Nitya Choubey

It’s March, and Delhi’s weather is arguably at its most gorgeous. The heat’s made a slightly earlyish appearance (or has it? Summer always feels like a slightly unwelcome prospect following a perfect spring) and everyone’s ditched the sweaters and jackets. March also, incidentally, means it’s time for Holi! One of Delhi’s favourite festivals, because we love getting down and dirty. Ahem.  The biggest ticket event (literally – entry is bloody pricey) this month was supposed to be Ye’s India tour, but he's heading to Delhi in May instead. Fear not: other big performers include Punjabi rapper Honey Singh, as well as a great lineup of comedy shows: Aakash Gupta, Anubhav Bassi, Prashasti Singh, and loads more.  It’s a big month in terms of general activity too: Ramzan is on, of course, which means certain neighbourhoods around Chandni Chowk and Jamia will be abuzz with loads of activity after dark. There will, obviously, also be loads of Holi parties (catered as well as BYOB) around the city. Our guide tells you which ones are worth your buck.

We've sped through March and the end of the month is finally here! Delhi seems to be closing out March with a meteorological surprise, with dark skies and rainfall giving us some respite from the heat. Nevertheless, there's plenty to do to close out your March with these events for the week, from international film festivals to food festivals, and more. See you in April!  Editor’s note: We auto-delete events from this list once they’re over to ensure you don’t feel too much FOMO. 

It’s a relief to shrug off a rather long and sluggish January. The sun’s coming out, the weather’s near-perfect, with cool mornings, bright afternoons, and evenings that are begging for bar crawls. And February may be the shortest month, but in Delhi this year, it's completely action-packed. The calendar’s stuffed to the brim with theatre, sport, music, culture, and ROMANCE (or did you forget about Valentine’s Day?), making it one of the most reliably busy months to be out and about. The big-ticket item this month is, of course, the T20 World Cup, with multiple matches in Delhi. The music scene’s alive and well too – The Lumineers, Armaan Malik, the India Jazz Project, the HT City Unwind (the GOAT Lucky Ali returns) and the Sufi Heritage Festival (featuring big draws Daler Mehndi and Sona Mohapatra) all in a single month. The Pride Parade and the Delhi Literature Festival are also big crowd pullers, along with the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav, which kicked off in late January and features plenty of theatre productions through the month. We simply cannot forget the Surajkund Mela, which brings artisans from across and beyond India under one roof, selling some of the most unique things money can buy. You’ve also got the big V-Day bonanza starting mid-month, with loads of bars and restaurants hosting special events and offering hefty discounts, so make sure to catch those. But all in all, like we said, February’s weather is too good to be true – so don’t miss this chance to grab

As its capital, Delhi’s one of the most-visited cities in India. With that comes the obvious slew of world-class hotels – some of the very best in the country – but the thing about hotels is that they’re often located in the busiest junctions of the city. Even the budget ones have a habit of turning up on main roads or are cloistered thickly around the usual suspect neighbourhoods in central or south Delhi. And sure, this makes for a convenient tourist experience, but if you want to root around for something slightly more authentic at the same price or less, then Airbnbs are worth exploring. The Airbnb culture’s been slowish to take root in the city, but the best ones have come up in neighbourhoods that are lived in by real residents for generation after generation, making for an organic experience that shows you a side of Delhi you’d only be acquainted with if you’d lived in the city awhile.   How did these Airbnbs make it to the list? It’s true that lots of good Airbnbs in Delhi are concentrated in Hauz Khas Village, and offer views of the 13th century fort that the neighbourhood’s best known for, but I’ve put together this guide to show you cool picks across other neighbourhoods, too. Every Airbnb on the list’s been handpicked after in-depth research on customer ratings, feedback from the Time Out Delhi team, lists of amenities, location, and of course, general aesthetics. The article has affiliated links to other sites, which have zero influence over our editorial judgmen

