The best things to do in Mehrauli

The Qutub Minar is on every other Indian heritage poster and school history textbook cover. Stand at its base anyway, and look for the details in its red-sandstone-ribbed carving. At 73 metres, it remains the tallest brick minaret in the world. The complex is more than this headline act, of course. The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque’s arched screen, carved with both floral arabesque and Hindu decorative motifs, tells you about the collision of craft traditions that the early Delhi Sultanate produced. Then there is the Iron Pillar. It predates everything else in the complex by about a millennium: a 7-metre shaft that has refused to rust for over 1,600 years, despite standing outside through Delhi's full-year seasonal hell-then-heaven-then-immediately-hell-again.

You can book tickets at a venue opposite the complex (any local will be able to point it out) or online, through an application that you’ll see advertised nearby. Pose for a photo-op, but also spend time wandering through the ruins – there’s a green expanse beyond them.

Time Out tip: There's some serious queer lore hereabouts. 

Where: Qutub Minar Complex, Mehrauli, New Delhi 110030

When: Sunrise to sunset, daily. Entry: ₹35 (Indians), ₹550 (foreigners).

Time Out tip: Skip the complex on the weekends if you can. A Tuesday morning is worth it. 

It’s easy to spot 1AQ for its arresting spray of primary colours amid the brown. Founded by Anubhav Nath, this is a space for exhibitions, performances, and workshops, often engaging with popular discourse on contemporary art. Their attached small bookstore has a choice selection of Tara Books and other independent presses, including copies of the Indian Constitution. The garden, by the way, is home to a banyan tree (which staffers fondly call The Banyan) of the gravitas you’ve only read of in a Ruskin Bond tale. The place also houses Delhi’s first Sri Lankan restaurant, Zetu.

Time Out tip: Chat the bookstore clerk up on what you like reading, and don’t miss the exhibition premieres for some interesting conversation. Also, if you’re a concert person, look out for the yearly Jazz Weekender hosted there.

Address: Near Qutab Minar, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli, New Delhi, Delhi 110030

Timings: Tues-Sun. 11am-7pm.

Just across the road, Mehrauli Archaeological Park stretches over 200 acres and contains over a hundred structures spanning from the 11th century to the colonial era. The ruins of Lal Kot (Delhi's oldest fort, built by the Tomar Rajputs in 1060 CE), stepwells, gateways, and tombs, like the Jamali-Kamali mosque and tomb. Equally not to miss is the Rajaon ki Baoli, India’s first and Balban’s Tomb, which features India’s first true architectural arch. Near the park's exit, look for the remnants of Metcalfe's Folly. Come here with at least a few hours in hand. Locals will tell you this place is for more than historical relics – this is where you find that secret spot to watch the sunrise, make art, or bring your friends to talk about the old times.

Price: ₹50 for adults, ₹25 for senior citizens (with ID), and ₹200 for foreign nationals, while children under 13 are free. 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 5am-around 6.30pm.

Been to a massive Dilliwali wedding? There’s a good chance the outfits were a Mehrauli purchase. It boasts a LONG stretch of massive designer names – think Anita Dongre, Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani – and collective stores like Pernia’s Pop Up that you hear of in wistful sighs, or even the movies. You’ve got saris, ghagras, some fits inspired by regional glam. Even if you’re not shopping, and you pass by these shops, you may just catch yourself staring at the embroidery. Some, like the House of Masaba, command a gaze all on its own: Rishikesh-inspired meditative domes lay upon a carpeted floor, with a silence that makes you only too understanding of why pictures aren’t allowed.

Timings: Mostly daily around 11am-8pm, but varies by store.

Address: From Kalka Das Marg to Ambawatta One complex, all near Qutub Minar

Sanjay Van stretches across nearly 800 acres as one of Delhi's densest forest patches, running along the ancient Aravalli ridge. It shares a border with Lal Kot, the oldest fort in Delhi, and walking the ramparts is part of the appeal. The forest is home to over 200 species of birds. There's a lake in the middle, small and still. I recommend that you go on a guided walk as it’s easy to get lost otherwise. Do note that there aren’t exactly regular walks, but here are some good options to look out for: Project Mehrauli, Earth Walks, and Queer Junglers. 

My personal favourite, though, is the mushroom foraging walks by Shroomery during the monsoon season, usually in July to September. Gives you a newfound appreciation for the art of fungi, from foraging to plating.

Address: Near Vasant Kunj and Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi. Entry point near the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

Nearest metro: R.K. Puram (Magenta Line) or Qutub Minar (Yellow Line).

Ambawatta One is the complex housing Mehrauli's reputation for fine dining. Olive Bar & Kitchen is the elder statesman of the strip – a Mediterranean institution that's been here nearly two decades, with a shaded garden terrace, a secret four-seater speakeasy, and a menu that runs to gnocchi and cheese soufflé. It remains packed on a Wednesday afternoon. Bo Tai is the Thai counterpoint: rooftop seating, fairy lights, gold-tinted interiors, a mean massaman curry and crispy prawns. Swan, with its starry alfresco area, unambiguously has the most romantic setting in the complex. And there are many more. Just be ready to shell out. Some other great restaurants include Grammar Room and Zetu. 

Timings: Most restaurants open at noon, closing between 11pm-1am.

Address: Ambawatta One, Kalka Das Marg, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli, New Delhi 110030

The stretch of Mehrauli village market, which is around 15 minutes from the designer shop strip, is where local vendors sell spices by weight. Jaggery’s imported from Meerut in rough amber blocks, and wooden hookahs hang alongside embroidered caps in the cramped interiors of shops that have been here far longer than any of the restaurants nearby. Don’t expect scenery, but do expect product that some people from other parts of Delhi make special trips for. And – if you’re good at it – getting some truly endearing stories about Mehrauli out of the shopkeepers.

Address: Internal Path, Aam Bagh, Lakhi Nath Kuti, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, Delhi 110030

Timings: 11am-9pm. Daily.