A column on Delhi's hidden parks and a fun thing to do around them.

We were looking to escape the chaos of August Kranti and make the most of the windy weather, which is how we discovered the generous patches of green sandwiched between Panchsheel Club and the Siri Fort Wall. Here, three parks lie parallel to each other separated only by two narrow lanes, the first leading into Panchsheel and the second into Shahpur Jat.

Three’s Company

A lovely running track goes all around the perimeter of the first park – vast and green and very well-tended. Benches placed at regular intervals make this a perfect spot to grab a quiet lunch – we’re already planning our next meal until we notice the sign outside banning pets, cigarettes, cycles, food and drink. Oh, well.

We suggest you skip the other large park, sporting too few trees and too many people and try instead the smaller one sandwiched in the middle,  filled with groves of trees, flowering shrubs and creeping vines on brick walls. A perfect patch!

Getting there: DDA Park, Panchsheel to Khelgaon, August Kranti Marg, near Siri Fort, entry free.

Odds And (Happy) Ends

If you walk towards the small market besides the parks, you’ll stumble upon Naya Bazaar – a tiny store that sells tired old Raj Kapoor posters and brass figurines, but also some cute bric-a-brac: look for wall masks made from clay and wood, a little yellow auto-rickshaw and a hammered copper ice bucket. Bottoms up!

Getting there: Naya Bazaar, Shop No 3, Shopping Complex, N-Block, Panchsheel Park, call 26497229. Hammered Champagne Bucket priced at Rs 900.

Have a favourite park? Drop us a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and if we love it, we'll put it in a week's column.