Tuesday 1 May 2012

The Walled CIty and I

(Text and Photography by Pupps Roy)

Old delhi is in my vein. No I am not from delhi and not even remotely from Old delhi from any angle but my heart belongs here. Every sunday I crave to go to Old Delhi or on some loony saturday evening to take a walk around the gullies of the walled city aimlessly to catch glimpse of the small children peeping out from the small window from top, how many times I walked past the Seeshganj Gurdwara to meet the fortune teller, Caught up in a miff with the locals for taking their photographs number of times, Also bought cheap gifts for my folks which are 10 times more expensive in south delhi. The food makes me hungry all the time and no I dont even get an inch after that due to this running errands from one corner to another. I travel 40km on Saturday and Sunday respectively for my hobby to get to the Old Delhi and my satiety level does not stop there. I bought a rare diary of 1928 for 100 rs from Darya Gunj Book Bazar and also found the latest British Vogue there. No I am not spilling secrets. I Walk around miles around there from one corner to the fag end of it. I visit a mosque, temple, church and a gurduwara in exactly 10 minutes.All in a same row. Epitomy of secularism prevails in Chandi Chawk. I eat biriyani, kheer and chew pan and dont become the victim of Delhi Belly and thats how I became an authentic Delhiwala. No wonder why thousands of tourists and foreigners are attracted to the mysitc alleys of the walled city. Its not becuase of the Red Fort or Jama Masjid. Its much more than that. I befriended snake charmer, Pakistani men, Kawali singers, foreigners and prostitutes. Its difficult to find all of them in one lot in any one part of Delhi. I even saw nervous travellers standing infront of the food stalls and getting wary of trying but immediately after 10 minutes they joined the club. Something is so irresistible in the whole thing. Its something beyond the crowded market and the exploring the bylane factor. You stop at the bustling crowd and lose yourself in its symbolic beauty and analyse so many things that only happen here. My wish gets fulfilled every time and I come back happily to the other side of Delhi. Its like a myriad of happiness I go for and it lingers in my head for many days. During my each visit I think of writing ten stories but I end up writing none or may be one. Because there is something you like to keep to yourself. I didn't fall in love with old delhi because someone praised about it. I fell in love with it on my 3rd or 4th Visit and it started from then. And its been a continuous journey till now unleashing the whispers of the walls and its environs.
Red Fort through the bustling traffic Jam

Entrace to my heart

Prayer time 6pm

3 comments:

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Anonymous said...

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Pupps said...

Thanks guys. I really needed this!