The Perfect January Day in New Delhi

The morning is just perfect – it is foggy, it is raining, it is cold; the chilly breeze smoothens the jagged lining of your inner being. This is your lucky day. A rainy morning on a weekend in January – yes perfect!

Now that's a beautiful sight

Vijay Chowk and the Majestic Panorama

You need to be in the perfect place for the perfect morning. As if on Artificial Intelligence, the car takes off for the Barapullah Flyway without any coaxing. It is still dark and the rain comes down in gentle sweeps. The wiper on the windshield dances happily unmindful of the chill. You drive in the halo like lights of Lodhi Road, go around the always delightful Lodhi Gardens, under the tall Arjun trees of Janpath; fruitbats' favourite hangout (they are still quiet at this hour), drive through Maulana Azad Road, past Udyog and Vayu Bhawans and onto your favourite place in Delhi.

Raisina Hill - The slope angle that caused so much grief to Edward Lutyens

Looking Down From Raisina Hill Towards India Gate

The Dome of Rashtrapati Bhawan becomes visible after cresting the hill

Just like valleys, mountains, beaches, dunes, sometimes even the urbanscapes provide you with that feeling of awe and serenity – places where the mind goes silent and into that meditative state. Vijay Chowk in New Delhi does that to you every time. The panoramic setting of the Raisina Hill with the two secretariats on either side of the sloping road and the dome of Rashtrapati Bhawan rising in the horizon is undoubtedly the most awe inspiring urban sight in the country. To you this is homecoming. These red sandstone buildings are your childhood backyard. Only the times have changed with lot more security personnel. But the unmistakable rush of bliss remains unchanged. 

Dahlias - Nature's Zoloft

Today is even more pleasing. Dahlias wet with dew and rain bloom in all their motley glory. Dahlias always remind you of the approaching spring. God made Dahlias to put that smiley face on those droopy shoulders. Dahlias are the happiest flowers in the flower kingdom. Dahlias are nature’s Zoloft with zero side effects. Now only if God made Dahlias for summers and rains.

 

The Norwegian Flag welcoming the Scandinavian Guest

Today, the Dahlias have company. Flags flutter overhead. Giving company to the Tricolour are Norwegian flags. The Prime Minister from the happy country is visiting. This is double dose of Zoloft. Make it triple dose. You are ODing on this place, the dahlias and the happy flag. Holding the umbrella you are smiling too. This definitely beats sleeping late.

 

There are more people here now. Nobody has come prepared for the rain like you. People wearing woollens are walking in the rain. A presumably pre-wedding shoot is taking place. The couple are striking poses. They have dared to climb the traffic police post. Whistles ring out. The cops hate seeing their only property encroached upon. The couple moves to the grass patches. Wait a minute; you can swear the girl was wearing a saree few minutes ago. She is in a skirt now. Who says the shoots are a walk on Rajpath. All these poses and costume changes are hard work and serious business.  

The Hogs hogging the Limelight  
All he wanted
Was to be free
And that's the way
It turned out to be

Vijay Chowk is like a giant theatre. Take a seat, sit back and watch. Characters appear, enact their acts and go. New scenes and new characters appear. One constant is the traffic moving at the cross-section. This time even the traffic looks different. A band of Harleys have rolled in. The deep rumble of the hogs reverberates through the hill. Hells Angels are making a pit-stop on their make-believe Route 66. The bikers put up a show for the onlookers. The Hells Angels roll out averting a showdown with the Bandidos.

The President's Bodyguard Trotting Down Raisina Hill

A new act is happening. The rain has actually intensified now. A bunch of President Body Guards are taking shelter in the traffic police kiosk. They are looking towards the hill. You have a feeling something totally cool is going to happen. Barricades are being rolled back as the PBG personnel start clearing Vijay Chowk and holding the traffic. On the horizon you can see the silhouettes of columns of horses. These are the horses belonging to the President’s Body Guard. You have literally grown up with these horses when they would twice make daily rounds of the polo grounds from Rashtrapati Bhawan on Willingdon Crescent.  

 

And the rain keeps coming. This is beautiful; this is what Delhi winters should be like. Just when you thought Delhi is turning into one season city, Delhi surprises you again.

Related Posts on this Blog

Palash Fire on Delhi’s Ridge
The Glittering Universe of Varun

Spring Song of Delhi - Part I

Spring Song of Delhi – Part II
Delhi's Star Spangled Spring

Delhi 'Holi'Day 2018

Delhi 'Holi'Day 2016

Delhi 'Holi'Day 2015
Floss Silk Flowers
Blooming Walls of Lodhi Colony

Garden on the Landfill - Indraprastha Park 

Love in the Times of Amaltas 

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A ‘Holi’Day in the Life of Delhi – Photo Essay

March 2015

Delhi is best explored in the afternoon of Holi. The weather is perfect. Roundabouts of Lutyens’ Delhi are a riot of colour. Roads are empty as people are busy getting grease out of their hair. Remaining folks are in stupor from the after effects of bhaang thandai. As evening descends Delhites wake up and make their way to Rajpath.

Well there were some Holi Revellers on the Road!

You leave Noida Gate to enter Delhi. Usually this place is screaming with vehicles. Today you stop to take photos.

Noida Gate - Entering the City of Future

Crossing the Nizamuddin Bridge, brings you to Purana Qila walls. The Qila-i-Kohna Mosque looms majestically over the Pragati Maidan Parking. 