Founded in 1972 and going strong, Akshara Theatre’s evolved in identity multiple times over. Originally a traditional theatre space, it now hosts all kinds of performances: standup shows, classical dance, workshops, television interviews, you name it. Their billboard’s always chockablock with posters telling you exactly what’s happening that week.  The space includes a modest indoor theatre, a decent-sized amphitheatre, and two other indoor performance spaces, as well as a library, a shooting and editing room for television, and a classroom that hosts theatre classes and workshops, all in a single acre of land. Don’t go by size: Akshara’s a behemoth on the Delhi performance scene. It’s a beautiful space too, with vaguely brutalist metal and stonework that makes the venue feel cool and airy even on the hottest summer day.  Time Out tip: You’ll find loads of tea and snack stalls right outside the theatre – especially handy since there’s no food or drink served inside.

The Laugh Store comedy club’s a giant of the Delhi comedy scene. The ‘Hall of Fame’ right outside the club displays the pictures of A-listers who performed over the last decade: Kenny Sebastian, Akash Gupta, Manik Mahna, and many many more.  The 100-seater venue’s got a superb sound system, theatrical lighting, and a stage best suited to open mics. It’s got two outlets: one in Dwarka, and the other in Gurugram, but I’d say the latter’s more happening. Food and drink are available at affordable prices, and they’ve got a good happy hour menu too.

Sunder Nursery's arguably the most popular outdoor space in all of Delhi. A 90-acre heritage park located adjacent to Humayun's Tomb and across the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, the nursery's served a bunch of different purposes over the centuries. What began as a garden – Azim Bagh – built by the Mughals in the 16th century was transformed into a nursery by the British during colonial-era India in their attempt to cultivate a range of different species of plants. It was finally opened to the public in 2018 after extensive renovations in its current, full glory. You'll find traces of every bit of this history in the park today: all of the 15 monuments inside date back to the Mughal era, of which six are UNESCO heritage monuments. All of them – including the Sunder Burj, Sunderwala Mahal, Lakkarwala Burj and the tomb of Mirza Muzaffar Hussain – sit comfortably within the landscaped sections of the park, instead of being cordoned off. Some are large, central, and lit up at night. Others are tucked into the woodsier corners of the park. The entire space, in fact, harkens back to the Mughal pleasure garden: central fountains, paved walkways, symmetrical lawns, shaded paths. The site, by virtue of it sitting inside the larger Humayun's Tomb complex, is incidentally a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  You'll find traces of the nursery too: the entire left wall of the space has thousands of plants on offer, with some bulbs and seed varieties starting at a throwaway ₹15. There's some sort of r

Jahanpanah City Forest   Nitya Choubey    Jahanpanah is equal parts forest and park, spanning 435 acres of lush woods. It’s a jogger’s paradise, honestly: no screechy children, no picnicking adults, and a veil of silence interspersed sporadically with the sound of nature. The forest’s been a bit of a local secret, partly because it straddles a bunch of residential neighbourhoods, including Greater Kailash II and II, Alaknanda, Masjid Moth, Chirag Delhi, Govindpuri, and a little bit of Saket. Most entrances are unobtrusive and not too easy to locate. For this reason, the forest has a slightly mysterious, dark charm. It’s very densely forested in a way that, say, Sanjay Van perhaps isn’t – it feels much more like a wood than a jungle, if you know what I mean. The temperature drops by a couple degrees once you’re inside, and many of the paths aren’t paved. Vast sections of the forest also remain unlit at night.  Much of this is to protect the wildlife: birds including kingfishers, parakeets, hornbill, mynah, indian tree pies, babblers, bulbuls and sunbirds, and animals like the nilgai and jackal. It’s a rare treat to sometimes find a nilgai peeking out at you from behind some thick foliage. Because of the rich biodiversity, you’ll find that the park is shut during afternoon hours to give the animals a break.  Time Out tip: The tracks are winding and it’s not terribly hard to lose your way here, so keep your wits about you and perhaps don’t venture here alone after dark. Also kee

