A stop over in Delhi

Due to a train connection meaning a 10hour wait in Delhi I decided to give the city another go and set off to find its more tranquil side…

Leaving from Nizamuddin station to the SE of the city I hired a rick shaw to take me to the Khan Market which is mentioned in the lonely planet as being a set of boutique style shops aimed at the more affluent. This turned out to be true although it did not open for an hour… Waiting in the car park with the guards discussing life and the number of stray dogs that I had seen… but finally a coffee shop (Baristas) opened and I was able to get an Expresso fix with breakfast :)

Walking around the shops you could tell that this was clearly aimed at the more affluent with shops selling labelled clothing and ornaments for homes. But the market itself was a little more than a set of narrow streets within a block where the fronts showed off their wears and behind were allies where goods were moved in and out. The Alleys also contained small shops selling food and novelties as well as the aforementioned stray dogs one of which barked me back out of the alley into the street!

Near to Khan Market (1km) is the Gandhi Smriti, so fully loaded backpack on and hand luggage swinging in one hand and Lonely Planet set in the other I set off to brave the constant rick shaw greeting of “Where you going?…. I can take you there” and the follow up “Where are you from?…” over the week I have spent in Delhi, I know that the trick is to ignore them or to state clearly where you are going which is close by, even then be prepared for “Only take 10 mins, where you go then?” at which point just keep walking…

Gandhi Smriti turns out to be a large house and garden set back from the road with guards at the entrance. I was greeted by one of the workers who instructed me on where to go, so I followed a yellow raised line placed for the blind to find a large garden being tended and renovation work diligently going on around the sides, this I would guess is so it is ready for visiting athletes or tourists linked to the games. However, the visit was a moving experience. When you come to the lawn area there is a small area to leave your shoes (in my case shoes and backpack) and then an Astroturf pathway (Which is hot under foot) guiding you around the lawn to a small pagoda, it has 4 delicate columns and a stone lantern set into the roof. Sitting below is a rock with Hindi text elegantly written onto it. This is the spot where Mahatma Gandhi died. I had to take a moment to contemplate what we all have and what so many haven’t… Arranged around the lawn are a number of famous quotes from Gandhi as well as a potted history of the struggle for independence in India. While inside the house there is a multimedia presentation on the life and work of Gandhi and the whole site takes about 1hour to visit and is well worth the time.

A final visit in Delhi was to the Lodi gardens, a quiet haven in the midst of madness - It is a large area of open woodland and well tended flowerbeds and lawns with temple like structures rising from the tree line every few hundred metres. It is quiet with just a few people sitting on benches or walking hand in hand with birdsong all around (boards have been set up within the park to help you identify these winged singers). I met a German tourist who was also on an extended world trip and had a few moments to discuss plans, it would seem that we all have the same experience of Delhi before settling in to a new way of life and culture…

Delhi has changed almost beyond recognition in just the week I have been away, the frenetic work has really paid off with pavements almost fully paved in coloured blocks, the curbs have all been hand painted in black and yellow stripes, the roadsides have all been plants with trees, shrubs and grass (each plant placed there by hand… And I literally mean every blade of grass!!), roads now have the markings put into place for pedestrian crossings (although they run up to curbs full of plants which you then have to trample over to get to the pavement!), traffic is now controlled by traffic lights, which work!! Much to the chagrin of the tuk tuks who are used to ignoring such whimsical things…

Delhi is starting to take shape as a modern city capable of running the Commonwealth games and I hope that the whole event goes well - but if you scratch the surface the old Delhi lies dormant ready I feel to take the upper hand once more when the games end.

By the end of the day I needed a meal before heading for the train so decided to go to the Lodi Garden Restaurant - Food was fantastic in air conditioned luxury surrounded by birdsong and greenery - but the simple meal I ordered cost £20... Just be aware that there is tax on food here which is not included on the list price!! While leaving i bumped into the Australian family that I had shared a cookery lesson with in Udaipur - it’s a small world :)

Finally from Delhi - I met a fantastically pleasant ex colonel in the waiting room for the train who struck up a conversation and demonstrated a real passion for India and what it had to offer the visitor - I now have an itinerary for my next visit including some sites I would not have considered. It just goes to demonstrate how warm and welcoming the Indian people can be and this continues to give me great hope for the countries future.