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Paharganj, a microcosm of India, or is it? (SPECIAL)
By Jonathan Dyson

Peering down from the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Vivek, in the heart of Paharganj, Delhi's backpacker hangout, Berliner Franziska Traeger, 27, watches the scene below. She sees auto-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, motorbikes, the odd car, men, women, children, cows and dogs all competing for space as they jostle through the congested Main Bazaar. "That's not India," she says.

As the monsoon season draws to a close, the air cools and the peak tourist season approaches, Paharganj again becomes a temporary home for thousands of foreign travellers, and the debate continues over the nature of this most curious of tourist areas, about what it is and what it isn't. 

Franziska's thoughts, fresh from a five-week trip through Rajasthan, might seem strange to any Western traveller for whom Paharganj is his first taste of this wildly diverse country. Used to a constant ream of images on Western TV just like those found in Paharganj's bustling streets, at first glance it is just what you'd expect.

Yet you don't have to walk far into the rest of spacious New Delhi to realise that, of course, it's not all like this. In fact Paharganj is in many ways as Indian as ... well, as Indian as the burger and chips on offer at several of the restaurants here. Deliberately catering for the foreign traveller, several eateries offer all types of Western dishes, as well as Chinese, Israeli and Italian food. 

Meanwhile, countless bookshops display stacks of Lonely Planet guides, photo shops offer a wide range of services, and there are moneychangers and tourist offices wherever you look.

Yet, while the foreign traveller finds conveniences and Western food much easier to come by here compared with most of the rest of India, the high-quality textiles for which India is renowned are not easy to find. "Clothes and fabrics here are cheap, but of poor quality. You can find much better value elsewhere in India," says Barnat Takats, 22, from Budapest. 

One gift shop owner was touchingly honest about it all: "The tourists are cheated here. They buy clothes that shrink after a couple of washes. You can buy a shawl here for, say, Rs 70, but find one of much higher quality elsewhere for only a slightly higher price."

Some travellers, however, feel that the area is in fact a microcosm of India partly due to the vibrant streets, and also the myriad Internet cafes, and in this sense the traveller does get an immediate impression of the extent to which India has embraced and contributed to the 21st century e-age. 

Banners drape high above the shops, urging us to "experience broadband at Smyle Inn," or to use "super fast Internet at Raveena Cyber Cafe." 

Established in 2000, Raveena was the second Internet cafe to open in Paharganj and remains one of the most successful. Located underground, it has 15 PCs, and also offers an international telephone service.

Anand Lenka, 25, who has worked at Raveena for four years, explained the secret of the cafe's success: "Above all, for tourists using the Internet, they want a fast connection, which is why we've aimed at and succeeded in being the fastest in Paharganj. Tourists from all over the world enjoy using this high-speed facility."

So, how did Paharganj become a tourist area in the first place? It actually happened by accident. In the mid-1970s, hardware businesses sprang up over much of the district, and a sudden demand emerged for cheap hotels from those making business trips. With the low-cost hotels soon came budget travellers that in turn led to a further increase in cheap hotels. Now tourists can choose from around 200 hotels and guesthouses.

Paharganj continues to evolve. In the news recently after a headless body was found in a hotel, CCTV is to be installed within weeks in the hope of solving such cases, as well as those of eve-teasing, pick-pocketing, touting and even soliciting. Most locals I spoke to were cynical about the increased attention from police. Such developments don't even seem to concern those who make a living selling hash (yet another attraction for backpackers).

And perhaps here we have the crux of this beguiling area. Whatever a foreign traveller needs, an industrious attempt is made to provide it, be it hash, a speedy Internet connection or a freshly cooked pizza. And so, despite the busy, colourful streets, and the incessant noise of auto-rickshaws, chai-wallahs and friendly locals, most foreign travellers find Paharganj a relatively unfulfilling part of India to experience. 

For, however far from home they might initially feel walking through the Main Bazaar, they soon realise that a bookshop full of old favourites, a helpful tourist office, or a familiar-looking restaurant menu, is never too far away. 

(Jonathan Dyson is a visiting British journalist. He can be reached at jpdyson@hotmail.com)

 Indo-Asian News Service