Plan a Picnic Day

Hi guys, hope you all are doing well. Last Saturday we had planned a day picnic for Nemit at Indraprastha Park and with this post, I want to share my experience with you all.

We are already past mid-November and finally, it seems the pollution levels are going down in Delhi. And the temperature too! Yes, the winters are almost here and we just love this time of the year. It’s not too hot neither too cold, just perfect to roam around the city without a single worry.

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Nemit loves spending time outdoors, I see an instant change in energy in him whenever he’s out in open air. With his curiosity levels rising up, I feel this is the right age to start taking him out for city tours. I want him to learn things by experience, be bold, confident and outgoing. What better way than exploring our own city? Going out, visiting new places, meeting interesting people and exploring what our city has to offer this new generation.

The stats say that Delhi is the most visited city by foreign tourists in India. Then how can we not make it a part of our explorations?

Picnic at Indraprastha Park

The Millennium Indraprastha Park is on the outer ring road near Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi. I have seen this park many times in the last 4 years since we shifted in Noida. But we never got a chance to visit as we were not very sure to take Nemit to a park before. Being parents, we had our own doubts & worries about the cleanliness and the safety of the area. Also, if you know us, we are afraid of crowded places. Frankly, all these doubts kept us away from exploring Delhi till now.

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But now Nemit is no longer a little baby and he has already traveled quite a few places with us, we feel he’s ready to explore Delhi as well.

For records, we had already taken Nemit for a picnic with friends to Children’s park, India Gate, Delhi when he was 11 months old but our experience was not that good. The second time we did a picnic was at Umiam lake, Shillong, during our Meghalaya visit this Diwali. You must have seen pictures in my Instagram stories. If not, you can watch them here.

Actually, this picnic at Umiam lake has motivated us to do it again.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Nov 10, 2018 at 12:21am PST

Picnic Day – Fun Day

We reached the park at 12 noon, around this time it was not at all crowded. I think because it was a Saturday, there were not many families in the park. But we saw school kids running around as 2 primary schools have also come for a picnic there.

When you reach the park, do slow down your vehicle as it is quite easy to miss the parking gate no. 3, which is the main parking. There was no signboard for parking and we had to take a u-turn and come back. Later, we found out there is one more parking which is a little farther from Gate no. 3, again no signboard was there.

Also, this second parking was free, no idea why. And the first parking was quite costly, charging per hour basis.

The park was quite clean and well maintained but I saw people littering trash carelessly and were not at all bothered to throw that in a nearby dustbin.

We found a nice peaceful spot for us under a tree and spread the sheets we were carrying with us. Nemit slept on the way so we made him lie down & let him sleep for some more time. Since Nemit’s grandmother (Nani) was also with us, she kept a watch on him while we did a quick check around. We saw that every cozy corner of that park area was occupied by young lovebirds. We were not bothered by them but then there were some freaks who were doing rounds and staring at each and every couple in the park.

Frankly, I get really uncomfortable if I get such odd stares. I have learned one thing from my experience, if someone stares at you, you stare back right in their eyes without blinking. This trick has always worked with me, at least they do not come back.

When Nemit woke up after 30 mins, it was time for some fun. We have carried a bat and a ball for Nemit and badminton racquet and shuttlecock for us. We all enjoyed playing and running around with Nemit. He was so happy and excited to see his parents and Nani giving complete attention to him. Just this moment assured us that we made the right decision of planning a day picnic here.

Picnic Lunch

After an hour of playing & running around who wouldn’t have felt hungry? Thankfully, we have carried homemade packed lunch with us. There is also a food court in the park, and they offer a variety of food items, snacks, and drinks at a reasonable price.

So, in case you don’t want to carry a packed lunch, you can order from there as well. But the sitting area around the food court was not very clean and I would say it’s better you bring your own food. But yes, you can buy snacks and drinks from here.

After lunch, we spent some time lazying around, watching the clouds. Nemit with his Nani fed poori to the dog who was roaming around. He curiously watched squirrels running up and down the tree. He also loved watching birds drinking water from a water puddle. It was a highly stimulating day for Nemit.

Check out the pics below –

The World Peace Pagoda

The Vishwa Shanti Stupa, also known as the World Peace Pagoda is also located inside the Indraprastha Park.

It is a beautiful monument made with white marble and has a golden pinnacle. The architecture of the stupa has been inspired by the Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh.

The aim of the Shanti Stupa is to promote peace and non-violence across the world. The entry to the stupa is free and it can be accessed from inside the park as well.

We had a pretty fun picnic day at Indraprastha park last Saturday. Do plan a picnic with your family and friends at this park and have an exciting weekend.

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Listing down some pros and cons of visiting this park-

PROS

1- The park is clean, green and well maintained.

2- There is a guard stationed near the entrance for safety purpose.

3- This park also has a food court.

4-The parking area is good.

5- The Shanti Stupa was inside the premises & there is no entry fee.

6- There is also a separate play area for kids.

7- No hawkers are allowed inside the park so no disturbance.

CONS

1- You will see many young couples in the park which some people may find awkward & may feel uncomfortable.

2- The food court area was not clean.

3- Parking is costly, Rs 40 for 1 hour and Rs 20 for every 1 hour after that.

4- The kids play area is not well maintained, some of the slides and swigs were broken.

5- There’s a free public toilet in the parking area but again it is not clean and needs maintenance.

I personally feel Indraprastha park is a good option to take your babies and toddlers for a day picnic. So, mommies and daddies from Delhi, Noida, Indirapuram & Ghaziabad, don’t think much, plan a picnic for your kids this weekend at Indraprastha park.

In case you have any doubts why to plan a picnic with kids, you should check out the below points – 

1- Give your kids another option for outdoor play apart from taking them to a nearby park to play with other kids.

2- Picnic is a great way to spend time together as a family. In our busy and stressful life, we all need a break but we can’t go on a holiday every weekend to loosen up. That’s why you should definitely try out this picnic idea.

3- Spending time together outdoors will help in making your family bond even more stronger. If you want to spend some quality time with your kids and spouse then give it a shot. You will not regret.

4- Picnic gives an opportunity to bring your kids closer to nature, let them appreciate the little wonders of nature.

5- Picnic time can be a lot of fun and also a great way to teach your kids good manners and empathy. Teach them by example.

6- If I compare the visit to a park with a visit to an indoor play area then one can clearly save a lot of money. Entry to a park is free and you can carry your own food and drinks. The only money you need to pay is the parking fees.

I will choose a picnic outdoors on a good sunny day for my child. What about you?

If you liked this post, don’t shy away from sharing it with your friends and family members. If you have any place recommendations for a day picnic, do write them down in the comments.

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