via youtube.com
Dilli Kids at Night
Tag Archives: delhi
Begumpur Masdjid
Delhi Air Quality is.. well.. bad..
via pals.in
Delhi air quality index as of 9th of November, 229.3 = Emergency zone and greater than combined index of several other metros. Oh my, our poor poor lungs.
Get the full juciyness here: http://www.pals.in/#aqi
20 Barakhamba road
Nestled amongst the high-rises of Barakhamba road, themselves soon to be relics, lies a fragment of what New Delhi was created for.
Once a stately bungalow, at what must have been a very posh address, just behind, what was then the new commercial center, Connaught Place (now Rajiv Chowk), this building, in complete disrepair, seem to have at least managed to retain a prolific mali with the potted plants fitted with little signs stating the type of growth they hold.
A great pleasure it is that Delhi offers – the ambling about the circles emanating from CP down towards the south looking at the bungalows now housing the powerful (and no doubt often corrupt) Indian political elite. The difference between the various parts such as New, South, East, West and Old Delhi is so clear that when you’re in an auto you need no map to know when you’ve passed from one area to the other.
At first I was somewhat apprehensive of the green wide streets of Lutyens Delhi, feeling that it made the city feel so un-urban with the bungalows which – unalike traditional Indian dwellings (so tell me the excellent Lucy Peck book on Delhi) – “faces” outwards requiring large gardens to create a green buffer between the outwards focal point of the building and the street. And even though I have yet to cosy up to one of those IAS fellows living inside, I can still enjoy the views of the gardens and verandas as I stroll between CP and Central Secretariat, the apprehension gone after having spent almost a year living in the dense crowded colonies of South Delhi, about which another blog post might be dedicated.
All in all, this is one area I have learnt to appreciate, and as in many places in India it holds neat little surprises. Like 20 Barakhamba road.
A love-letter to the Delhi metro
It might sound silly, but… I love the Delhi metro.
Not only does it help you avoid the fun, but exhausting, exercise of dealing with rickshaw-wallahs, but it also provides with entertaining and sometimes spiritual moments (plus: on the more mundane side of things, it's usually on time, goes to lots of places and is really quite cheap!).
When entering the metro you are first greeted with a number of useful hints and suggestions like:
- "Do not befriend unknown people" (sad, but hey, the metro's always right, right?)
- "Any suit case, toy, thermos or transistor left unattended can be a bomb" (so please remember do not leave your transistor lying about)
- "Do not bring any unauthorized explosives or fire arms" (in case you're carried some authorized TNT you're fine…)
After having taken those to heart you might have already reached the center of the city. Here you'll find an intense experience of human contact, in the form of a crush and push to get on and off at the popular central stations of Rajiv Chowk, C Secretariat and New Delhi. Don't be afraid to push a little bit extra, even if it's completely useless and won't get you ahead in any way at all.
All in all, the metro is great. I love it!
PS. I am a bit afraid that one day I'll bump into the women who has recorded the English speaking voice for the metro. Her "Get down here for XXX" is truly frightening. If anyone is planning on making an audio book of Roald Dahl's "Witches", she'd be your perfect candidate.
PPS. The queue in the first picture is from the top of the stair case. The queue goes on for a good 50 m after the corner in the bottom of the stairs.
A breath of fresh air in Delhi
When Delhi feels a bit choking or when you just need a green break the Lodi park seems to like the perfect place to escape to. It's a big green park, which hosts the tombs of the old Sayyad and Lodi rulers of Delhi. It's got some great spots to just sit and soak in the greenery. At least on the day I was there you could even find a tranquil spot for yourself as well. The tombs date back to around the 15th century and sport some beautiful Arabic inscriptions in addition to their imposing architecture.
The world is addicted… are you?
Don't know if this ad makes me more or less inclined to buy a coffee at the Coffe Bean & Tea Leaf…
Impressions of Delhi
Officially I am based in Delhi. Until now though, I haven't spent a huge amount of time there. Even if I don't yet have a flat in the city, and so far haven't met more than a few people there, I'm getting into the process of making it feel like home. During the last week, I manage to spend a couple of days and evenings exploring some parts of the city.
My first impression is that Delhi is (and seems to have been for a while) in transformation. Many of the most visible things (but maybe not the more subtle) are due to the commonwealth games, which began last Sunday.
When I arrived in Delhi, it was pretty much a mess. The central square (Connaught Place – the white buildings in the pictures) was basically a huge construction site, dust and, muddy. Now you're met by a completely different sight. Even though there are many last minute fixes here and there still to be done, a large part of the main work seems to have been completed and the center is now a radically different experience with newly paved roads & freshly painted buildings.
It is indeed a huge city, but New Delhi in the south, feels quite manageable. There are separate districts & colonies and using the metro lines for orientation you can quite easily grasp the layout and structure. The fact that there has been a big city here a long time back means that there are loads of sights to see and many, many places to get lost walking in.
Over the next few months I hope to take the time in between my field visits & other travels to explore much more of this place that, officially at least, is now my home!
