Winters are very special in delhi: this is the time when you actually wear your riches on your ill-formed body and then strut about at weddings and art exhibitions. From the now much-despised shahtoosh shawls to cheap pashminas, you know you've arrived in Delhi when the airport itself starts smelling of naphthalene balls. Just about everyone takes out their woollens and even if it is an Oswal and not a Burberry, fashion statements need to be made. You need to tell the world you own a mink even though they may confuse it with rabbit fur! But this is the charm of Delhi in winter.

There are flights that you will miss because for years we have not been able to get rid of the fog. You will go for long walks in Lodhi Gardens and suddenly see the sun setting at about 5 p.m. Parties are all about faux fire-places lit with Crompton bulbs rather than real fire but then who cares.

There is a certain magic to Delhi in winter and it really needs to be savoured. This is the only other time when we are short of power which pretty much makes it an all year round affair. Heaters are on sale furiously and you have the handcarts selling bread and hard-boiled eggs, something I have still not been able to fathom.

Gajar ka halwa suddenly replaces tiramisu and it is at these times, that the Delhiwalla bares his real persona: wedding cards become ubiquitous in most Delhi homes. It is also the time of year when people suddenly inform the world they own farmhouses. Delhi is meant to be enjoyed in the environs of all these illegal farmhouses - they have heated pools and cold hosts but this is what does the trick. It is not important who you meet or whose house you are seen at. What is critical is that during winter if you are home, then you are either India's Prime Minister or just some poor sod who hasn't been socially active. Because winter has something for everyone!

Delhi also becomes an all-day experience in winter. If it's a weekend, you will see the farmer in each of us suddenly emerge; we'll chomp on carrots and cucumber as if they were going out of style. Then, there'll be the sugarcane juicewalla who'll have set up a stall only to add to that rustic experience and all the world will wonder what on earth is really going on.

Here's a quick guide to surviving winter in Delhi. Ignore it at your own peril.

The Winter Socialite
Like birds that hibernate, there are many lovely ladies who return from their poky flats in London to mix with the natives in winter. It is their way of coming back to India to enjoy the weather; it is important you snuggle up to them if you want to be invited to some wretched evening in London the following summer. This is the pact you must observe but never fraternise with. They exude all the warmth of a bird that has no permanent home but are welcomed by Delhi society nonetheless. You can spot a winter socialite from a mile away; she'll be the only one who'll flaunt an accent and wear almost nothing and yet not shiver.

The Winter Farm Lunch
This is the time when you host Sunday lunches, only Delhi will send you an invitation for a Sunday lunch on a Saturday but that is par for the course! Lunch begins just after lunchtime and then stretches to the wee hours of the evening only because no one in Delhi ever keeps time. Thus the trick is to always have lunch before you go for lunch in Delhi. If the hosts don't delay serving the food, then be sure that the fog will hold the caterer up. This is a time when you should be casually attired unless of course you own The Oberoi, because then even a jacket is under-dressing! Just about everyone enjoys a Bloody Mary even if they think the tomato juice is a wasteful dilution of some good vodka. At lunches in Delhi you will encounter all types - women wearing dark glasses only to hide the previous night's atrocities which could stretch from too much to drink to a violent domestic tiff. You will also be exposed to the brat pack and their Kalimpong nannies. More people in Delhi are aware of Kalimpong not as a pretty hill station but instead as a provider of governesses!

The Winter Arty Evening
Now this could be a musical soirée or it could be some desperate artist trying to hawk his rubbish but these are good evenings to go to. Only because the heating is superb and you will never have to worry about what you are wearing since almost all the poor fellas who throng these places are dressed in woollen rags. But these are special evenings. Here, Delhi comes alive, as it were. You spend time appreciating all the art only because the next party won't start till midnight. So my suggestion is to drop your visiting cards at every gallery starting now and come winter, you will be THE aficionado to reckon with.

The Winter Wedding
There is now a pattern to winter weddings - they crumble by summer so the next year around, the same two blokes are getting married but to two different people. We have also had instances when separated folks have come back together only to part ways.... Winter weddings are very special. There is a lot to drink, you can wear all the designer wear you own and not feel hot besides which, thanks to the weather, there are more functions. Which means if you are looking at value for money, then weddings it is. Dress up like a peacock and you won't go wrong. There is however a faint chance of you eventually bumping into the bride and groom but it is not mandatory. Winter is when Delhi is at its eccentric best. Did I mention that Parliament is in recess during winter? That perhaps explains Delhi's mood!