Qila-i-Kohna Mosque built by Sher Shah Suri in Purana Qila - One of the prettiest mosques in Delhi

At the Bhairon Nath Ji Pandav Temple, where devotees offer liquor, the beggars are more than usually tipsy and happy.

As you turn right on Sher Shah Marg towards India Gate, you see some repair work has started to prop up the Lal Darwaza. ASI has finally woken up. 

Lal Darwaza or Sher Shah Gate

As you turn left on the India Gate hexagon, the Jaipur House built in 1936, now housing the National Gallery of Modern Art with Amrita Shergill’s self portraits, looks regal. You will visit it again in leisure.

National Gallery of Modern Art

The NDMC Magic on the roundabouts start playing out as you turn left into Akbar Road.

As you head towards Teen Murti, excitement grows. These are the streets you grew up on and spent your first nineteen years.

Teen Murti is where you rolled down the grass embankments feeling the cool grass on your face during summers of long ago.

Teen Murti

And went wide eyed looking up at the stars in the planetarium in Nehru Museum, formerly Viceroy's House.

Teen Murti and Nehru Museum

Rashtrapati Bhawan - View from Teen Murti

Rashtrapati Bhawan peeps at the end of wide boulevards. South Avenue is where you came to get DMS milk and later Mother Dairy vegetables.

Rashtrapati Bhawan - View from South Avenue

You find yourself near your old school in Chanakya Puri. The only piece of popular culture of your generation, the Chanakya Theatre is gone. We have fond memories of Chanakya & Nirula’s - James Bond movies after your boards and burger at Nirula's. You want to see what has replaced it. 

Apparently some multiplex / mall is taking its place. In today's world, there is no place for sentiments.

New Construction at site of Chanakya theatre

The area had two big hotels - Ashok Hotel few kms away and Akbar Hotel next to Chanakya. You have no idea what fate has befell Akbar Hotel. You can see laundry drying in the balconies!

Laundry hanging from balconies of Akbar Hotel

In an apparently vacant lot, the swish Leela Palace Hotel has come up.

Leela Palace Hotel in Chanakya Puri

Just beyond, Nehru Park stretches along the entire length of Niti Marg on one side and Vinay Marg on the other. Nehru Park has so many memories. During summer weekends you would come here for ice cream. School picnics were held here. You can still see yourself rolling down the grass mounds. Sometimes all you have are memories.

 Nehru Park in Chanakya Puri New Delhi

You are lucky or what? NDMC is holding its fourth annual flower show.

First Prize Winner – at Nehru Park New Delhi

Almost look like roses!

Flowery Zoo!

It is time to move to the embassies area of Chanakya Puri. The Diplomatic Enclave is as pristine and colourful as it was when you bicycled along these roads on your way to school.

Diplomatic Enclave in Chanakya Puri, New Delhi

A new entrant into the embassy scene – Embassy of the State of Palestine

The windows in the British School look interesting.

You see signs for Karol Bagh which lies just beyond the ridge that runs like the backbone across Delhi. What! You have not seen Buddha Jayanti Park even once!? Well its beautiful; families are out enjoying their post Holi picnic on the grounds.

Buddha Jayanti Park, New Delhi

Even the dogs are bhaanged out - at Buddha Jayanti Park

You cross Talkatora Stadium and turn into North Avenue. Rashtrapati Bhawan is again peeping from the far end. You have driven 180 degrees. It looks majestic whichever way you look at it.

Rashtrapati Bhawan - View from North Avenue

You turn left into Church Road. On the left is easily the most handsome looking church in Delhi - Cathedral Church of Redemption.

Cathedral Church of Redemption, Church Road, New Delhi

Directly opposite, in the President Estate is the Jaipur Column.

Parliament House comes into view.

On the right is Central Secretariat – a major bus stand in those days. Still remember taking bus to school and practically everywhere to Delhi from here.

Central Secretariat

Behind you on on the left is Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib

Flashing lights of a cavalcade push you away to a side road – no photos as you are not sure when the trigger might go off but you happen to see an interesting looking building.

On the Sansad Marg the familiar looking RBI building comes into view.

Reserve Bank of India Building at Sansad Marg

Dusk is setting in and you run along Rafi Marg and Raisina Road to come to Vijay Chowk. You reach in nick of time as the molten Sun drops behind the Raisina Hill. It is a an awe-inspiring view and never fails to amaze you - the best view in the world.

Down the Rajpath, India Gate beckons.

And then the event you were waiting for, finally happens. The brilliant moon appears in the skies. It seems to be suspended over the road and looks beautiful.

Crossing Yamuna, you see the Akshardham Temple twinkling.

 Akshardham Temple in Delhi

A little ahead, you climb the Mayur Vihar overbridge for a better view of the lights. 

Looking towards Akshardham - the temple is on the left

The metro goes whizzing on the right.

You take this walk around New Delhi every year around Holi for the familiar roads, the landmarks, the flower ornamented roundabouts, the vibe, the trees, the red sandstone and the sameness. While Delhi changes beyond imagination elsewhere, here you always find the same familiar Delhi. The Delhi that grows younger every year. The Delhi you always dream of - when it comes to homes, you always dream of your home at Teen Murti. It is your annual homecoming that feels like the warm, fuzzy, sunshiny blanket on your face. The walk brings back the memories of childhood days when the biggest worry was being chased by gardeners as you played cricket on the green carpeted road side.

Going to New Delhi is like a taking a trip in a time capsule. It is indescribably cathartic and rejuvenating. Now only if you forget to find your way back.   

Related Links 
Holi Day 2016
Holi Day 2018