Where noisy car horns meet a colourful experience
By Angela Komodromou,
Editor Financial Mirror
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Are a few hours enough to acquaint yourself with the bewildering life of the Indian capital? My experience proved not, but I was saved by the entirely good and express guided tour I purchased.
I found myself in New Delhi on a short-stay, work assignment, with a somewhat busy schedule. But while searching the Internet for information prior to my travel, I came upon www.getyourguide.com.
Without giving it much thought, I booked a private express tour that would take me along the streets of Old and New Delhi, a package some 8 hours long that zipped through the unbelievable traffic, seeing as I did not have the time to enjoy the city at my own pace.
Arriving after a night-flight from Larnaca via Abu Dhabi, it was already 5am. Exiting the airport on the way to the hotel, what impresses you first is that New Delhi never sleeps and for as long as you are there, the humidity accompanies you like a permanent veil.
But what touches your heart is the frendliness of the people and their well spoken English. After a 2-3 hour rest, I found that my guide was punctual, waiting for me in the hotel lobby. At exactly 9am Humanshu welcomed me politely but pushed me on, saying, “we must start immediately. Although it’s a Sunday morning, the traffic in New Delhi has no sense of day or time.”
At the bat of an eyelid, we got into the air-conditioned car (of crucial importance) with my personal guide and driver, who whizzed through the streets of New Delhi, as if in a high-speed car chase.
RUSHING FOR THAT POLE POSITION
Manoeuvering our way through invisible lanes and past tuk-tuks, pedestrians, motorbikes, buses and the occasional sacred cow, I had embarked on the experience of a lifetime. And just to let you know, drivers rarely take their hands off the car horn, and as if in a form of vengeance, manically leap ahead fighting for that pole position at the traffic lights. Incidentally, unlike other “civilised” European cultures, Indian drivers rarely shout, swear or get furious, they just race ahead without giving way to anyone or anything. Their motto is, after all, “Blow Horn!”
What you realise immediately when you get into contact with New Delhi is that thanks to the high rate of often suffocating climate (humidity, heat, monsoon showers from July to September) the city has rich vegetation, like a jungle, with the sporadic monkey seen here and there.
But in the capital of the world’s second most populated nation, you should also be prepared to face the extreme images of life, where the homeless living on the streets come into contrast with the cosmopolitan society of the city.
But despite this antithesis, it has an amazing charm and history, whereas if you stick to just the initial images you will never absorb the true meaning of the Indian way of life and philosophy. It is a world with a “charm offensive”.
So, without realising that time sped by, in an hour we were at one of the biggest Moslem shrines in India, the Jama Masjid. Located in the old city, and as with all shrines, it is a place of prayer, meeting, resting, playing or even the necessary siesta. After a quick tour, we moved on to the Red Fort, which until 1857 had been the imperial residence.
On our way again and we head to the old market of Chandni Chowk. What an experience, but where do I begin to describe the place – simply using a rap of words: locals, rickshaws, tourists, food, flies, monkeys, goats, mopeds, bicycles, goods, spices, cables, all intertwined into images and smells. I find myself surrounded by colours that pierce into your heart and make you feel like an actor in a Bollywood movie, but with little time to embellish it all and snap the necessary photograph. But the people are willing to pose with you, even though they want nothing in return, as they are content with their lives.
SELFIE WITH SARI-CLAD WOMEN
After a quick fly-past in front of the presidential residence at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the parliament building and the Raj Ghat, a monument dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, we reached the Gate of India. With the eternal flame as its centrepiece, the vast symmetrical avenues that lead into it look more like the Arc de Triomphe inParis, had it not been for the multicoloured crowd of women and children with their dazzling saris, henna tattoos along their hands and arms and glittering jewellery down to their feet. They are all too pleased to take that selfie with you and once again, without asking for anything in return. Around us are stalls and sellers of anything you can imagine, with smells and flavours that seem magical, to be seen and enjoyed but not tried, as we are not all accustomed to eating there.
Next stop, the Humayun Tomb, the architectural prototype of the world renowned Taj Mahal. This is the mausoleum of the emperor Humayun, built in the indo-persian style and with the characteristic double-dome, just as the Taj Mahal. And if you’re interested, the Taj Mahal is in the city of Agra, some three hours’ drive away. I was content with the race of the Humayun and look forward to my next visit to venture further inland.
The last place on the itinerary was the Qutub Minar, located in an outdoor paradise, away from the bustling city centre, huddled within thick trees and shrubs, where squirrels and green parrots stand guard at the remnants of a Hindu temple, now within the impressive Qutub Minar tower that stands 72.5 metres tall. Fate often allows the preceding cultures to give way to new conquerors who often destroy what may remind them of those who preceded. That is why the masterful tower is built using material from previous shrines and temples. The Hindu columns that survive have been defaced but on can still see traces of the carved and elaborate images, that have either been eroded or been subject to the Islamic culture whereby any rendition of the human form is considered as unholy.
Ending this tour reminded me of the saying “the hungry bear cannot dance” and the sightseeing of New Delhi was about to be replaced with a gastronomic tour of the magic of India.
Returning to the ΙΤC Maurya hotel, it was time for what was probably the most amazing meal of my life at oen of the best-known restaurants of New Delhi, the Βukhara – naan bread, Tandoori chicken, a mix of masala spices and to top it all off an ice cold King Fisher beer to help put out the fire of the spicy dishes. In a final sensation, the spices will burn you up, but it is a true joy.
New Delhi is best visited from September to November and February to March, when it is neither cold, nor hot, no humidity and no rains. Truly, incredible India, amazing New Delhi.
India recovers faster than in 2012
India’s economy expanded at its fasted pace in more than two years in the April-June quarter. Investment activity has gathered pace and the action taken by the new government suggests that growth may be turning around. India’s GDP grew at 5.7% in the first quarter of 2014-15. This was the fastest pace since the fourth quarter of FY2012. The Finance Ministry expects the pace of growth to hasten even further. Investments seem to have rebounded with gross fixed capital formation registering 7% growth in the first quarter, against a 2.8% contraction in the same quarter last year.
