Let’s Go Local

Links Delhi Can Use

Internet has already become a dependable resource to keep up with local ongoings in a busy schedule. We book movie tickets online, read online local newspapers or tabloids. Our banking transactions and bill payments are also done online. There are several other things you can do online locally.

I am looking for a rented place these days. There is Locanto, Indianroomates.in and click.in where I find most relevant advertisements. Though, once in a while you can come across a fool’s advertisement like:

I am male 35 year old, living in 2bhk apartment. Looking for a female partner to share my bed. Room rent: 5000k.

!!

Sounds like a dating advertisemnt straight from fropper.

I check all listings for foreign movies, plays, exhibitions, dance shows and recitals in Delhi City Limits magazine. (published by Outlook magazine group). If you are an art lover residing in Delhi and are not going to these events, I would say you are missing something. You can check all these events online here at Delhi Events Web site. This site is diligently and passionately maintained by its founder Rohit Malik at not-so-great-profit. How do I know? I read his interview in the newspaper; he says he wants to keep the site going for the love of it.

Here is a blog, Gurgaon Watch, that posts updates about goingons in Gurgaon. If you reside in Gurgaon and contribute to it, write to the blogger. 🙂

I wanted to enrol in Maruti Driving School at Delhi. A search told me that they had only 1 centre in entire Delhi. Google Local Search for business is another useful search engine. Just Dial local search engine also provides results at par.

With elections close by, Delhi’s electoral list is being revised. You can check your name in the online voter list, using this search engine. I could find my name there. 🙂 Did you find yours?

If you haven’t had passport, you can register your self online at Indian passport site. This facility of registering yourself online is available for several other cities. How it works? You fill up form online, and then passport department provides you an appointed time to appear with the requisite document. You do not have to wait in any long queue like I did several years ago. You can then track your application status on Indian Passport Website. For Delhi, this is the page to track your application.

We Delhiwallahs always lament that we can not flag a taxi on road. We usually depend on radio taxis that charge Rs. 15 per kilometre. Not anymore. A radio taxi entrant Quick Cabs, charges you only Rs. 7.50 per kilometre! Make most of it while it lasts (Though I hope its here to stay.) Their number is 45 333 333. Though their web site says that their call centre support will be fully functional from September 7.

I have saved the best bit for the last. We are already used to renting movies and other DVDs online. You can now also rent books online in Delhi via FriendsofBooks. The highlights of this service are that it has free doorstep delivery and pickup and no late fees. Yaye! 😀 On the downside, this library still needs to add more books to its collection. Yet to begin with its basic plan for Rs. 300 per month for two books sounds good.

Smita, how do you find their book collection? They have Chitra Divakaruni’s few books 🙂 , but not the latest and more popular ones.

If you guys have more online utilites about Delhi to add, please write in the comments. I will update this post.

Update: Like FriendsofBooks, BookmeABook is a site where you can rent a book in Delhi.