Sanjay Van is one of Delhi’s largest green spaces – a sprawling, almost hulkish forest that straddles Vasant Kunj and Mehrauli – two neighbourhoods that are constantly abuzz. The forest, then, is a lovely contradiction, because it’s one of the least crowded spaces in Delhi.  The area – a protected forest, by the way – actually forms part of the residual Aravalli ranges, and the terrain reflects that lineage. No two trails look alike. Some stretches are flat and easy while others will slope sharply uphill, dip into uneven paths, or wind around water bodies. Giant rocks left behind by the Aravallis jut out of the earth in several places, and loads of natural water drains zig-zag through the forest. You can imagine the wildlife here, then –  silverbills, flycatchers, parakeets, cuckoos, egrets and sparrowhawks. The massive acreage allows you to shape a nice day out of it – a picnic in one of the clearings or by Neela Hauz lake (with some duck watching to go with!), cycling through the winding trails, a bit of a hike, even.  Time Out tip: Remain watchful of monkeys and stray dogs, even though guards patrol the area. They’re usually harmless if left undisturbed, but carrying a wooden stick can help keep them at bay when needed. Rough walking shoes advised.  Timing 5am to 8pm. Entry is free. Entry The main entry point is near the Qutab Institutional Area in Mehrauli. 

One of the more well-known parks of Delhi, Deer Park is a hotspot for two reasons: because it forms a natural, wooded outcrop of the intensely popular Hauz Khas Village, and because it’s home to several absurdly adorable deer. Because it’s so large, it’s got something for everyone: a manicured bit with lawns and flowerbeds perfect for picnicking; a densely wooded section with trails that are preferred by walkers and joggers; a rose garden; several tiny Sultanate- and Mughal-era monuments (Bagh-i-Gumbad, Kufhe Walla Gumbad, Kali Gomti); a tiny water body section shared by rabbits and ducks; and, of course, the aforementioned deer enclosure.  The park touches three neighbourhoods: Hauz Khas, Safdarjung Enclave, and Green Park. On the Hauz Khas side, the park’s connected to the Hauz Khas District Park from the inside, which features a massive lake, a view of the Hauz Khas Fort, and a little alleyway leading to countless restaurants, bars, and cafes.  Time Out tip: Avoid bringing your vehicle if you’re entering from the Hauz Khas side. It’s a pain to navigate the tourist spot, especially in the evenings.         

  India loves its trains – so much so that nearly 20 million people board one every day. In major metros, that number translates into an intricate web of platforms, stations and routes that millions rely on daily. To keep up with this scale, Indian Railways has introduced a fresh set of changes aimed at making bookings, cancellations and last-minute travel a little more predictable. The new rail policy by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav will be in effect from April 1 onwards. From revised refund rules to tweaks in Tatkal bookings and boarding flexibility, here’s a detailed look at what’s changed. What are the new ticket cancellation rules? The revised cancellation policy introduces much stricter timelines and reduced refunds closer to departure: No refund will be issued for confirmed tickets cancelled less than eight hours before departure. If you cancel between 24 and 8 hours before departure, you will receive 50% of the total fare. Cancellations made between 72 hours and 24 hours before departure will fetch only 25% of the fare. For cancellations made more than 72 hours in advance, passengers will receive the maximum possible refund, minus a flat cancellation charge per passenger. Can counter tickets now be cancelled anywhere? Yes. Earlier, passengers who booked tickets at a station counter had to cancel them at the originating or terminating station. Under the new rules, counter tickets can now be cancelled at any station counter, making the process far more flexible. For

