getaways
Old Markets, Bold future
TEXT AND PHOTOS: RICHARD EMBLIN
As India’s capital, Delhi, is a city steeped in antiquity, yet racing into the 21st century with a new Metro and mega projects.
T
he taxi driver handed me a deepfried somosa as we harangued over rupees outside his tent. I wasn’t organizing a trip to the desert, but a 10 kilometer ride to Rajiv Chowk, a commercial hub of tailors once called during the ‘Britishers’ time as Connaught Place. The frustration that besets many tourists when on unfamiliar turf soon subsides with Rahul’s snack and I was reminded that hospitality in India starts on the street. After two days f lying halfway around the world, I found myself back in Delhi. Hemmed in by sprawling highways and the gleaming glass towers of Nehru Place, it dawned on me, like a fiery sunrise, that I had no clue where I was, nor where I was heading. I was a journeyman once again, thrust into a city of 14 million and without a travel guide. 20
april 2011
Delhi is a city of quiet districts, diplomatic compounds, sprawling suburbs and vibrant chowks. It’s a masala of modernity and markets, which at times collide when the rush hour heaves near the city gates, which separate Old Delhi from New Delhi. Once you understand that the metropolis is designed like the spokes of a rickshaw wheel and is the seat of the Indian Government and its military, you can crisscross the city on any transport of choice. Inaugurated to move millions for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the new Metro is a gleaming mass transportation system that shows how Delhi’s infrastructure rides into the 21st century. For the price of a 15 rupees one-way token (400 pesos), the clean air conditioned carriages are an example of civility: passengers form orderly lines on platforms and special seats are reserved for women. I ditch the taxi to ride India’s modern mass transit. To satisfy my craving for Indian
woodcarvings, cashmere shawls and moghul prints, I disembark at Patel Chowk station and wander down Janpath past the elegant Imperial Hotel and the old observatory Jantar Mantar. Businessmen in silk suits shuffle past me, while street vendors ply their trade, serving up cups of hot chai and selling beedis (tobacco rolled in a leaf). I settle for coffee at the Indian Coffee House on the inner circle of Connaught Place, before embarking on an afternoon of bargain hunting for bangala – the tailored round collar blazer, also known as a Nehru jacket. From the state emporiums with their fixed-price linens and quilts to the government-run Central Cottage Industries Emporium, I get a quick fix on fabrics. In Janpath’s outdoor flea market, the city bustles with tourists and hawkers, so I climb onboard a three-wheel Tuk Tuk to cross over to the other side: the 17th century Red Fort to catch the afternoon light fall-
ing across its towers. Within the walled city of Emperor Shah Jahan, I am transported by rickshaw to the India of old. On every corner there is music blaring from suspended speakers and the sight of men hauling everything from cotton bundles to spices on wooden carts. Best viewed at sunset, when a soft light glows through the arches and trees of the Red Fort’s inner gardens, I sit and observe the many couples, strolling the manicured lawns. What remains of the day are the family picnics and picture moments of smiling students in saris. There are many bazaars and markets in Old Delhi, such as Kinari Bazaar, best known for its bead shops and Phool Mandi, the old spice and flower market. Looming over the merchants and crumbling mansions of Chandi Chowk is the Jama Masjid mosque. Get there early to capture this beautiful landmark against a Delhi sky and dress appropriately as it is a working mosque for 25,000 worshippers. Browse the Muslim quarter on foot, where antiquities rub shoulders next to roasted cashew ovens and idle rickshaws. Old Delhi can assault one’s sense of space and time, but it is as safe as any other part of this fascinating city. As you cross the “threshold” (Delhi’s name in Persian), between Old and New, the city is still one of contrasts. While many travelers pass through Delhi on their way to explore India’s backwaters, the city captures so much of this country’s magnificent architecture. Stroll the Lodi Gardens or grounds near India Gate to escape the commotion of street life and appreciate the very nature of this green city. Riding the Metro back to the wellheeled hub of Nehru Place, I make a quick stop at the Lajpat Nagar market, where locals buy their fabric for clothing and home interiors at bargain prices. The humidity soon gives way to rain and I take cover with a merchant family under a plastic awning. I am drawn to the serendipity of the Delhites, shopping for saris as smiles flash around me like lightening. While there are so many historical tombs, gates and graceful homes in Delhi, the1,500-year-old Qutb Minar column is another of the city’s “legendary” attractions. If you circle it with your hands clasped behind your back a wish will be granted. I chose the chaos of Chandi Chowk over this rustless column. But I still make a wish everytime I leave Delhi: to return someday soon to this city of ancient markets and a bold future.