Delhi’s hustle and bustle is heaven for some and hell for others. With hordes of human traffic and touts everywhere, arriving in Delhi can be a huge culture shock because of the noise, dirt and cramped spaces, but look closer and you will find so much to do and take in. Gay culture in Delhi is not prominent, but if you look closely you might find a little.
Culture
There is much to see in Delhi, from the old town, the ancient capital of the Muslim rulers, to the new town, built by British colonial forces. Visitors would do well to take in the Red Fort, now ruined, which was once a great monument to the Mughals and was built by Emperor Shah Jahan. The Qutb Minar, a complex of buildings built in 1193 by the Islamic rulers, contains India’s oldest mosque. There are museums, such as the National Rail Museum, and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Planetarium, which are worth a look. Indian food lovers are in the best possible place, with a wide variety of dishes from all over the subcontinent available across the city, as well as word-class global cuisine.
Gay culture, due to the conservative nature of many residents, is not prominent, but is slowly becoming more visible. Delhi held its first gay pride only recently. Whilst there are no exclusively gay bars, clubs or saunas in Delhi, there is a well-known gay night called “Pegs and Pints” in Chandkyapuri on Tuesdays, where gays and lesbians are welcomed. Aside from this, gay events crop up under the radar, organised hastily online and held by sympathetic club owners. These events include discos, get-togethers and film showings, but they change locations regularly. To find out where these are happening during your stay in Delhi, it is advisable to do some research on the numerous gay chat rooms that are developing online. As ever, caution and discretion is advised in a conservative place like Delhi.
Equality
Male homosexuality was decriminalised in 2008 after a lengthily legal battle between the government and the high court, but stigmas remain around gay sex. Lesbianism is rarely mentioned, but caution is advised for lesbians too when travelling in India.
Travel Information
Delhi is a major international centre and getting there is relatively easy. There are two domestic terminals and one international terminal to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The two domestic terminals are about 15km from Connaught Place, and the international is around 8km away from them. There are regular shuttle buses between the terminals. From within India, you can also reach Delhi by train from Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Udaipur. If you are making a train booking within Delhi, do so at the International Tourist Bureau. Whilst there, you may be approached by touts telling you that the office has moved elsewhere; this is a scheme run to force gullible travellers to buy tickets from middlemen, so it is best to ignore them and go on up to the first floor of the main building. Otherwise, there are bus services to Delhi’s Inter State Bus Terminal from Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur.
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