11 Completely Offbeat & Breathtaking Photowalks To Take Your DSLR On In Delhi

Whether you want to shoot landscapes or pictures depicting urban life or the remaining vestiges of the past, Delhi has enough on offer for everyone. Old Delhi has always been a popular hunting ground for photographers along with the Red Fort, but here’s a list of a few cool and offbeat locations where you can stage your very own photoshoots whether you want to flaunt your new clothes, your new look, your old friends or your new boy *wink wink*. Read on and dust out your seldom-used DSLR! 

1. Mehrauli

Picture Credits: pratibha176

Mehrauli was the earliest settlement in Delhi. The narrow lanes here are not much different from Old Delhi’s, and they are even richer in terms of historical treasures that have now been enveloped by residential settlements. Add a good dose of Sufism through Bakhtiyar Kaki and Ashiq Allah Dargah and you’re good to go!

2. Bhagirath Palace

Picture Credits: when.in.world

The Bhagirath Palace's Lights Market is a good place to test your low-light photography skills! It’s basically a narrow lane near Chandni Chowk where you can click amazing shots. Go there in the evening and you'll find lines of shops with chandeliers and other colourful light goods to capture and perhaps get a nice lamp for your room while you’re at it?!

Where | Bhagirath Palace - Chhippy Wada, Old Delhi

3. Siri And Jahanpanah

Take a walk through the now-premium residential localities of Hauz Khas, Green Park and Malviya Nagar. Hidden amidst the posh apartment complexes and markets are multitudes of monuments or their ruins. The present is seamlessly juxtaposed here with the vestiges of the past cities of Siri and Jahanpanah and that’s  worth capturing, we say!

4.  Majnu Ka Tilla

Picture Credits: backpackingwithmylens

The locality of Majnu Ka Tilla in North Delhi is quite well known nowadays owing to a cluster of nice restaurants where you can find quality Tibetan and Nepalese cuisine. But the main Tibetan monastery is located a bit southwards from there, near the Kashmiri Gate Metro Station and it is truly a colourful sight to behold, so defo make plans to head on over, camera in tow!

5. Feroz Shah Kotla

Picture Credits: swatiyadav_

This place is gorgeous because it's lined with flowering trees, especially if you head out during the right season. It boasts of interesting architecture that is different from the typical monuments on display in Delhi. A pyramid-like structure, a step well, an open mosque and the Ashokan Pillar can offer you different scopes to experiment with your lenses, so make a beeline straight here for some creative shots!

Where | Feroz Shah Kotla - Balmiki Basti, Vikram Nagar

6. Kamla Nehru Ridge

Picture Credits: tiwariprabhatofficial

This one lies just adjacent to the Delhi University and the lush forest area especially comes alive in the spring with colourful blossoms, thus making it a good place to shoot away amidst a natural backdrop. Also, some historical relics like the Flagstaff Tower and Khooni Jheel are scattered inside the area, so do keep a beady eye (lens?) out for these!

Where | Kamla Nehru Ridge - Civil Lines

7. Razia Sultan’s Tomb

Picture Credits: Aashwini Raj

An interesting activity in Old Delhi is tracking down the grave of Razia Sultan. It’s located in such a remote and congested area that it's easy to lose track of your destination. Consider it a treasure hunt + personal challenge and also, go shoot the teeming localities of Pahari Bhojla and Bulbuli-khana in the process, and we promise you won’t be disappointed!

Where | Razia Sultan’s Tomb - Turkman Gate, Chandni Chowk

8. Paharganj

Paharganj is congested, busy and swarming with foreign nationals. You can use the markets at Paharganj to shoot interesting portraits displaying a contrast among different cultures, which is always a fun thing to do. Plus, the streetside food stalls at Paharganj are brimming with yummy eats, so it's a win-win kinda situation in our book!

9. Central Ridge

Picture Credits: rajesh kazhipurath

Get inside the jungle on the other side of Chanakyapuri, walk around and try to locate the Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti and the allegedly-haunted Malcha Mahal for some divine pics. You’ll also get the opportunity to shoot the many monkeys who’ve made their home there, but be careful or they'll snatch your camera away!

10. Chirag Delhi

Picture Credits: SAJID SAGIR

Chirag Delhi is the area that grew around the dargah with the same name. It’s another good option to explore Sufism in its element. Legend has it that a saint once used water to light a lamp, thus lending his name to this place. The entire area has that magical and lost old-world charm worthy of your frames!

11. Lodhi Art District

Lodhi Art District is no less than a wonderland for the art lovers of the city. With beautiful, funky and thought-provoking murals adorning the seemingly humble buildings of this quiet South Delhi locality, each work of art will make you wanna whip your camera out and capture everything there is and put it on the ‘gram! Don’t believe us? Hop over and see for yourselves!

So what are you waiting for, head out with your cameras and let the charming streets of Delhi be the perfect background for that long-due photo shoot!