For
all the art buffs and culture vultures, Mandi
house is the place to be. From the best chaat
in town to the magic of musicals to the plays in
the basement theatre of the Shri Ram Centre.
Mandi House has a plethora of events coming up every
now and then. Then there are auditoriums, art
galleries, libraries, museums, and exhibition halls.
There is much for this generation for like-minded
interests to hang around.
On Barakhamba Road is situated Sapru
House, which is famous for its political events.
With its lush green lawns Sapru House has an exhaustive
library and Press Institute of India. The
Press Institute of India offers courses in computer
specifically designed for print journalists. Media
buffs can be seen browsing through books and periodicals
in the library here.
Just adjacent to Sapru House is National Museum
of Natural history, which is the wonderland
in itself. Century old fossils and relics can be
found here. This place is a must visit for school
students, teachers, professors, tourists and research
scholars.
Adjoining
it is the FICCI auditorium. On Tansen
Marg, Triveni Kala Sangam is the place to head.
The courses offered at Triveni are sculpture,
photography, chau dance, bonsai etc. The
Shridharni and Triveni art galleries
are famous for its art exhibitions.
Nook- the bookshop at Triveni has a wide
variety of books, CDs and hand made stuff. Triveni
Kala Sangam has picturesque gardens and an open-air
auditorium. The Triveni Tea terrace has delicacies
lined up, be it the tikkis and chutney, omellete
bread, rajma chawal etc. Artists like M.F. Hussain,
Naresh Kapuria and Satish Gujral frequent
Triveni Kala Sangam.
Shri Ram Centre at Mandi House offers courses
in acting and dancing. The basement theatre is popular
with many plays happening now and then. You can
never get bored here. The Shri Ram centre bookshop
has a wide collection of Hindi literature.
For
food, the place to be is the Shri Ram Centre canteen.
The thali is affordable and tasty. If you
wish to watch the best plays in the capital, catch
them in Kamini. With names like Vivek
Mansukhani, Ashley Lobo, Barry John and Delhi
Music Theatre putting up their annual productions
here. The LTG auditorium also puts up plays
and exhibitions once in a
while.
At Bhagwan Das Road is the National School
of Drama. NSD is the alma mater of actors like
Manoj Bajpai and Naseerudin Shah,
to name a few. You can spot all our Bollywood
wannabes here as well.
The Kathak Kendra neighbouring NSD has Birju
Maharaj as their Guru, teaching them the finer
nuances of this dance form. The Lalit Kala Akademi
or Rabindra Bhawan as it is called is a storehouse
of Literature and art.
For
the women and college gals, the exhibitions at the
Agha Khan hall are a must visit be it shoes,
clothes, bags or artifacts. Agha Khan Hall
at Bhagwan Das road is well known for its unique
exhibitions with exotic stuff on display. But if
you are looking for bargains and deals Himachal
Bhawan is the place to head. There is always
a discount sale going on at the venue.
The Japanese and Russian cultural centre
at Mandi House offers courses in languages
and ballet. Offices of Doordarshan, Prasar Bharti
and Federation of Indian chambers of Commerce and
Industry are housed here.
Last but not the least is the Bengali Market,
popular for one of the best chaats in town,
and the famous rivalry between Bengali and Nathu
sweets. You can get anything from the mouth-watering
gol gappas, pav- bhaji, and chola bhatura
and of course pastries, burgers, cakes etc.
The flavours of India are found here. It is also
the haunt of photography students, who flock here
for getting their rolls developed by the ever-popular
Rama Colour lab.
As Kamal Sharma a student pursuing his web
designing puts it, "Bengali market near
Mandi House has a mix of the elite and hip. Nathu's
and Bengali sweet shop have their own charm.”
Culturally and commercially Mandi House is one
of the most viable place in Delhi. Mandi House is
a small world in its own right, with hangers on
celebrities, art buffs, executives, students, and
theatre and film wannabes rubbing shoulders with
each other.
The place is centrally located and commuting is
easy. The arty types, couples and the hip and happening
crowd, frequent this place. It has something for
all from a student, a housewife to a corporate CEO
and the intellectuals.
- Pics and text by Jyoti Narang
5:02:20 AM 
