5 offbeat things to do in Delhi for an incredible experience

India's capital city, New Delhi is grand, beautiful and vibrant. It is the soul of India, and each corner of Delhi is bursting with colour and culture. Every street and locality is known for something special, something exquisite.

Replete with historical monuments, mosques and forts, Delhi has all the advantages of a big city as well. It is a mixing pot of different traditions and influences. One more thing Delhi is well-known for is the food. The best fine dining restaurants in Delhi cannot boast of what Chandni Chowk has to offer, with its eclectic range of street food and old food hubs.

A tourist's delight, there are many unusual things one can do in Delhi, which are different from attractions in other big cities. Some of them are:

Delhi is full of interesting houses made in the olden days. Areas like Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk are crowded, but some of the most interesting places out there. Located just off Kinari Bazaar, you can find a serene lane, away from all the chaos. This street is home to nine colourfully painted Jain mansions built in the eighteenth century. This street hosts a meticulously carved white marble Jain temple and the interiors of the temple has some beautiful murals and paintings. Once here, you can witness beauty in the most subtle ways.

Hazrat Nizammudin Dargah, the resting place of the Sufi sant, Nizamuddin Auliya, attracts Sufi devotees from across the world. Not just devotees, music lovers and tourists also flock in huge numbers on Thursday evenings when the courtyard of this Dargah is filled with the soulful melodious sounds of live qawwalis. These renditions are coupled with Indian instrumental music and the experience is beyond magical. Nizamuddin Dargah is situated in the Nizamuddin West neighbourhood, around Humayun's Tomb. It is a good idea to reach there before sunset so that you have time to walk in the various alleyways and make it despite heavy crowd. It is advisable to dress in conservative Indian attire and cover your heads to be respectful of the dress code of the Dargah.

To experience the political fervour of Delhi at its best, you must witness the Changing of Guard ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Started in 2007, it is not very known but is extremely jovial to watch. It takes places on the forecourt of the Presidential residence every Saturday morning. Around 200 guests can attend this equestrian display where the president's bodyguard arrives on horseback. As Rashtrapati Bhavan is usually out of reach for the general public, this is a good opportunity to explore and appreciate the architecture of this wondrous monument. This display begins at 8 a.m. from mid-March to mid-August and at 9 a.m. from mid-August to mid- November, and the best part is that it is free for everyone.

There is something very exuberant and fun about street art, and it is not only a display of art but also angst, excitement, aspirations and ambitions. It comes straight from the heart, without the refinement and polishing of society. Maybe this is why it speaks to the heart. Delhi has India's first public open-air art gallery in the form of Lodhi Art District. It is located between Khanna Market and Meharchand Market in Delhi's posh Lodhi colony.

Gone are the days of Connaught place, which is still the landmark of the capital and houses some of the best five-star hotel deals in Delhi, and it is time to usher in the era of new and exciting hipster hangouts in the form of places like the Champa Gali. This street is an up-and-coming bohemian hub of cafes, design studios, and boutiques. Yes, the dilliwallahs have found a new alternative for the now-mainstream Hauz Khas. Located in Saidulajab, it is in an urban village very close to Saket. A former agricultural field and cow shed, it is now a happening joint where creative community is always experimenting with impromptu jam sessions and pop-up bazaars.