Just Tripping!: Time to Spring

Last dance with Mary Jane (Spring)
One more time to kill the pain (Pain and Pollution)
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm (not creepin' but blastin' in)
Tired of this town again

Yes, these few days of Spring is all that you like of your once beloved city. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could well have been singing about the Last Dance with the Spring before the city becomes unlivable for the rest of the year. Over the last few years, this city is quickly turning to No City For Old Men. This could have been the reason that you have been out of the city for most of last year and hope this continues this year too. Well, no use lamenting for the things lost. Let’s celebrate what we still have. And Delhi still has its Spring, albeit very brief.

You are not sure what most government departments do in Delhi, but for these few days, the horticulture department does put up this incredible show of colours. To be fair, the horticulture people are up against all odds: sudden heat days in the middle of Jan and Feb; the always sensible crowds crouching on flower beds for selfies and the gentle throngs of picnickers treating the parks and green lawns as belonging to their favourite neighbours and relatives. But despite all this, the parks, the roads and the roundabouts in New Delhi continue to delight and spread love. While built up areas continue to grow even as the stretch from Vijay Chowk to India Gate (you avoid going there now) has turned into one giant concrete block and the skyline above the city has more cranes and high rises than trees, Delhi, unbelievably has got some new parks too. Another park - third one - has taken shape on the Yamuna floodplains.

This Spring you got a chance to be out most weekends and sometimes weekdays to enjoy the floral offerings. Here is a glimpse:

While the flowers of Central Delhi take all the attention, Indian Habitat Centre and India International Centre does an excellent job all year round and both the loved places will always have some lovely curated seasonal flowers. Here the earliest flowers of the season make an appearance in January and February in IHC.

January 2025

The earliest flowers in Indian Habitat Centre

Almost clear skies over Barapullah

February 2025

As month changes IHC turns more colourful. IHC and IIC have a special set of gardeners who make it possible all year around.

IHC turning Spring Colourful

Indian Habitat Centre - all flowery all year round

Noida Vasant Utsav - Flower Show February 2025

The Noida horticulture department and the assorted flower clubs and nurseries do a great job in creating this flower wonderland in the grounds adjoining Noida Haat.

Noida Haat - some displays were lovely and innovative

Noida Haat is a welcome addition to the Spring Season

Alyssum

Okhla Bird Sanctuary

After hearing of all the construction taking place here and birds refusing to show up in the winter months, you have not visited OBS for many years now. But then, you need to go check out the damage inflicted by the so-called conservators of our wildlife and forests. They themselves are the biggest danger to our forests and wetlands since there is no end to greed. But then what is the use of a government job or being an elected representative if you cannot hoard for the next seven generations and some more.

To your surprise the sanctuary looked quite unmolested though there were hardly any birds or maybe you did not look long enough. The skyline of Noida is rapidly changing and it is only a matter of time before this small patch of wetland is wedged between high-rise concrete. Well you can’t have your seventh generation blaming you for having to earn for a livelihood.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary - first there was Yamuna, then came the barrage, then the power lines and traffic, then the stone and concrete skyline

Okhla Bird Sanctuary - not sure how long it will survive

World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan

Yes, times are changing. Pragati Maidan is now known as Bharat Mandapam. You need to go see it when it hosts the annual World Book Fair. Yes the entire grounds have gotten a major makeover. The old pyramidal galleries are gone and in their place are these mammoth airconditioned blocks that go endlessly. But then this is the era of air-conditioned world where everything from schools to neighbourhood supermarkets are air-conditioned.

Bharat Mandapam - Story of Delhi over centuries - Rulers erasing the past and so it will continue

Pragati Maidan - World Book Fair 2025

Pragati Maidan is centered around Bharat Mandapam which is a huge saucer like conference hall hovering over and out of bounds of less entitled. You are not sure if you like it or not. Nostalgia hangs heavy and it is not easy to embrace the new at your age. You are again not sure if it will age nicely. This was built at break-neck speed for the G20 Summit. You are still not sure if spending all that money in the runup and all this is worth it. There are too many meaningless summits happening around the world all year round. Anyway, there is already digging happening around. Despite us constructing the largest and most magnificent forts, palaces, and temples, we in modern times cannot build public places and buildings that will last even a couple of years.

