Saanvi Bhagatkar

Delhi’s a rare city; it’s so insanely proud of its history that locals have staked a fierce claim on all the remnants they can find. If you’re a visitor, you’ll suss out pretty quickly that most of the crowds at places like Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb (the three usual suspects that make it to the top of every to-do Delhi list) are usually half made up of cityfolk. In the winter, it’s an unspeakable rule that you’ve got to lounge around at Sunder Nursery or Lodhi Gardens because it’s just the best way to soak up the sun. It’s commendable, quite charming even, this half-crazed love for the city’s heritage. But it also makes for traffic jams, unassailable crowds, and basically zero breathing space if you’re really set out on exploring, or just want to spend some quiet time outdoors – and that’s a shame, because I have to say that there’s no city in the world like Delhi. In some places, time hangs so still that you can swear you might be in a different century if you don’t look down and realise you’ve got the latest Nikes on.  Having braved some pushing and shoving at the top spots myself, I’ve put together a list of places that seem to have (mercifully) flown under the radar – they’re quietly intriguing, emptyish, and oh – sometimes haunted. Or so the locals say. 

R.K. Puram’s a slightly weird place for a Lodi-era monument if you think about it. It’s a full-on government residential colony, totally jam packed, and pretty far from Mehrauli, where most other Lodi-era monuments are located. But the five tombs inside the Wazirpur Complex make for a delightful stroll in good weather, if you know they exist. Said to be associated with a certain Wazir Khan, there’s no real recorded or surviving history on the place, so you won’t find signboards guiding you along. The complex is small – two old walled mosques, a grave platform, and a decently-sized baoli (stepwell) that’s either bone dry or half-full of rainwater, depending on the season.  The tombs aren’t identical: the first three, nestled close together, sit high on a raised platform, while the other two are a lot smaller and more squat looking. In some places, you can see traces of plaster with floral and geometric designs. Of course, it’s much more common to spot (and roll your eyes at) the graffiti scrawled across its walls over the years. The place had, at one point in recent history, fallen prey to some urban encroachments, but has since been cleaned up and remains fairly well-kept.  The best part of the place is how low under the radar it flies. Granted, R.K. Puram does have one more Lodi-era monument – Bijri Khan’s tomb, which sits right by the busy main road – but this one never makes it to any of the top to-do heritage lists in Delhi. So think about it – no screechy tour guides, no

Founded in 2012 by LeftWork Books, May Day Bookstore doesn't even try to pretend it's a regular bookstore – and thank goodness. It's immediately obvious upon walking in and finding only wall-to-wall Marxist theory, political critique, and independent presses –basically more leftist writing than you’ll see anywhere else in India. You'll find that Hindi and English titles are interspersed throughout the store, and they've also got a well-regarded section for used books, where many readers have found first-edition gems tucked away without any fanfare. The address – Shadipur, a working-class neighbourhood in West Delhi – is a very deliberate choice too, because May Day's not the type to associate itself with glossy malls or upscale Lutyens pin codes at all. The store – again, intentionally – shares a wall with Studio Safdar – a theatre space run by the legendary Jana Natya Manch, the city's most prominent leftist theatre group. The two spaces integrate seamlessly, and together, have created a wonderful little cultural community through books, performances and activism bleeding into one another. All sorts of events happen here, in all forms – poetry readings, film screenings, political discussions, neighbourhood street plays and children's programmes – and on most occasions, you'll find a melée of activists and theatre artists popping in for a quick chat as often as they do for books. May Day is unapologetic in its leftward leanings – they say so proudly on their Instagram page, t

Promenade's bringing some seriously cool, edgy new-kid-on-the-block energy to Hauz Khas Village – and loads of seriously cool, edgy new kids on the block to the neighbourhood with it. I mean, even the two young men who run the shop are – you got it – seriously cool, edgy new kids on the block. Obviously, it's not a run-of-the-mill bookstore. It's a pocket-sized, carefully-curated wonderland for people who have a life off of Instagram.  The shelves here are lined with vintage finds and indie press darlings, all arranged in a surprisingly neat and tidy way – which is a bit of a blessing, given that it's a tiny store. You'll be sure to find books that you never knew existed – and that's because most of them are probably printed on their own printing press with the intention of resurrecting out of print literature that's been unfairly buried under the weight of mass market fluff. They've also got a wonderful selection of Japanese literature, European classics, and desi pulp fiction. Promenade leans hard into nostalgia in a very distinctly Gen-Z way – kind of like happening upon your parents' cool records and reclaiming them as your own. If you go, you're going to end up browsing the blurb of Dostoyevsky's Notes From Underground with a grunge playlist blasting in the background. And honestly? It's a pretty fun (and strangely fitting) experience. Time Out Tip: Come here alone, please. Opening times: Mon-Sun 11am-8.30pm