Art

Cruising through the different art exhibitions and galleries of New Delhi, one transcends to a different world altogether. New Delhi can boast of having one of the most prestigious art galleries-The National Gallery of Modern Art, an institution by itself. In 1976, The Lalit Kala Academy, with the help of Delhi Development Authority, set up studios known as Garhi, the artists' haven. Inspired by the city of art in Paris, where artists, are provided with studios and lodgings, Garhi was built on these lines. Only qualified professional artists can work here. Their work is evaluated and those with talent and great promise are taken in. The artists are given a free rein to explore and discover their creativity. Though situated in the center of South Delhi, it is cut off from the hustle and bustle of busy city life providing an opportunity to the artists to pursue their interest in a tranquil atmosphere. At Anandgram in Qutab-Mehrauli area of New Delhi is the Sanskriti Kendra, a serene sprawling sanctuary for artists, craftsperson, as well as visitors. Set amidst eight acres of land dotted with two thousand trees, the Sanskriti Kendra was the brainchild of Mr. O. P. Jain, a distinguished art collector. It was conceptualized as a place where creative minds could pursue and interact with others on an area of study of their choice with an aim that from such an interaction would emerge a new sensibility that in turn would enrich and strengthen the bond of our shared culture. Here craftsperson live in mud huts reminiscent of their village homes while, scholars are provided complete studio, workshop, library, and residential facilities. The Kendra has an art gallery for exhibition of work of artists, an auditorium, and an open-air amphitheatre.

Other important art galleries in New Delhi include AIFACS Gallery, Art Heritage, Art Today, Azad Bhawan Gallery, Center for Contemporary Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Dhoomimal Art Center, National Gallery of Modern Art, Triveni Kala Sangam, Wadhera Art Gallery, Sahitya Kala Parishad, and many more.

Craft

A city that boasts of a minimum of seven incarnations will have more to talk about than just old monuments in different stages of ruination. Not surprisingly, Delhi has a rich legacy of crafts patronized by the emperors of yore.

Shahjahanabad, Old Delhi as it is called today, is the richest of the legacies. Not only because it is the closest to us chronologically, but also because the Mughals were great patrons of arts and crafts. Go to Matia Mahal's Pahadi Bhojla and you will find umpteen shops of jewelers who fashion beautiful bangles and necklaces out of bone. Their predecessors were ivory craftsmen. However, with the ban on ivory, they were compelled to change their raw material and switch over to bones of buffaloes and camels instead. Creating magic with golden thread embroidery or euphoria with semi-precious stones, there are the zardozis in the neighborhood. Zardozi is the art of embroidery with gold thread. These craftsmen work intricate designs on silk, velvet, and even tissue materials. Insignias, pulpit covers, embroidery on the robes of bishops and even the Pope are all created here.

The medicinal value of silver paper (varak) is well known. Thin sheets of silver paper are still wrapped around sweets and even betel leaves. If you are looking for the authentic one, go to Matia Mahal area of New Delhi again. A few of the craftsmen who beat silver into thin sheets, by hand, still live here. Once upon a time, there were so many of them that you could just follow the sound of the hammer and reach them. Today you have to do a little asking around to reach some small workshops.

The famed meenakari work, where paint is embossed on silver or gold to give it the look of a precious stone, was once a thriving business of Shahjahanabad. Turbulence of Delhi, ever since Nadir Shah and later the colonial rule, pushed the artisans away to peaceful climes. This group moved partly to Rajasthan, while those who make bangles from lac moved to Hyderabad in the Deccan.

Lacquer work bangles are one of the old art forms still living in Shahjahanabad. Bright shades of yellow, red, and blue are perked up with tiny pieces of mirrors and gold-colored borders with beads to add that extra touch.

Common to many parts of Delhi are the potters. Not only do they fashion pots for the hot summer, which, in spite of refrigerators, are still greatly in demand, they also fashion beautiful clay and papier-mâché dolls. These clay dolls, some as toys and some as decorations and some even as clay idols during festivities have a diminishing demand from the rural-urban migrate.

Then there are more to culture of New Delhi. Making of incense sticks, of attars (perfumes), brass molding, and so on. Shahjahan's gift to the country did not stop with Taj Mahal….

Dance

If it's dance and music you are interested in, then you can choose which kind you prefer watching and concentrate your energies in that direction. If it's the classical dance form you want to view, go to the Kamani Auditorium or Siri Fort of New Delhi. Triveni Kala Sangam has an auditorium too. Then there's India International Center on Lodhi Road that offers very good programs. In the cooler months, many dance and music festivals are organized and every corner of New Delhi is alive with various interpretations of movement and sound. However, if it's optimistic gyration that you prefer, then put on your dancing shoes and be prepared to rock the night at one of New Delhi's many exclusive dance clubs. These clubs are located within New Delhi's five-star hotels such as Maurya Sheraton (Ghunghroos), Le Meridien (C.J.'s), The Hilton (Annabelle's), Hyatt Regency (Oasis), Taj Palace (My Kind of Place), and Park Hotel (Someplace Else). Houseguests and members can enter scot-free and the rest of Delhi (couples only) has to pay for some fun. Each place is distinct from the other in its décor, music, lights, and crowd.

For those Delhiites who are willing to go beyond their limits for fun, The 32nd Milestone (32 km from Delhi on the highway to Jaipur) has the answer-Fireball. The place has a futuristic look with the décor resembling the interiors of a spaceship. The dance floor is so large that you can actually move your legs along with your body unlike in the compact discos of Delhi.

Music

Music connoisseurs have a variety of sounds to choose from in New Delhi. The auditoria where these concerts are held are the same as the dance programs. Whether Indian classical, Hindustani or Carnatic, or the lighter ghazals, there is no dearth of choice in New Delhi. When a particularly well-known singer comes to New Delhi, it is usually well covered by the press. The papers also reserve a column in their daily editions to display a list of programs for the day. These programs include not only the visual arts but also lectures on a wide variety of topics by scholars or luminaries in that particular field. To see the craftsmen of the city and the country make their wares, you must go to the crafts museum in Pragati Maidan and Dilli Haat. They try to display this form of indigenous talent and let the craftsmen benefit from their skill at the same time.

What's more, all these places have a café or canteen in the vicinity. So, if you feel like mind-satisfied-is-not-stomach satisfied it can be set right. Overall, New Delhi offers a profusion of cultural activities from light entertainment to scholarly programs