a collection of different types of military aircraft, visitors get a true history of the Indian Air Force. The collection even houses some model aircraft that were donated from other countries. ‘Heroes’ walls, (please explain to your son it is not the sci-fi TV series) are dedicated to the men who died in various conflicts. The hangar is the very best part of the exhibition because it is more visual than reading intensive. About 15 aircraft are on display including the Westland, the first plane to fly through Khyber Pass in 1929. There’s the Night Fighter variant of the Vampire, 2-hunter fighter-bomber, the first generation Dassault Ouragan, the Sikorsky Whirlwind, MiG-21 and the Sukhoi-7. Also on display are a MiG-25 and troop and freight carrier. Just outside the main hangar lie the other fascinating displays of captured vehicles and aircraft wreckages. Perhaps the most intriguing of all the equipment is a missile guidance radar. Every year on October 8, which is celebrated as Air Force Day, visitors can view the larger transport aircrafts kept in the flight apron of Palam Air Base and a special parade of Indian Air Force. The museum has a cafeteria. (Also see Make the Most of Museums, p.83)
>Palam Air Force Station
Timings: Wed to Sun 10 am to 5 pm, closed on national holidays
Metro: Dwarka Morh
Tel: 011 2568 7194
Web site: http://indianairforce.nic.in
Nearby sights: Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, Buddha Jayanti Park and Sanskriti Museum of Indian Terracotta and Everyday Art
Nearby places to eat: Radisson, Centaur Hotel; Wimpy’s in Janakpuri, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Barista, Ruby Tuesday
Indian War Memorial
There are 3 museums at the Red Fort. The Indian Archaeological Museum, Indian War Memorial, Swatantra Sanghralaya and Senani Smarak contain artifacts from the Mughal period to India’s freedom movement. Boys will probably be most fascinated with the Indian War Memorial which was once called the ‘Red Fort Museum of Arms and Weapons’. It has a nice collection of weapons, including some from the Mughal era, signal lamps, telescopes and other instruments used during war. (See Make the Most of Museums, p.90.) Why settle for playing with the plastic variety when one can get a first-hand look at the real things that helped shape the India of today.
>Red Fort
Chandni Chowk, opposite Dariba Kalan
Tel: 011 2327 3703
Nearest Metro: Chandni Chowk
Timings: Tue to Sun 10 am to 5 pm
Entry: Rs 11 for Indians; Rs 100 for foreigners (includes tickets for all 3 museums)
Parking: Rs 10 for 4 hours
Nearby sights: Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Daryaganj, Gates of Old Delhi, St James Church, Car Parts Bazaar
Nearby places to eat: Food stalls in Chandni Chowk, Paranthe Wali Gali, Moti Mahal Restaurant, Karim’s
Metro Museum
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has opened a Metro Museum, the first in the country, to catalogue its achievements. Located at the Patel Chowk station, the museum houses artifacts from various stages as the metro expanded across India. There are uniforms, grilling machines and other tools used to build the metro. A souvenir shop sells books, tokens, ties and other knick-knacks. For those kids who really enjoy taking the metro, this is definitely a must-see stop. The Museum has 2 touch screen computers that play a movie about the DMRC, mannequins wearing the different uniforms worn by staff, a model of the Metro train, models of stations and close-circuit television camera which visitors can also operate. This is a temporary location for the museum as plans are afoot to open a more comprehensive museum at the Qutab Minar station. (See Make the Most of Museums, pp.84–5.)
>Patel Chowk metro station
Timings: Tue to Sun 10 am to 4 pm
Entry: Visitors will need a journey token or smart card to enter.
Web: www.delhimetrorail.com/commuters for a nice slideshow (click on the bottom right corner of the metro museum page)
Nearby sights: India Gate, Safdarjung Tomb, Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, Gandhi Smriti, Dilli Haat, India Gate, Jantar Mantar
Nearby places to eat: Hotel Le Meridien, Imperial Hotel, Hotel Inter-Continental, Parikrama, Delhi Darbar, Nizam’s Kathi Kebabs, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Nirula’s, Ruby Tuesday, Barista, Café Coffee Day and the food stalls at Dilli Haat
National Police Museum
A great place for aspiring Agent Cody Bankses to learn facts about the police force is the National Police Museum. Items on display include confiscated goods, records of forgery, and fascinating articles, of national as well as international importance. Visitors also get an insight into forensic techniques used to solve crimes.
