Tour of Delhi

So many writers have fielded their first impressions when arriving in India. Usually these are filled with a rhetoric that is more of an assault than the actuality of the physical and sensory stimuli found here. The positive aspect of this is that it begins to prepare us for the onslaught that we are inevitably heading into. As such, our experience of the atmosphere in the bustling old city of Delhi was not nearly as disruptive to our senses as advertised. Sure there were all the usual beggars, cripples, poverty, smells and sounds that we expected. But also, and more impressive, there is a kindness, incisiveness, eagerness to please, and generosity of heart. We are struck by the aromas of spices and sandalwood, by the subtlety of intricate carvings and delicate miniature paintings, history reflected in reverence to ancient Mughal emperors and to more recent saints. All religions seem to be honored as we hear the calls to prayer echoing from turrets and minarets around the city, and bells and chanting from the Hindu temples. We learn of the nobility of the Sikh people and the veneration of the Jains for all living things. I met a retired schoolteacher who told me that he had written a book in English about spirituality. When I asked him what he is doing now that he has retired he said, “Nothing really…I meditate most of the time.”
Our wonderful driver Kuldeep took us around the city. We visited the magnificent Humayun’s Tomb, and the Craft Museum. We took a bicycle rickshaw ride through Old Delhi to the immense Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. We ate at an Indian fast food restaurant which served a wonderful Maharaja Thali. At sunset we promenaded with locals around the war memorial arch at India Gate.