Metro Secrets

How do you tell people how to spend a day in any one of the five largest cities of India without stating the obvious and sounding like a broken record? For a start, BT More sent its team of reporters to the five corners of the country to talk to experts as well as travel the length and breadth of the cities and beyond, to find out things that a visitor to these cities may not really know about. For instance, where can you find the most authentic Chinese breakfast in Kolkata? Or, where should you head for a short trip if you just have four hours in hand in Bangalore. Or, for that matter, where can you catch a glimpse of rare birds and animals (in their natural habitat) in the heart of Delhi or how to reach that small bookstore where you are sure to get that rare book you have been looking for, when you are next in Mumbai or Chennai?

The cover story divides each city into six sections—Eat (eateries to suit different budgets and occasions), Step Out (short trips you can take if you have half a day in hand), Check Out (landmarks your tour guide won’t mention), Walk (a walk in the city, which you must go on), Surf (where to find the best books in the city) and Shop (a place for a great shopping experience). We hope you will discover little secrets about these cities, which have been well guarded from the “outsider” till now. In some stories, you may find novelty, the scent of newness or suggested trips that will tickle your wild side.

Of course, if you are a resident of any of these metros, some of the places mentioned in your city may not entirely surprise you, especially if you have taken the pain to know every nook and corner of your native place. But trust us, we will still manage to make you smile with some ‘Metro Secrets’ that have been a little too well kept till now.

Read on to find out more about India’s ‘Metro Secrets’.

Reportage: K.R. Balasubramanyam and Rahul Sachitanand in Bangalore, Nitya Varadarajan in Chennai, Bibek Bhattacharya, Anumeha Chaturvedi and Tejaswi Rathore in Delhi, Ritwik Mukherjee in Kolkata, Deepti Khanna Bose, T.V. Mahalingam and Anusha Subramanian in Mumbai. The Delhi Walk: Sourish Bhattacharyya, Executive Editor, Mail Today