Once again, it's time for Srinagar's most reliable seasonal spectacle! The Srinagar Tulip Festival, known for its notoriously short window, is finally back for a repeat performance of what's widely considered India’s most colourful event after Holi. While the exact date still remains slightly foggy, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is probably going to open on March 15, according to a report by Kashmir Observer. Officials told the publication that prep at the garden – Asia's largest tulip garden, incidentally – is in the final stretch, and the question of when it's going to open dangles solely on whether the weather plays along over the coming days. When it does open, the garden will once again show off more than 1.5 million tulip bulbs across roughly 65 varieties, spread across its 30-acre slope overlooking Dal Lake. The display typically lasts 15 to 30 days, with blooms peaking between late March and mid-April, meaning the window to see it is brief but spectacular. First developed in 2007 to boost spring tourism in the valley, the garden features the classic reds and yellows alongside newer varieties introduced every year, including bulbs imported from the Netherlands. Expect to see about 1.5 million bulbs stretching across a whopping 65 varieties, including the imported Dutch, Parrot, Fringed, and Darwin Hybrid types in red, yellow, purple, and white. The garden sits about 9 km from Srinagar’s city centre, between the Mughal gardens Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi, an

  Delhiites willingly queued for upwards of an hour outside Connaught Place's newest arrival. For once, it seems justified. Alienkind, the Bengaluru-based café, opened its first Delhi outlet on March 14, and the response has been, well, out of this world. Founded in 2024 by Vikram Kakkireni and Abhishek Kumar, the concept clearly resonates. Why go? Think a striking orange hue and neon accents, sci-fi aesthetics, and the vague but pleasing sensation that you've stepped into a set from a near-future virtual reality film. It’s not just that, though. Other than serving appetising burgers to health-conscious big eaters, their menu features a variety of fruit and vegetable juice blends.  With a tagline like "Humans make stupid choices, rather be an alien," and a vibe that's part streetwear drop, part dystopia, Alienkind seems three years ahead of marketing trends. The Delhi queue will likely only grow. Go on a weekday if you can. Where: Connaught Place, New Delhi  Price: ₹500-600  Opening hours: Mon-Sun. 11am-1am.  

If you’ve ever looked up 'Delhi’s best chole bhature', chances are you’ve come across Sita Ram Diwan Chand. The decades-old eatery in Paharganj (widely considered one of the city’s definitive chole bhature spots) has now halted operations indefinitely due to a shortage of LPG cooking gas. The disruption is part of a wider supply squeeze linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, one of the world’s largest oil- and gas-exporting regions. As shipments and logistics slow down, restaurants across parts of Delhi are struggling to secure regular LPG supplies, which is a critical fuel for commercial kitchens. Several eateries have already begun adjusting. Some restaurants have trimmed menus to cope with limited gas availability, while others have temporarily shut shop altogether. The situation is particularly visible in Paharganj, a busy market area known for budget hotels, street markets and long-standing food joints popular with tourists. Along with Sita Ram Diwan Chand, nearby outlets such as Radhe Shyam Subhash Kumar Chole Bhature and Kashmiri Chur Chur Naan have also paused operations due to the gas shortage. Thankfully, the pause is only temporary. Until LPG supplies return to normal, Delhiites will have to wait a little longer to line up outside Sita Ram Diwan Chand for one of the city’s most beloved plates of chole bhature.    

Delhi’s newest film festival – the inaugural International Film Festival Delhi (IFFD), scheduled from March 25 to 31 – has received a staggering 2,187 film submissions from India and around the world, according to organisers. The entries include 1,151 international non-feature films and 668 Indian non-features, alongside 221 international features and 147 Indian features. (In festival terms, a feature film is any film longer than 60 minutes.) A jury panel made up of cinema veterans will now shortlist titles for the festival’s final screening lineup. What to expect The week-long event promises packed daily screenings, along with a dash of festival glamour. Expect red carpet appearances, celebrity guests and special presentations, as well as award ceremonies and star performances on the closing evening. The programme will also include masterclasses on VFX, sound and film design, details of which will be announced on the festival’s official channels. Alongside screenings, the festival will also host an industry-focused Film Bazaar, where filmmakers, producers and distributors can explore co-production opportunities and distribution deals. A parallel tech expo will showcase developments in AR, VR, gaming and OTT platforms, highlighting how emerging technology is shaping the future of storytelling. Where to watch the films Most screenings will take place at Bharat Mandapam, with a handful scheduled at other select venues across the city. Entry to screenings will be free, but view

