My earlier
post on Delhi covered one of the most famous bazars in the city, the one around Jama Masjid. That day I got a complete different and more accurate view of the Indian capital. But for a city this big (11mln people), much more was yet to be seen.
So, one fine day, I found myself on a very early Sunday morning (around 6:30 AM) in an area in Delhi named after
Nizamuddin, one of the most famous
Sufi saints buried here in Delhi in a large tomb. The micro-area itself, where we met up with other Dutch expats living in Delhi, was one of small houses, dirty muddy roads, cows, open sewer systems and, to counter all that I guess, flower stalls.
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| Amidst Delhi traffic |
We set off around this part riding our orange bicycles. The company
DelhiByCycle has been set-up by a former Dutch journalist who has been living here for 6 years. The tour was really amazing. We drove around the smallest possible alleys, of sometimes just 50cm width. The houses were crammed together in a chaotic way and we could see the daily life of the people around us in its purest form. A mother washing her kids hair, 8 young men brushing their teeth on a balcony while waving at us. Small barbershops, kids playing and the usual dirt & cows roaming around.
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| Area where we cycled |
Unfortunately, I have no pics of these really small alleys and the people living within, since it was going up and down and there were bicycles coming from behind as well. But if there is one thing I would recommend doing in Delhi, it is actually take one of these tours. It is a great way to explore a part of Delhi, you'd otherwise not see.
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| Cycling through clothes lines |
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| Small alleys |
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| A goat |
We finished the tour with a picnic in Lodi Gardens (on which more below)
after which we cycled back and everyone went their own way. We decided
to go to the
Delhi Red Fort (we had seen
one in Agra before also).
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| Red Fort |
It turned out to be just on the other side of the Jama Masjid mosque, where we had been the day before. The Fort was imposing, with its big red-stoned walls. Inside, we could relax from the hustle & bustle of the bazar close by and the tour we had that morning. Many nice buildings were scattered on the grounds within the Fort, and lots of benches and grass to sit on. That's what we did. It did not take long before a some 4 young kids came and sit next to us. At first slowly and a bit shy they started to say hello and then laugh. But before we knew, we were surrounded by at least 30 Indian people from all different ages taking pictures of us (for a video scroll down below). And then, some foreign tourists started taking pictures, perhaps they thought we were famous?
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| Little kids (look at the one in te red shirt posing) |
It was a bit hard to get rid of them all in the end, because now the friend of the friend of the cousin of the uncle of the grandfather of the neighbour also wanted to be on the picture. But we managed to get out, take a riksja and leave for
Lodi Gardens once more.
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| Lodi Gardens |
And Lodi Gardens is a real paradise within Delhi. This park is located in a richer area, hence less people, and it has some beautiful tombs from the 15th and 16th centuries lying within. It is the ideal place to relax after a busy Delhi day. Not in the least because it has a great garden restaurant next to it.
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| Lodi Gardens |
All in all, Delhi has lots to offer!
Funny video of the boys at Red Fort:
