I've shopped in a lot of places but India has to take the cake for overall craziness. I was stoked to head to the markets when we got to India. I'd been dreaming of lavish textiles, jewelry, and knick knacks for the house long before the trip started. Sadly, after my first foray into the markets in Jaipur, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to bring myself to go back to the markets again. I'm used to being hassled to come into shops and bargaining for things without fixed items. But being grabbed by the arm and pulled into stores was new to me, as was being followed around the market by a swarm of venders who didn't stop peddling their items to you no matter how many times you stated you weren't interested. Being a bit shy and hating to tell people "no" combined to make it a rather miserable experience. I didn't shop again in Jaipur and wasn't convinced I'd tackle it in Delhi either. However, while reading the descriptions for metro stations I stumbled upon a market called Dilli Haat, which was a very short walk from the I.N.A. station. Started by the Ministry of Tourism, Dilli Haat's 62 stalls covers six acres and sells everything from furniture to rugs to jewelry to clothes. And with a strict no hassling policy and small entry fee of 20 rupees, Dilli Haat was blessedly calm and uncrowded and bargaining was still allowed. There were a number of delicious restaurants inside the premises and a bathroom (which I can't comment on as I refrained from using it since you had to pay). If you find yourself in Delhi and are wondering where to go shopping, I would definitely recommend Dilli Haat. Signage from the I.N.A. station to Dilli Haat is confusing, so if you want to avoid wandering through a neighborhood like we did, take a right as soon as you reach the station platform and in a few blocks you'll see the market.
Dilli Haat - photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons via Didi