Delhi may not be known as India’s most expensive city. The metro's affordable, street food's cheap, rent isn't crazy like Mumbai – but step into the capital's glossy retail pockets, and numbers quickly start adding up. Case in point: Khan Market, which has once again been ranked India’s most expensive high-street retail location. According to the latest rankings by Cushman & Wakefield, rents in the upscale market rose by 8% last year. Retail spaces were going for around ₹1,700–₹1,800 per square foot during the October–December quarter of 2025. Between the fashionable cafés, designer boutiques and rooftop bars overlooking graffiti-splashed walls, the area clearly isn’t short on demand. Close behind is Connaught Place, where rents increased by about 4%, reaching roughly ₹1,150–₹1,250 per square foot per month. Other high-street markets across Delhi-NCR also saw rental increases ranging between 2-14% in 2025. Here’s how some of the city’s other shopping districts performed: Galleria Market in Gurugram recorded the highest growth, with rents rising 14% to ₹1,150–₹1,250 per sq ft per month. South Extension saw a 3% increase, with rents around ₹800–₹850 per sq ft. Kamla Nagar Market jumped 11% to ₹480–₹510 per sq ft per month. Greater Kailash I M Block Market recorded a 5% rise, reaching ₹475–₹500 per sq ft. Several other busy shopping hubs also made the list, including Karol Bagh Market, Lajpat Nagar Market, Rajouri Garden Market, Punjabi Bagh Market, as well as Sector 1

Heading to the airport soon? You might want to double-check your flight status. Ongoing tensions across West Asia (commonly referred to as the Middle East region) have disrupted one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, affecting travel between India, the Gulf, and Europe. Several countries in the region – including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates – have temporarily grounded or restricted flights, forcing airlines worldwide to cancel or reroute services that usually pass through the region. Since the conflict escalated on February 28, airlines have cancelled some 37,000 flights to and from the Middle East. The ripple effect has also hit long-haul travel from India to Europe, with fewer routes available, longer flight times due to detours, and significantly higher ticket prices. For now, travellers can expect limited schedules, rerouted flights, and frequent last-minute changes. Here’s how major airlines operating from India are responding. Air India India’s flag carrier, Air India, has announced 78 additional international flights between March 10 and 18 to help passengers affected by cancellations and route closures. The airline is opening nine additional routes connecting Delhi and Mumbai to destinations in Europe, the United States, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, adding 17,660 extra seats during the period. Alongside its budget arm Air India Express, the airline is also running 24 special flights to Jeddah and Muscat on March 9.

Delhi’s metro network just got a major upgrade. On March 8, the Prime Minister inaugurated new links on the Pink and Magenta lines, improving connectivity between northern and eastern parts of the capital. Separately, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also announced three new corridors under its Phase-V A expansion plan, adding more than 16 kilometres to the network. The project will include 13 new stations – 10 underground and three elevated – expected to be completed by 2028. The new links are expected to improve connectivity across parts of north-west and north-east Delhi, including Burari, Jagatpur-Wazirabad, Khajuri Khas, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar, Bhalaswa and Majlis Park. The Phase-V A corridors will also focus on improving last-mile connectivity in East Delhi, South Delhi and nearby NCR areas. What’s new on the network Majlis Park–Maujpur Babarpur Pink Line corridor A new 12km stretch now connects the two ends of the Pink Line – from Majlis Park to Maujpur-Babarpur – effectively completing a full loop. With the line functioning as a ring corridor, travel time between several northern and eastern parts of the city is expected to drop significantly. Deepali Chowk station on the Magenta Line A new station at Deepali Chowk in north-west Delhi now connects the Magenta Line with the Pink Line at Majlis Park. The roughly 10km route includes six stations and is expected to improve connectivity across north Delhi neighbourhoods. New corridors under Phase-V A R.K. Ashram

