October
26
2009
By Jordan Bower
Delhi is a smelly place. This is the one section of town where the scents are fragrant.
Every morning, the city’s flower vendors congregate on the Phool Mandi Flower Market just outside of New Delhi’s heart, Connaught Place. Here, dozens of wholesalers hock their colourful wares. On a cool winter morning, when the smog has rolled over the city, the market is nearly as bright as the sunrise. A visit to the market is a fun, local experience.
The market starts at first light and is best between 6:30 and 8:30, so wake up early. If you’re craving a cheap, authentic breakfast after some time at the market, there’s a branch of Saravana Bhavan, the chain of South Indian restaurants, just around the corner. Start your day with some local flavour: try a tasty lentil pancake, called a masala dosa, stuffed with potatotes and flavoured with coconut chutney.
Jordan Bower is a slightly biased writer—he loves Delhi in spite of its less pleasant scents. Jordan visited India this past winter and spring, and you can check out his other posts here. His photography can be found at www.jordanbower.com.