Delhi - Old and New

 

 

Saturday, November 14th.

 

Delhi - Old and New

 

 

Delhi is a massive city comprised of actually 8 cities created over centuries by different dynasties, and as each grew it became another part of the one city of Delhi.

The newest is New Delhi formed under British rule in 1911.

 

There are 18 million people in Delhi and 1.2 Billion in all of India. Every year India grows by another 24 Million people, which is roughly the size of Australia. This growth is entirely from new births.  65% of the people in India live in the rural areas where there is no family planning (and in many cases no electricity and no entertainment!) But also because most are Muslems in the rural areas and they believe that children are gifts from God and have very large families.

 

There is a story about one village that had an unextraordinary large amount of children. This was noticed by a visiting official. When he asked at the school why this was so, the teacher - who was the only educated person in the town - said wait until after one night and you will know why.  He went to sleep only to be startled away at 3 am by a thundering locomotive that roared through the town waking everyone. Since there was no electricity and no TV there was only one thing to do when they couldn't get back to sleep!  Probably an urban myth but funny...

 

Anyway. Today I wake up after having a pretty good night's sleep. The smog is lifting and the sun. is trying to break through, as much as s it ever does. It has been particularly bad here of late because the 11th was the feast of Diwali, or Festival of the Lights which is a massive celebration including everyone lighting fireworks everywhere till the air is thick with smoke which lasts for days.

 

We begin our day with pour first travel writing class and set off to The Lodi Gardens, a large park in New Delhi. It is from the 15th century and is spread over 90 acres. It includes the Tomb of Mohammed Shah and the Tomb of Sikander Lodi, Bar Gumbad (Big Dome) and Sisha Gumbad (Glass Dome) which are part of a mosque.

Sikander Lodi's Tomb.



Bars Grumbad or Big Dome.



Part of the Three-domed Mosque.

 

 New Delhi is a modern city with wide multi-lane streets and thoroughfares and a tremendous amount of traffic, everyone blaring their horns constantly for no real reason. It certainly doesn't move traffic any faster. The average speed that people can actual move here is 10 mph and pretty much every car has some dents on the sides. There are lanes but, as our guide said, they are ceremonial lanes only, no one pays them any heed,. They just push in anywhere they can.

As you cross into old Delhi you enter the old city and the change is noticeable and immediate. The streets are very narrow, built for carts and occupied by everything from buses and cars to rickshaws, tuktuks and bicycles.

We continue into the Old Town where millions of people crowd the narrow lanes. Men carry goods on their heads and bicycles because the lanes are so narrow and congested it is the only way to get through.


We begin at the Red Fort, abandon our bus and begin to make our way, as the locals would, through the crowded lanes toward the oldest mosque in Delhi. We must make our way through the crowded Chandi Chowk Market. We are like a bunch of Kindergarten kids holding on to each other and forming a single file line as we push our way forward. Only difference is we are trying to take pictures at the same time. Our guide is clear, if we lose sight of each other we will be lost and there will be no way to find each other.




The Red Fort of Old Delhi, so named because it is made from red sandstone.

Making our way through the crowded lanes of Old Delhi.

 

Men move freight on their heads or bicycles, the only way to get through the congestion.

 

 

Finally we make it, miraculously, to the mosque, Jamal Masque, all together and intact.

There is no real danger other than getting lost or possibly pick-pocketed. In fact, we are a novelty, a curiosity, and the children follow us wanting to touch us and talk to us. The locals smile shyly at us. There is no violence and lots of security everywhere we go.

 

We must remove our shoes and socks and go barefoot and we must be covered from shoulders to ankles. We are given an ugly robe something like a hospital gown to put over our clothes. This makes us an even bigger target for every schoolchild in the area. They all approach us, wanting to touch us and have a picture taken with us. We are told that we must just ignore them or we will be inundated and not be able to move.

 

Worshippers must cleanse themselves before entering the mosque to pray. 

 

Rickshaw in Old Delhi.

We return to our bus and back to New Delhi. It has been crazy! And a rush and an experience.

We now make our way to Bangle Sahib, a marble Sikh Temple. Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. Hindus form 75% of the population, Sikhs only about 2%. Sikhism sought to simplify some of the many Hindu rituals and they each were given 5 K's or strict rules or things they must have at all times.:

1. KESHA or long hair. They never cut their hair (hence the turban).
2. KANGHA - A comb, which they tuck inside their turban.
3. KARA- A steel Bracelet they always wear.
4. KACHHA- A pair of shorts or long white undergarment.
5. KIRPAN- small ceremonial dagger they wear under their shirt.






WE arrive at this modern day temple. It is beautiful and ornate. But first we must cover our head and remove our shoes.


We wash our feet and make our way into the temple.

 

 

The sun sets and the night becomes dark with only the sliver of a new moon overhead.

 THe Sikhs are a very hard working people and a very giving people. All people of any denomination or religion are welcome anytime.

THe temple includes a massive kitchen and eating hall. Everyday they prepare food for 20,000 people. Anyone from any walk of life can eat with no cost. All run but volunteers, not organized. No one is told what to do. Anyone can just step in and help. And it runs very smoothly nd efficiently.

People of every age, gender and walk of life eat together in large dining areas. They will feed thousands of people every day of the year.

Volunteers prepare full hot meals. This is not a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, anyone is welcome anytime and can eat as much as they want. And they can accept no payment. It is pure giving without expecting anything in return.


It is late when return to our hotel, exhausted. It has been a very good day. I learned so much about this culture and its ways and history. The colors of the fabric, so to speak.

Come With Me as we continue the journey.......

Incredible India.

November 13, 2015

Incredible India!

• I saw that today on a city bus and decided it was pretty accurate.

 

 



At YVR waiting to begin my journey.

KLM Airlines from Vancouver to Amsterdam, then on to New Delhi.

I arrived here sometime in the middle of the night last night after 16 hours flying and a 13 1/2 hour time change.      



In Amsterdam airport just long enough to admire the tulips everywhere.

Ambassador Hotel in New Delhi.

 
 
 

The room was quiet, just the gentle humming of the ceiling fan. Faint rays of sun tried to peak through the thick silk of the draperies. It was a good sleep, albeit very brief. Then I remembered, I am in India!  It was dark when I got in last night, or more correctly early this morning so I didn't have a chance to see anything.  Pulling back the drapes I see there is a glass door onto some type of little balcony. I see that it just opens onto a central courtyard centred around a type of round tower, all part of the hotel and not that inviting. The small amount of the sky I can see is a hazy of smog and the smell of smog and smoke lingers in the air.

 

Today is a free day before we start our workshop and tour tomorrow so I set out the explore the surrounding area.

 

 

 Just a short walk away is the Khan Market,  mix between a strip mall and market stalls. Little shops selling everything from pashminas and saris to fruits, vegetables and children's toys... Even India Barbie!

What strikes me is the beautiful fabrics, brilliant colored silks and cottons. The women all wear traditional saris and tunics with flowing scarves. However, most of the men just wear jeans and shirts. The only turbans are on the older men. I am told that most of the younger ones no longer wear them, except for the Sikhs.

Renting a taxi for the afternoon for the grand sum of 77 Rupees (about $20) I decide to go to the Central Market, a larger market where the locals shop, mostly for fabrics. It is in the older downtown area, about a 20 minute taxi ride in relentless traffic. Cabs, trucks, motorcycles, tuktuks, rickshaws and bicycles are all competing for lanes on a two lane thoroughfare, the incessant blaring of horns until my ears were ringing.

It seems funny to see families riding on a motorbike, the dad driving with a helmet on, the mom sitting side saddle with her silk sari billowing behind her a one or two little children tucked in between them, only the dad with a helmet. Can you imagine that in Canada!













At the Central market there are street after street of stalls offering brightly colored fabrics and clothing. It is all locals, I seem to be the only white person around.

 

 The saris are so bright and colorful and beautiful. I am so tempted to buy one. It must feel amazing to wear one. But I resist, so far!


From there we continue on. I want to see the Lotus Temple which is an amazing piece of architecture, constructed in the shape of a lotus flower. My driver braves the traffic once again and we wind in and out amid the never ending chaos and din.

The streets are dirty and dusty. The smog hangs in the air. I can feel it in my throat and nostrils. There is a lot of garbage everywhere, but so far no cows in the street!

The Bahaii Lotus Temple.

Nearby is the Indian National Arts Factory and Market. Here hundreds of workers make beautiful pashmina and silk scarves, wall hangings, bedding, table runners and clothing. As well as the ornate jewellery that is as big a part of their dress as the sari itself. Semi precious and precious stones, silver, gold. Here the fabrics are fine and soft, natural wools, pashmina, silks, not the cheaper synthetics and blends of the mass market. But also much more expensive.

Just a little taste of India so far and I have come away with some impressions, perhaps not valid or lasting, but first impressions nonetheless:

- There are a lot of people here. I am told there are as many people in the Delhi area as all of Canada.

- I am quite surprised at the widespread use of English, not only being spoken but also most of the signs are in English. It seems more Anglicized than Surrey or Richmond these days.

- It is dirty and dusty and smoggy and garbage along the roadsides and streets everywhere.

- There certainly are not the rules and regulations we have in North America. Families on motorcycles with no helmets or protection for the kids. Kids sitting on the parents knee on the front seat of cars just like we used to do decades ago.

- The noise level of the traffic makes your ears ring and head hurt after a while. But that's because there are just so many people and so many cars all trying to get wherever they are going on congested motorways. Traffic moves quite quickly and I have yet to see an accident.

- The people are friendly and happy. Most speak at least a degree of English and are not hesitant to communicate with you in English. That makes it much easier to get around.

- It is interesting, fascinating, stimulating all your senses at once. The sight of the brilliant colors not the way the people dress. The touch of the silks and soft cottons. The noise of the honking horns in traffic. The smell of the smog in the air and spicy smells wafting from the restaurants and kitchens. And the taste of the distinctly Indian spices and foods. (Yes, I had Tandoori chicken for dinner along with coconut chutney and cucumber yogurt to cool the heat of the spice!)


I can't wait to dig a little deeper into this fascinating culture, to learn more about and experience the traditions and culture at a deeper level. 

Come With Me.....


-