>Central Bureau of Investigation HQ, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road
Timings: Mon to Fri 10:30 am to 4:30 pm; closed weekends
Nearest Metro: Central Secretariat
Entry: Free
Nearby sights: India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lotus Temple, Nizamuddin’s Shrine
Nearby places to eat: Eatopia at India Habitat Centre, restaurants at Khan Market, Basil and Thyme. If you’re thinking you want to do some shopping too, head over to Ansal Plaza or South Ex Part II.
National Science Centre
Dinosaurs reign supreme at the National Science Centre (see Make the Most of Museums, pp.88–9). What’s great about the Dinosaur Gallery is that it recreates how the world probably looked millions of years ago. Visitors are lead through a dark chamber full of models of strange-looking creatures akin to Jurassic Park.
Some of the creatures are mechanized and move their heads, including being wired for sound, so it does add a realistic dimension to the experience. Little children may get scared when the big dinosaurs start to move and roar, but the older ones are likely to want to go through the display again. The interactive displays also give information on how the earth was populated and the evolution of mankind.
>Just before Gate No.1, Bhairon Road, Pragati Maidan
Tel: 011 2337 1893/2337 1945
Metro: Pragati Maidan
Timings: Daily 10 am to 5:30 pm
Entry: Rs 20
Nearby sights: Crafts Museum, Purana Qila, National Zoo, India Gate, Nizamuddin’s Shrine
Nearby places to eat: Nathu’s and Baci (see Eats, pp.132–3) in Sunder Nagar market; Oberoi Hotel (check out the café in the basement); Flavors (see Eats, p.136) in Defence Colony, All American Diner (see Eats, p.128) at the India Habitat Centre on Lodhi Road
Pro Bono Publico Museum for Vintage and Classic Cars
Gentlemen, start your engines. Pro Bono Publico, the Titus & Co. Museum for Vintage and Classic Cars, has a 6,000 square foot space that has nearly 70 vintage cars, including old American cars like a 1947 Chrysler Windsor and Buicks dating back from 1938. Some more modern offerings include the likes of a 4.2 turbo charged diesel Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover and Prado. About 90% of the cars in the collection once belonged to the country’s royals. The name of the museum, which means for the public good, showcases the private cars owned by collector Diljeet Titus.
>Titus farm, Jaunpur village, near Bishan Singh Bedi farms, Mehrauli
Tel: 011 2665 8635 (call for directions and an appointment)
Timings: Mon to Sat 10 am to 6 pm
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets
Boys can’t resist bathroom humour. The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets fits the bill. It goes without saying that this museum is one of a kind. The museum’s artifacts trace the evolution of the toilet or ‘loo’, dating from 2,500 BC to the present. Keen visitors will get all they need to know about toilet-based technology, toilet etiquette, various laws and social customs through photos and even odes written to the toilet. Kids will learn how the first flushable indoor toilet came to be known as the crapper. Complete the visit by checking out the bounty of jokes to share with friends on the school yard.
>At Mahavir Enclave, on the main Palam Dabri M
arg
Nearest Metro: Dwarka Morh
Tel: 011 2503 1518
Timings: Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm
Nearby places to eat: Nirula’s in Dwarka; Wimpy’s in Janakpuri; McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Barista, Ruby Tuesday and many popular restaurants serving all types of cuisines can be found in Janakpuri District Centre.
CO-ED
No. 1: Bal Bhavan National Children’s Museum
and Aquarium. It’s like having 10 different
activities rolled into one.
It can be rather difficult choosing activities that are somewhat more ‘indoor’ that both guys and dolls will enjoy, and that will equally stimulate their interests. One can never go wrong when the activities involve other kids, adventure, creativity and just plain fun. Whether they enjoy working with their hands, singing, dancing or exercising, the menu of things for kids to enjoy is vast. Let your child bring out the artist in herself at The Colour Factory; scale a wall or just be free at Weekend clubs. Or if the kids are restless to step out, and still be treated as kids, they could take the special guided walks for children to learn a bit about the city’s monuments.
Lots to See and Do
Bal Bhavan National Children’s Museum and Aquarium
Imagine throwing the National Zoo, Nehru Planetarium and Children’s Park near India Gate into a bowl and adding a little water and stirring. It is likely you would end up with the Bal Bhavan National Children’s Museum and Aquarium. The Aviary has over 20 breeds of birds. Children learn about their food habits and how they survive in the wild. As the sessions are quite interactive, kids even learn how to maintain the pH balance of an aquarium if they decide to have one at home. A gallery displays art by children. Additionally, kids will find toys from India and other countries, workshops on traditional jewellery making, and creative and performing arts including puppet making, theatre, music and dance. Kids can even enjoy a ride on a mini train in the Science Park. Summer camps are also organized. The fees are unbelievably low. Ideal for children ages 5 to 16.