A Conglomerate of Feelings...

“Call me a lover for I have left my heart in Delhi!”

December 20, 2003 was when I first stepped in this city. In the early hours of the day, I with my brother and my parents arrived at the Delhi Railway Station; a journey of about six hours from Lucknow! We were there for a family function; maybe my cousin’s marriage, I barely remember. The feeling that I had when I set foot in the city was, “Accha, toh ye hai Delhi?” (oh! So, this is Delhi?)

It was a completely different feeling altogether, one you cannot describe in words and since we had read about it in books as the capital city of India and had learned a lot about it in schools or maybe on news channel, it became all the more special! There was a thirst in me, to discover this city. To find that one factor which had, throughout these years, knit the city and its people as one!

Was it the weather, people, or just the way how busy life was in the daylight and became calm and soothing at night? I didn’t know then. But I was about to find out!

Like every other tourist, I too made my own bucket list. “Things to do in Delhi- Before the journey ends.” I had all the monuments, temples, markets to be visited as well as the dishes that I had planned to try out. Our guide, Mr Suraj had it all planned for us! “3 days, Visit every Place!” With an Innova car with us, we started with our expedition towards the famous monuments in the city, aiming to cover the Qutub Minar, India Gate, The Red Fort, and the Lotus Temple. Lotus temple being my personal favorite! Such a serene environment! What a place! Famished from all the travelling, we decided to stop at Chandani Chowk to try some good Delhi cuisine. We visited the famous Al-Jawahar food joint to try the people’s favorite, Mutton Barrah! It’s Mutton Nahari , served with tandoori roti was a delight! As for the sweet dish, we tried the Rabri Faluda from Gaini’s.

The best thing about Delhi, is its night life. Even though several hearts beat underneath the best of clothes, still the place feels as quite and as serene as the mountains.

Day two of the journey and we’re still as energetic and fresh as Jackey, the pug that lives at my Uncle’s place! Today we have planned to visit the temples around us. The most famous being, the Akshardham Temple. We started from my Uncle’s place at about 11:30 in the morning and by 1 o’clock we were at the temple. A grand temple dedicated to Swaminarayan Akshardham. The temple boasts of it’s amazing architecture with great use of marbles and stones! After appreciating the beauty of the temple for about 2 hours, we left for another great temple; The Hanuman Mandir in Jhandewalan. The shrine is marked by a 108ft statue of Lord Hanuman with its entrance door carved in the shape of the mouth of the deity. Having visited the two temples, we headed towards Connaught Place to try some good restaurants and to enjoy the night.

Day three and the last day of the journey! We HAD to visit the markets now! A girl’s best destination, the Sarojini Nagar market, and the Lajpat Nagar market were the famous ones in this city! We headed towards Sarojini Nagar first and it was crowded as anything! You know they say; a shop’s success is known by the number of shoppers that visit it! Similarly, Sarojini Nagar was no less than a very successful market! Lots of shops and lots of shoppers; Lots of goods and lots of colors! If you’d leave me for a day or two in this place, I’d explore each and every shop that’s in there and might as well be successful in striking some good deals!

Lajpat Nagar was no less. All kinds of items ranging from home-care to fashion, to electronics and accessories, everything was available at one place! Plus, the street food was like a cherry on the cake! (Like, Literally!)

Pacing towards the end of our journey, I had built a lot of memories with the place! The language, the food, the culture, everything attracted me and made me feel as their own! A place where there’s a lot of diversity; where people from all circles of life travel through the same metro, eating the same cuisine, and sharing the love with one another, this place had given me a lot to cherish in such a less time!

Just like the smell of a book when you first start reading it, the feeling you get when you set your foot in an unknown place, gives you a motivation to explore, to imagine and to fall in love with the wonderful creation of God! I shall head back to Delhi sometime in future, with a mindset that there are places left to be discovered and I, as a traveler have the task to unfold the hidden mysteries in this city!