Within and Without

It's been pretty quiet around here, not just this space, but just life at the moment. College is swinging by, one submission after the other, and surprisingly very less of the night outs, panic attacks and last minute tensions. Who knows long these peaceful days will last, and therefore taking advantage of this spare time, here are a few photos from my trip to Delhi last year. Once during the peak hot summer, and once, just at the onset of winter.

Part 1: Summer Explorations
Humayun's Tomb
The heat blazed on, and there I was walking round and round the Humayun's Tomb in the scorching heat, sweating from all the pores possible, admiring the giant mausoleum, standing tall in front of me. This monument has always escaped the Delhi Darshan* list we prepare when relatives visited us in Delhi, thus it got spared a few less tourists but we lost (many) chances to bask in its beauty. 

Consequently, I dragged my parents and my brother out here, and explored the nooks and corners of the place, the patterned shadows it casted and the its admirers.

Lodhi Gardens
The same day, at a later time in the evening, we made our way through to the Lodhi Gardens. The hot and humid air hung heavily, and the dry grass was pricking our feet. Flowers were in full bloom everywhere, flocks of crows decorated the twilight sky and the path was crowded with joggers, and pet dogs. 

And amidst all this commotion, these magnificent tombs stood motionless, a reminder of a bygone dynasty, and a mute witness to our ever changing lives.

My favourite were the painted dustbins, found all over the park! I loved them so much, I walked all over, trying to find more of them!

Part 2: Winter Bliss

Winter betrayed Mysore, and throughout the month, we were left waiting for the cold to set in. Naturally, I was excited for some cold weather afterwards, and though this Delhi winter was a big letdown, I did enjoy the street food, thick clothes, shopping and some sightseeing. 

Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk can be defined as a mess, or to put it in a more sophisticated manner, an amalgamation. Mess because of the sense of chaos it shoves onto you from the moment you enter the market; it's like a fish flapping out of water. You feel breathless, restless and want to jump right back into the calm waters. You (almost) get hit by the oncoming rickshaws, and get bumped around by large groups of people. But soon enough, you find your way and before you know it, you are a part of the chaos and responsible for it.

Amalgamation because of the co-existence of the old and the new, the static and the dead, the different cultures, all breathing in such a small area it is no wonder, it has created a small world of it own.

I walked through its lanes, overflowing with shops selling wedding garments on one side, and small stalls on the other. A peek through the shops, and I would spot a bride, trying on her wedding lehenga, with a fair amount of shyness and glee radiating from her face.
Goods are so cheap, I had to stop myself from buying unnecessary things. We gorged on rabdi jalebi and some very yummy aloo parathas in Parathey Wali Galli, where we sat in a small, cramped restaurant, with no space even to move our arms. I was itching to bring a measuring tape and measure the small distance that was left between the two adjacent tables. It was dream for a foodie and a nightmare for an architect!

Qutub Minar
We visited Qutub Minar on a bright, sunny day, a little bit more warmer than the other days and I wore a light pink kitchen kurta**, brimming brightly against the red sandstone monument. I must have visited Qutub Minar more times that I can count, I guess it has become more of a ritual. Humayun Tomb gets a special visit from time to time while, Qutub Minar is an absolute favourite.

I studied about the minaret's architectural history previous semester, so it became like a treasure hunt. I noticed the ruined arches, the incomplete Alai Minar, the Madrasa, the Hindu motifs carved on the pillars. It was like wiping the steam off the mirror, everything became more clearer!

Living in just one corner of the city and you never realise how vast it could be. While driving down to Chandhi Chowk itself, you drive via a metamorphosis of the city. Large crowds to small, congested lanes to wide straight roads, trees to no tress, markets varying of different sizes, some housed in a large mall, some right out there on the street. Buildings, old, new, short, tall, made of glass, brick or concrete. It's all here. Not condensed in any way, but each one occupying each own special place. Everything is within and without itself.

*Delhi Darshan = Tour of Delhi
** Kitchen Kurta = click here.