Little wonders of Delhi

Little wonders of Delhi

Delhi has many historic monuments like Lal Quila and Qutab Minar and landmarks like Lotus temples. They are popular among tourists. Very few would know the existence of Majnu ka Tilla or its history. In fact, the place has much less to offer as a tourist destination. But the place still attracts people like me because of its history.

After getting down at Secretariat metro station, I took an e-rickshaw ride through narrow lanes and by lanes to reach the mini Tibet commonly named "Majnu ka Tilla". If you just go by the name of the place, you would believe that the story of the place is someway related to Laila-Majnu story where "Majnu" sacrifices his life for the sake of his love for "Laila".

A visit to the Monestary and a short conversation with the Monk(kindly bare with the quality of the video)

Though I consider Tibetans prefer to live in their cocooned world, but yes they are truly dedicated to their religion and culture. People praying through the wheels, chanting prayers in the shrine were something impossible for me to understand but the place had a different flavour which was not letting me to leave the place.

My next stop in Delhi was at one of the most famous culinary destinations Karim, the oldest historic restaurant located near Jama Masjid, Gali Kababian. The restaurant was established in 1913.

Tiny food stalls cramped in every nook and corner, vibrant coloured clothes hanging in front of retail outlets all over, deafening cacophony of the sales boys and chock-a-block environment welcome you as you enter Sarojini Nagar. The market has more to offer to women in comparison to men, in terms of clothing, footwear, kitchen utensils, accessories and cosmetics. Located in South West Delhi, the bazaar is named after the famed freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. The market never disappoints anybody from designers to divas to professionals to the college crowd.

As I have already mentioned that it was just a day trip so now it was the time to bid adieu.......

Double Decker Zindabaad!!!!!!

It is not necessary that one can find serenity and tranquility only in the mountains, lonely beaches, or temples. Even in the chaotic and crowded narrow lanes of Benaras, cutting cow dung cakes with your new branded footwear, Ghats swarming with devotees, Pundits performing their daily rituals, you can discover your inner being and connect to the super sou. The sound of flute in the air in pre-dawn moments, though priceless. A visit to the oldest living city and a city of myth, a land of tradition and culture, home to lakhs of devotees of Lord Shiva has given me some unforgettable memories during my short visit to the city of life and death.After landing at the holy city, I headed to my destination Zostel, booked for three nights costing me about Rs 1000. The journey from airport to Zostel in a local bus and shared tuk-tuk made me wonder that I was no more the same as I was four years ago. The accent, the culture, the never ending and funny gossips were not mine now. I was not a forei...

The hills of the Himalayas in Himachal awe struck me early this year. The towering snow-gilded peaks were grandiosely beautiful, overpowering in their influence and made me surrender to their superiority. I came back as a vanquished skeleton to my mundane and drab world. But in June something different happened during my over a weeklong sojourn at Shillong. They take pride in calling Meghalaya the Scotland of the North East but my experience elevated me to something beyond symbolism. The hills were small and undulating, appeared more human and part of your life. More than enchanting, they drew me into an intimacy, which was not exactly spellbinding but rather an embrace where you feel your own being getting lifted to their abode. The troupes of clouds rolling over the low-lying, curvaceous mountain horizon spread an exhibition of romance under a transparent blue sky that can only be seen in Meghalaya. The mumming sound of the streams, crystal clean in their colour to the bottom of the...

Spiritual Pushkar and its material magic

Apart from the barren and dusty desert, amidst the hilly and mountainous region of Rajasthan, there is a hidden gem surrounded by hills and sandy plains. Often thronged by foreigners, some with colourful Bandej turban, a visit to the holy village Pushkar during the chilly winter was something unplanned and sudden. I had a plan to explore the Punjabi tadka and was set to go to Amritsar but I think that was not to be. Being only 146 km from Jaipur, it was an easy escape, and being on Sakrat, it made all the sense ultimately. At Pushkar GhatI reached Pushkar early morning and headed to the Brahma Ghat. I sat on the edge of the holy lake as I always liked to see ripples across a vast stretch of waters particularly when ducks and other winged wonders relish and revel in the undisturbed waters. I could also see some devout ladies on the ghats almost naked and taking bath in the sacred lake while others trying to recite the mantras that pundits urged t...