International Women's Day is almost here, and while the internet floods with preaching and think-pieces, we've got something a little more immediately useful: a guide to the best food and drinks offers across Delhi-NCR on March 8. Here's where to go and what to expect. A Table for Her at The Lodhi New Delhi Celebrate in style at this specially curated brunch. Starting with a rosé welcome, you’ve got cocktails from the Muse Mixology menu paired with handcrafted dishes, and The Lodhi promises a good finish with the signature Feminist Artistic Patisserie. Elegant from start to finish. Harajuku Tokyo Cafe This longtime Japanese chain is marking the occasion with bonus cocktails and heart-shaped macarons for women at both its NCR locations – Saket and Gurugram. Offers may differ between outlets, so it’s worth checking ahead. Chidya Ghar at Roseate House This all-women-run bar, already a standout on the Delhi scene, is offering 50% off on women's tables through March 9. It tends to sit at the higher end of the price spectrum, so the discount makes it a particularly good moment to visit. Drink Like a Woman at Monkey Bar, Vasant Kunj Skip the food and head straight to the bar. Monkey Bar's Cocktail Personality Experience has female guests answer a short set of fun questions before being served the cocktail that best matches their personality. A great icebreaker for a group night out. Yeti – The Himalayan Kitchen Known for its authentic Himalayan flavours and warm, characterful atmosp

Mumbai may soon add a new commute to its transport mix: a water metro. Modelled on the Kochi Water Metro, the project will introduce battery-powered ferries across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with services expected to roll out in phases starting this December. The project envisages a network of battery-powered ferries in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The route The state government has chalked out six to eight routes for the project, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pitching two of the finalised routes for the pilot. A focus will be on the Nariman Point-Worli-Bandra-Juhu-Versova routes. These routes are expected to cut down travel time in and around the city.  For instance, after the Radio Club jetty near the Gateway of India in south Mumbai is ready, the water metro will take just 40 minutes to ferry people to the Navi Mumbai International Airport. By road, it normally takes over an hour and a half at least.   

Another night, another moon, except this one’s going to blush deep red. A total lunar eclipse is when the Earth slips directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its darkest shadow (the umbra) over the lunar surface. Instead of disappearing, the Moon turns coppery red (sometimes even a dusky brown) thanks to sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), today’s eclipse has a magnitude of 1.155, marking it as a deep total lunar eclipse. Will Delhi see the red moon? Here’s the catch: most of India – including Delhi – will miss the early and peak stages of the eclipse because they occur before moonrise. By the time the Moon rises over Delhi’s eastern horizon, the eclipse will already be in its final phase. So what you’ll catch is the tail end of the spectacle, which means a partially shadowed Moon, possibly tinged red, just before the eclipse concludes. Best time to look up in Delhi For Delhiites, the best viewing window is around 6:40pm, just before the eclipse officially ends at 6:48pm. Look toward the eastern horizon right at moonrise for your best chance. How to get the best view Head to an open space with a clear eastern view, so rooftops, terraces, parks. Reach your spot by 6:30pm to avoid missing the brief window. No telescope needed, because lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch with the naked eye. Binoculars can enhance the colour contrast if you have them handy. While cities further east – and

Before you step out in white kurtas and already-regrettable footwear, here’s a quick heads-up ahead of everybody's favourite holiday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued an advisory announcing a delayed start to metro services on Holi, March 4, 2026. Trains on all lines will begin operations at 2.30pm from their respective terminal stations. Yes, all routes – that includes the Delhi Airport Metro Express (Airport Express Line) and the Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s Aqua Line. After 2.30pm, services are expected to run as per their usual frequency for the rest of the day. The late start follows the Metro’s annual Holi protocol. Every year, morning services are either suspended or pushed back to ensure safety across the network and allow operational staff to participate in the festivities, while security arrangements remain in place. For real-time updates, commuters can keep an eye on DMRC’s official social media handles. As for road travel, traffic is likely to be lighter than usual through the morning, though standard security barricading can be expected around sensitive zones, including diplomatic areas, Rashtrapati Bhavan and Connaught Place.