Wall Art of Bharat Mandapam

You are not sure if you like what they have done here. Nostalgia is unreasonable and you wish they had let one of the old halls survive.

But what you do like is this art over these sections of walls raised in the open space to create space and to break monotony. Along with the paintings there are names of the artists and a QR code to learn more about the painting school and style.

One thing is for sure. We cannot create public spaces and with people like our civic and social sense we cannot maintain them. The work is definitely shoddy trying to beat the G20 deadline. Stone tiles are already coming off, corners have chipped away and you just can't understand why polished granite is used for flooring in public spaces. You have never seen this stupidity anywhere else in the world. And then our ability to wreck and litter our public spaces is unmatchable.

Of course, the name Pragati Maidan has been totally scrubbed off. You wonder why?

Pragati Maidan, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

After all the years living next door to the Jahanpanah Park, you are finally discovering it. The park still has the original cover with native trees. It should be a delight when the palash blooms.

Jahanpanah City Forest - Alaknanda

Spring at Home

Gazania - The Mood Lifters

The Return of the Roses 2

Last year was not one-off. The roses are blooming across the parks in Delhi

Orange Firecracker Vines glowing under perfect blue skies - BRICS Friendship Rose Garden

Tulip Day Fever

These are the few lovely days in Delhi. Niti Marg is packed with school buses and cars. Inside, Nehru Park has turned into an outdoor food court with picnickers spread out all over. The Flower Park is still out of bounds. It is good that the flowers are taking their time to bloom. It is only the beginning of February and already it feels like March end. After a surprisingly mild winter, it seems Spring too has withered in this heat.

After many years, you catch the Tulips within days of their blooming. The petals are fresh and translucent. Shanti Path has turned into a huge parking lot. Surprisingly though the selfie seekers are behaved and you largely ignore them without getting into spats. The tulips may not last for more than a week though in this almost 30 degree heat. You are just happy that you continue your annual rite and that at least this area is still largely unspoiled.

Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Even the flyovers are blossoming in Spring Colours

Lodhi Road Flyover

Lodhi Garden - the time of the day you like it here best

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The Giant is Down

End of an Era - Lodhi Garden will not be the same again

The old eucalyptus was as old as the tombs it towered over. You always remembered the tree standing here, proud and emphatic. You are trying hard to recall if you ever saw it in leaf. Even though life had ebbed out of it, the tree stood resolutely reaching out to the changing skies of this polluted and beautiful city. It was the favourite perch of the eagles and the starlings as they discussed the maneuvers of the evening murmuration performance that will begin soon over the gardens you love so much.

And when the sun went down, the bare limbs of the tree would throw spooky shadows over the Sheesh Gumbad and the grounds. The best moments were at these twilight hours as the picnickers and joggers emptied out leaving you two old dogs and the tombs and this still quietness of another day ending.

Either you are getting too old or Delhi doesn't feel the same.

And now this. You will be missed.

Time to move to Laos.

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March 2025

Bikaner House is turning into a hub for culture and food events. The flowers are a plus.

Bikaner House - The New Culture and Food Hub

You are visiting India Gate and it does not disappoint. It is a brilliant spring day and India Gate is awashed in golden light. The biggest surprise is that the whole area is super clean. What happened to our 15000 year old culture - why are we not littering? We just cannot forget our civic sensibilities overnight! All the ice cream and food vendors and have now been clustered towards the hexagon, so by the time all the responsible citizens have dropped all the waste on the way to India Gate; India Gate itself stays clean. Oh yes, the flower beds look amazing except for the selfie takers who have jumped on to the flowers. Some good habits should be protected.

Polo Watching at Jaipur Polo Grounds

Finally, after all these years of thinking of watching a live polo match at the Jaipur Polo Grounds, the wish is fulfilled. There is no invitation needed, there is no ticket. The entire swish set that you see on Page 3 during the winter months is here dressed in their weekend polo match best. Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh is playing with his Jaipur Polo Team against Jindal Panther Polo Team and his sister Gauravi Kumari is here to cheer for the team. It is all fun here. Next time you will come suitably dressed up. And, the best thing is they are serving this lovely buffet of hors d'oeuvres (no pun intended) with some fancy cheese, crackers, dips, bread and tea. You can hardly believe your luck.

