Multifaceted Delhi - The
Intellectual Side

chillibreeze writer — Kaustubh Das

Need an editable PowerPoint map of India

While most major cities like London, New York or even Mumbai are often associated with an intellectual energy, rarely is the cultural scene of Delhi highlighted. While the heritage of the city is widely acknowledged, image of Delhi is one that of a hedonistic philistine. However, Delhi actually harbors some of the best intellectual scenes in the country, which the popular media often tend to overlook. Therefore, press coverage on Delhi which typically features its crime and consumerism, projects a rather incomplete and skewed picture.

Unknown to most, Delhi has a thriving cultural/intellectual milieu and boasts of institutions which are sanctuaries of intellectual pursuits. Created as forums for exchange of thoughts for scholars from varied backgrounds; the Institutes are truly unparalleled in their league and integral to the intellectual soul of the city.

1. India International Center
   Modeled on the lines of Tokyo’s International House of Japan, it aims to promote greater understanding between different cultures by way of cultural exchanges, research and other intellectual activities like seminars talks etc. With state of the art infrastructure like libraries the IIC play a major role in promoting disseminating and even sponsoring various esoteric work—be art exhibitions social work, sociological studies.
   
   
2. India Habitat Centre
   A later entrant in the 1990s Habitat Centre’s forte lies in providing a common platform for addressing issues of habitat and environment. By bringing together different professionals and institutions of similar disciplines, it facilitates collaboration and exchange of ideas for research and projects on habitation and other environmental issues. Delhi, one of the oldest capital cities in the world, offers unique options for lovers of heritage walks. Capitalizing on this potential, India Habitat Centre arranges for unique walks around the city for those who want explore beyond the obvious tourist trails.
   
   
3. Lalit Kala Academy
   Promoting study, research in the arts like painting graphics etc for more than fifty years it is one of the harbingers in the league. The recently refurbished Gallery offers state of the art exhibition space and hosts unique exhibitions often sponsored by Diplomatic Missions as part of cultural exchange activities. The academy also offers unique programs to promote younger budding artist by way of scholarships and even International cultural exchanges.
   
   
4. Jawaharlal Nehru University
   Located in a picturesque setting near the Delhi ridge, it is no doubt a recluse for scholars. Particularly famous for its programs in social sciences; its graduates have made their mark in their respective disciplines the world over. Attracting eminent scholars from all over the world; the institute is not only a hub of scholarly activity, but the presence of researchers from different countries give it a unique multicultural vibrancy.
   
   
5. Center for Developing Society
   Another major entrant in the scene is that of CSDS—Center for Developing Society. Started in 2001 it has had a sharp rise and draws some of the best intellectuals from all over the world. CSDS boasts of hosting conferences and other events attracting internationally reputed scholars from top notch institutes like Oxford and Harvard.
   
   
6. Patronage of diplomatic missions—adding multicultural flavor
   Being the capital, Delhi is home to all the diplomatic missions in India. Under the banner of cultural exchange--- festivals hosted by various Diplomatic missions abound throughout the year. The ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations headquartered in Delhi plays a major role in these promotional activities. For those with a special interest in the performing arts, programs like classical music concerts, folk music concerts are routinely held at the ICCR Auditorium. Unique exhibitions like those celebrating Design excellence held in 1995 by the Embassy of Finland are a regular part of the annual cultural calendar of the city. While some of these are traveling exhibitions and held across the country, in many cases due to constraints of time and budget, they are organized in Delhi alone.
   
   
7. Unique Museums and Art Galleries - off beat sources of scholarly information
   Like all major cities Delhi is home to museums and art galleries. The popular ones apart, Delhi offers some unique museums based on offbeat themes. Although less publicized they offer a treasure trove of information esp. to historians and other social scientists.
   
   
8. Crafts Museum
   The Crafts Museum Delhi is a unique destination, celebrating the diversity of India through its craft heritage. It showcases not only the finished product but in many cases even the process. A major draw for Designers and anyone with a keen interest about the decorative arts of India; the museum has an exclusive store selling products which make unique gifts.
   
   
9. National Philatelic Museum
   Boasting of a rare collection of stamps and First Day Covers; the stamp museum offers a unique glimpse into India’s philatelic history. For historians this often offers invaluable insights to many popular events in Indian history esp. during the 20th Century.
   
   
10. Museum of Modern Art
    INDIA Modern may be touted by popular media lately --but throughout the 20th century India has boasted of many famous artists. The museum of Modern Art showcases the original work of many famous names like Amrita Sher Gill, Jogen Choudhury. Ravi Verma Anjolie Ela Menon to name a few. One of the best places for art historians/enthusiasts to seek out more about contemporary Indian Art.
    
    
11. Sangeet Natak Academy
    A permanent exhibition on the performing arts of India –it offers a unique insight into India’s performing Arts traditions. From stage settings to musical instruments it serves as a unique destination to anyone interested in the performing arts –from a causal enthusiast to a serious scholar.

With a cornucopia of offerings to satisfy various tastes including the esoteric, Delhi is truly a city with multiple identities. While popular notions of the city paint a rather disparaging picture of greed and materialism, Delhi justifiably deserves more merit for its intellectual tastes. Never Judge a book by its cover—the saying is indeed appropriate for Delhi. If one tries to understand the city with an open mind, one discovers that beyond the seeming mayhem of materialism, there’s a city with a unique spirit. A city with a soul a heart that is not merely of lust and greed, but one endowed with piercing intellect and humanism.

 

 

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in August, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

 

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—About our writer: Kaustubh Das is an architect based in Kolkata. He is well traveled and enjoys visiting and writing about offbeat destinations and is adept at writing about places not visited in person. Having worked in academics as well as reputed corporate firms, he is a firm believer in the purity of English language.

 

 

 

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