Yeh dilli hai mere yaar.. bas ishq, mohabbat, pyar..

The subject line is obviously borrowed from the title track of Dilli 6!!! They are playing it quite a lot on the radio.. and its kind of stuck in my head!!!! So today its going to be all about delhi!!! My favourite favourite city ... have been there most of my life.. also been in Bombay, Bangalore now.. oh and also Goa... Why do i love delhi so much -

In random order -

1) Delhi has seasons... actually!!!! There is a winter, summer, monsoon, spring, autumn... everything!!!! Its fun to be in a place where you can actually experience different seasons!!! And there are loos (i mean hindi ones.. i.e. sandstorm / duststorm) and then hailstorm!!!!! You get a chance to wear all these fancy sweaters / jackets...

2) Wide roads - delhi is a pleasure to drive in.. roads are really wide!!!! 4 times that of Bombay!! Even though i used to drive about 60kms everyday to work.. i used to love it... driving was my way of easing stress!!!! Increase the volume, roll up your windows and sing along... or better still roll down your windows when raining or during winters.. and drive on these wide roads.. fantastic.. you can actually feel fresh air on your face as opposed to smoke!!!!

3) Space - while we did in live in a small house in Delhi.. actually i should say small by Delhi standards... and medium by Bombay.. in Bombay same place would invite an astronomical rent!!!! Our society was huge!!!! Each flat could park 2,3,4 cars or more if they wanted.. we had 3 gardens within the society itself!!!!! In Bombay, one needs to take permission and you are allotted a parking space!!!

4) Every house has a balcony!!!! No matter how small... no space etc etc... every place has a balcony!!!!!!!!!!!

5) Parks - there are many many parks in Delhi... every mile you would find one park at least!!!

6) Flyovers... there are now i have heard more than 40 flyovers in Delhi!!! Have you seen the Medical one? Quite amazing!!! I wonder how Delhi progresses so much.. other places like Bangalore, Bombay still the same. And the flyovers are really wide and actually do ease traffic!!!!!

7) Metro - i guess once the metro is up and running, the same will be true for all the places... but until then, Delhi metro rocks!!! Used to travel by Metro earlier.. extremely convenient and it has AC too!!!!! But i have heard that now its extremely crowded!! Though it sure beats traveling by non AC bus!!! BTW DTC also has an AC?

8) Delhi people - whatever you may say about them... they maybe loud, raucous, aggressive.. i still like them!!! Very generous set!!! Though if you by any chance bump into a car by accident, you have had it!!!! Delhi does make you quite street smart!!

9) Salwaar Kameez shopping / tailors - the most awesome salwaar kameez material you get there.. go to a punjabi heartland.. like rajouri garden in delhi.. and you will get the most awesome stuff!!!! Never ever seen such stuff anywhere... i switched to readymades now for the want of such material and of course for the want of a tailor... delhi tailors were brilliant.. they understand shape, size, design very well.... bombay tailors were always busy.. and blore tailors.. well!!!!! The less said the better!!!

10) CP / SN/ India gate - love these places - have been my favourite haunt.... the circles in delhi.. or roundabouts.. very cute and love them!!! The history of the city... at anytime given point in time, you will actually be passing by some historical monument or the other!!!!

11) Delhi is quite clean as compared to all the cities i have visited.. surprising but true!

12) How can i not talk about food. I kept it for the last as there is a lot to talk about!!! Lip smacking, droolworthy etc etc (am already drooling)

• Chole bhature - never ever had anything better anywhere.. a long time back one colleague in Bombay told me that there is this brilliant chole bhature guy.. try him.. the chole was thin and watery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since then i have kept away from it in bombay / blore.. though now i have been told again to try this place in Blore which apparently serves good stuff.. as it has been recommended by a delhi-ite, i am willing to consider it!!!
• Chaats / Tikki - In Bombay once i fought with this guy.. who sold me cold chaat.. i was so annoyed.. alu chaat has to be hot dude!!!! And served with this green chutney
• Parathas - Please go to Qutub Institutional Area to have hot parathas - if you ask for butter.. they will give you this huge chunk of butter on a fork... with red chutney, green chutney and achaar!!! With tea during winters - awesome!!! I always would have more than i could... like they say pet bhara neeyat nahi bhari!!!!!
• Rajma chawal - am missing it .. sniff sniff .. so dreadful :(
• Chole kulche - It only costs 5 bucks.. can you beat that.. was my lunch many a days !!!
• Chowmein - Never had such a mean chowmein anywhere but CP - Shankar market
• Gol Gappe - please, its called Gol gappe not puchka / paani puri etc!!!! Gol Gappe sounds so much better!!!! Gol Gappe everywhere has been decent.. the tastes have been different though!!!
• Other nick nacks - black chana boiled with lime/ onion and loads of green chillies - we identified a candy man nearby to enable us to have this!!! Boiled chole, similar preparation as above- yummy!!! Mooli (Radish) / Kheera (Cucumber) / Kakadi (dont know whats it called) with masala... ganne (cut sugarcane).. salted ber..boiled egg with onions/tomatoes put on top... oh good lord there are too many things!!!!
• And of course Kaake da dhaba - when you order from there, you need to keep an extra bowl/katori with you, so that you can separate the ghee/oil from the gravy.. but tastes phenomenal!!! All the other dhabas too!!! Maa ki daal is quite amazing!!!
• And all of the above in winters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just imagine!!!!!!!!!!! Hot Jalebis.... hmmmmmm

There are many other things but i am literally drooling all over the comp!!!! So i will stop now!!!

Need to have dinner.. my appetite has just shot up!!!! :)

ps : i like bombay/ banaglore too!!! No offence meant :p