Jaipur Polo Ground - Among the Swish

After the award ceremony as you walk around you see this wonderful tree in the distance growing over a golf course hole. You have a feeling you are seeing it for the first time here in Delhi. The tree has blooming clusters of flowers light purple in colour like the talc fragrance bakan flowers. The flower clusters rise into the evening sun all glowy and luminescent. This is the Foxglove Tree (Paulownia fortunei) or Empress or Princess Tree named after Anna Pavlovna, Queen of Netherlands. It is a beautiful sight as the flower branches sway in the cool March breeze. A perfect Spring Day of watching Polo and sighting this beautiful flower tree.

Foxglove Tree or Empress Tree at the Jaipur Polo Grounds

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Rang of Colours

Finally after many years the Colour is back here at National School Drama. The hectic activities - meetings, rehearsals, performances, prop-building - the decorations; the excitement and buzz is back. The hallowed hallways that you love walking have been given a new skin and facelift. Faces on the walls, instantly recognizable over the years, tell the story of the journey undertaken by the students and teachers of this venerated institution.

The presence of Ebrahim Alkazi resonates over the grounds and across the Mandi House area. Of course, things are changing and now we have jokers as Chairmen. But then on a rangmanch, even a joker is a much needed character.

Bharat Rang Mahotsav, National School of Drama, 28th Jan to 16th Feb 2025, New Delhi

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Rang De

Visiting the National School of Drama during the Bharat Rang Mahotsav is now a tradition. The Bahawalpur House’s colonial building and the grounds are charming and in its hallways walked Ebrahim Alkazi and so many luminaries of Indian theatre and parallel cinema.

National School of Drama

The New Crop at National School of Drama - Mandi House

First Garden of the Republic

You are at the Mughal Gardens (well that’s how you have known it all your life) for the second time in a row. This time however you are here at the beginning of the season while last year it was almost closing time. The feeling of walking among these immaculate gardens of modern India’s most magnificent edifice is always overwhelming and awe-inspiring. It is early in the season and the flowers are coming into their own. But then after visiting Japan’s Zen gardens, and observing SE Asia’s aesthetic upkeep of parks and trees, you really think we are way behind but then we have our own way of doing things and it is not going to change any time soon.

Najaf Khan Tomb - 1% Tomb, 99% Trees and Flowers

Well, for whatever reasons, the tomb here is just a platform (at least the makers did not steal material from neighbouring tombs), and to make up for it, the gardens have a lovely selection of trees. There is Bakain with its talc fragrant violet flowers, lime trees with flowers that make you and the bees go woozy, the bottlebrush trees dripping red wool, and if your lucky you can spot some spotted owls on the freshly green amla trees. And then there are the vibey Banyan, Kanak Champa and Neem trees.

In spring, the gardens break into a colourful riot. Every year the gardens have different beds of flowers - all nicely tended to.

The talc scented Bakain flowers - Najaf Khan Tomb

Najaf Khan Tomb, Lodhi Road

Amla Trees at Najaf Khan Tomb

Rajghat and Shantivan grounds are always a pleasure to go tree spotting, especially in spring with a bouquet waiting for you.

Dog Day Afternoon at Shanti Van

The Perfect Frame - Shanti Van

Purple Shower or Rosewood Moulmein at Shanti Van

This has been a good year for Yellow Tabebuia

Nandi of Yamuna

Fields of Gold

Some nice things are happening on the Yamuna banks. This is the third park here after Baansera and Asita East. While Baansera doesn't seem to have a presiding deity, Asita has the beautiful Surya inspired by Konark; Vatika has this majestic Nandi probably inspired by Lepakshi sculpted in black marble from Rajasthan.

Baansera has bamboo thickets, Asita has assorted seasonal flowers and grasses, Vatika has these Fields of Gold stretching into the horizon. You have not seen anything like this before in the city parks. But then here on the river banks you have a huge canvas where you can let your imagination go wild. You just hope they keep it mostly wild and concrete & interlocking tiles to a minimum.

Yamuna Vatika Park, Rajghat Power Station, New Delhi