You may have often heard this statement from Delhiites: "Jo ek baar Dilli mai agaya vo uske pyaar mai zarur pad he jata hai." And why not? The city rich for the political, cultural, historical, and social significance, has always given thousands of reasons to make someone fall deep in love with its aura. Practically, if you want to draft a best statement describing the city, then simply go with what the locals suggest, 'You can love Delhi, You can hate delhi, But you can definitely not ignore Delhi'.
However, a recent comment from an X user, Yukti, sparked a never-ending debate about the activities the city offers. Yukti claimed that Delhi is boring as it does not provide much to do for leisure. This has ignited a fierce discussion on social media, with residents and enthusiasts of the city jumping in to defend or critique its offerings.
"Delhi is so boring. (Most Indian cities maybe?) There's no actual water bodies, no trails, no hikes, no nice safe walks, no scenic places to stroll along. Eating is all you can do. That is literally the only activity in Delhi. If you disagree, change my mind," Yukti said.
While some users agreed with Yukti's opinion, the majority disagreed and suggested places one can explore during their stay in Delhi.
"Come on, you can’t be serious! Delhi has endless places for such activities, but obviously, if you stay at home, you won't know. Examples: Ridge area near North Campus, Delhi Haat, Sunder Nursery, Lodhi Garden, Hauz Khas Fort, Nehru Park, etc. Be aware of your own city, please," a user stated.
Another user responded to Yukti's post with a list of tourist spots in the heart of the city. "Kartavya Path, Ashoka Road, Shanti Path are great places to stroll. There are hikes around the beautiful DDA Park in Lado Sarai. Hauz Khas has a water body, and there are some bird sanctuaries next to the river in East Delhi. Lodhi Garden, Sunder Nursery."
Highlighting the historical architecture in the city from the Mughal era to the British period, another user mentioned, "You can't go to Shimla and look for a beach. Delhi is known for its history and architecture. Come here to take a walk through what makes us US. Mughal marvels to freedom struggle chronicles, you will see our evolution as a country here."
Meanwhile, supporters of Yukti said, "Exactly. There are some trails, but they are occupied by undesirable elements and are not safe. There actually are beautiful monuments that could be developed as heritage sites, but it is too hot during the day and closed at night. Delhi at night is beautiful to walk, but then you can't do anything because everything is closed."
"My feelings exactly. Nor can you drive out in a couple of hours and visit some scenic spots either, because the border areas of Delhi are even more unsafe or lack the necessary infrastructure to support tourism. I will say though that there are a few exceptions: public gardens like Lodhi Garden or Nehru Park, or Badkhal Lake and Surajkund on the outskirts, but they are few and far between. We've also been promised 'European style' roads for a while now, but it's slow progress," another user commented.
