Old Dehli...another world entirely
Trip Start
Aug 21, 2006
1
56
70
Trip End
Dec 18, 2006
New Dehli,
India
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
We unexpectedly had to move from the Hotel Swati Deluxe to the Hotel Swati for our last two days in Dehli. We were told that it was due to unexpected remodeling. However, our group leader explained that the Police/government had limited the number of guest rooms in our first hotel to 15 due to use violations. Apparently all throughout Dehli, there is illegal construction and illegal uses going on i.e. commercial in a residential zone. This is the case in the Karol Bagh area of Dehli where our hotels are located. The government is randomly doing this to non-conforming business establishments throughout the city. It's ironic because the government is causing it's citizens to lose work and limiting needed businesses as punishment for not following the rules. Perhaps the citizens of Dehli were just finding a way to do business around inefficient and possibly corrupt government practices? Difficult to know from my limited knowlege of the issue. Perhaps better to just bring the non-conforming businesses into compliance and levy taxes and fines?
Anyway, had a great tour of Old Dehli today with my group. We started out at one of the largest mosques in India, The Jama Masjid. Climbed the minaret and got a great view of the city. As we were leaving, a security guard was hitting a young child repeatedly and carrying rather roughly down the stairs.
01-Jama Masjid
We were told that the boy was a pickpocket...hard to know what really is going on though.The markets are crazy. Saw many auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw traffic jams. Our guide said that we should also take note of the magical electrical system in the area. It was absolute chaos! While we were walking, one of the 'magicians' (aka electrical service men) was up on a ladder running some new wire.
We had samosas by the side of the road and also some chai tea later on. Throughout the streets, there were smells of spices, incense, body odor, excrement, urine, smoke, animals and the honking was deafening at times.
We visited a large Sikh Temple also. Had to remove our shoes and cover our heads. There's a main area for worship and also a community kitchen and living quarters. Anyone can show up and live and/or eat there for free for life if they want. It's just part of the religion. Sikh men wear turbans of different design depending on how long their hair is. Apparently, they are not allowed to cut their hair ever (the women too!)
Amidst the chaos of Old Dehli, we decended into the Metro station, a modern place much like BART and emerged, two stops later, in Connought Place where we had lunch.
Lots of relaxing planned for this evening and tomorrow we leave for Agra at 6am! The weather is in the 70's, with a slight breeze and no humidity. Winter has started here a bit late in Dehli.
