• About

nubiaNomad

~ happenings & reflections

nubiaNomad

Tag Archives: Delhi

Delhi in a flash

24 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by nubiaNomad in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Delhi, India

After several days in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, I headed up north to the nation’s capital en route to the Himalayan foothills. Luckily it was a Sunday and the infamous Delhi traffic was a bit more bearable. The city has been given a fresh new “wash” if any of you remember the debacle that surrounded the preparations leading up to the Commonwealth Games that took place in 2010. Streets are freshly painted; bright new road signs in 4 languages (Hindi, English,Urdu and Punjabi) adorn the streets; greenery is finely manicured and;  the infamous cycle rickshaws, which for me are synonymous with India were conspicuously absent from areas surrounding major tourist destinations. This reality of Delhi was a far cry from what I had imagined.

Trying to make most of our day in Delhi we began early by hitting up the major tourist destinations. Took sometime to soak in the tranquility of the gardens at the Bahai Lotus Temple, after which we zipped across town and walked around the infamous Red Fort. From there we visited various other parks in the city and of course I couldn’t leave without seeing the magnificent Humayun’s Tomb. After which many of the group members wanted to get some shopping done. So we headed off to discover some of Delhi’s famous street market.

After escaping the tourist hotspots and veering into some of the markets, I began to see through the veneer of New Delhi. Through the cracks one could see old Dilli, the city whose boundaries were once confined to the perimeters of the Red Fort; the Dilli that smelt of sweat, spices and sandalwood… and the occasional wafts of stagnant water. This Dilli was far more colorful, one where chaiwallas (tea boys/men) artfully balance giant thermos on one hand and many cups on the other….serving delicious chai masala (spiced tea with milk). From various food vendors around the streets, steam rose swiftly to join the smog created by autorickshaws, motorcycles and cars. navigation through the streets is a skill that must be mastered, not only must you dodge bi,tri and quadrupedal vehicles, you have to worry about the occasional cow or herd of cows. It is here that I discovered my favorite street food….vegetarian momos, which are essentially similar to chinese wontons (steamed dumplings).

After an eventful afternoon traversing through local markets, we headed to a shopping center is the district of Guragon (technically part of neibouring Haryana State). The spotless, air-conditioned complexes were akin to massive American style shopping centers. Most of the stores were American or European global brands. The appearance of most shoppers was a stark change from what I had seen earlier in the markets. The distinct kurtas and patiyallas (long cotton shirts and loose pants) were oddly missing. Most shoppers with perfectly coiffed straight hair, marched through the malls in jeans and “western” style clothing. As I eavesdropped on various conversations although the majority were Indian, English was always used as a means of communication. The sight of a ladies trying to juggle numerous shopping bags, a purse, while simultaneously talking on a cell phone or vigorously pounding away at a blackberry was common. It is here that I realized the start difference between Delhi and Dilli. I got the sense that a large swatch of the upwardly mobile population now see traditional customs as somehow backwards or constraining and the push towards “western” way of living is somehow more liberating.

All in all it was a great experience visiting the nation’s capital and home the seat of parliment of  the “world’s largest democracy.” That phrase was echoed in several conversations I had with various people throughout my stay.

Advertisement

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 519 other subscribers

Top Posts

Sudanese words of wisdom (3)
So fresh and so clean clean: Ethiopia's listros 'shoe-shine boys'

Archives

Tags

Addis Ababa Agra Al Shamalia Argentina art Atbara River Augustamuni Bale Mountains Bariloche blogging Brazil Buenos Aires Chile culture Cuzco Danang Dehradun Delhi desert Egypt Eid El Bolsòn El Dalanj El Obied El Tayeb Salih Ethiopia food Gadarif glaciers Hanoi Harar hiking Himalayas ICC India Jaunsar Kadugli Kassala khartoum Lago Puelo Lapa London Manchu Picchu media Mendoza nomads Northern State North Kordofan Nubian Peru politics recycling Rio de Janiero River Nile State Ruta 40 Sacred Valley Sayid Hassan Mosque seperation Sikot souq South America South Sudan Sudan Taj Mahal thoughts trash travel trekking tribes Uruguay Uttrakhand Vietnam water water resources work

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • nubiaNomad
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • nubiaNomad
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: