DILLI CHALO

            TRAVEL DIARY- DELHI

            The world is a small place. And, life is a short story. Few things like traveling enthrall our soul and spirit, thereby breaking the reverberating monotony of our humdrum lives. Visiting a new land can act as a panacea for a soul down in the dump.

            And, what better place to pay a delightful visit than our capital city? The tout ensemble of Delhi is one exuding unparalleled exuberance and couth splendor. The scenic beauty coupled with architectural marvels is an ideal conglomeration of modernism and antiquity.

            The trip to Delhi came as an unforeseen but pleasant surprise when my dad declared it during the commencement of my winter vacation last year. The idyllic trance of Delhi had forever captivated my rumination and to finally visit the place was a dream come true for me. We reached Delhi by flight and checked-in to our pre-booked suite. The next day we set off on our worthful venture of exploring the lengths and breadths of Delhi. We started off with visiting India Gate which is built in the memory of our beloved soldiers who died during the first world war. Then we made our way to Rashtrapati Bhawan and then to the Lotus Temple which is one of the most beautiful and serene places to visit in Delhi. The next place on our list of places to visit was the Red Fort, otherwise famous as the Lal Quila. Located in the center of Delhi, it was the main residence of the emperors of Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years. It was truly marvelous to see its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone and its imperial apartments which are connected by the Stream of Paradise(Nahr-i-Bihist).

            Post lunch, we paved our way towards Rajghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. After that, our blissful exploration took us to Iskcon Temple, a blend of spiritualism and jovial ambiance. There, we basked in the devotion of Lord Krishna. Next came the place which was like Iskcon Temple in nature but even more astounding in grandeur- Akshardham. Popularly known as Swaminarayan Akshardham complex, it is a spiritual-cultural campus in the heart of eastern New Delhi and portrays millennia of traditional Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. The main attractions of the complex are the Abhisheka Mandap, Sahaj Anand water show, a thematic garden, and three other unique exhibitions. The day ended on a pleasant note.

            The next day commenced with the spirit of shopping. And, Delhi is a paradise of shopaholics. Through the day, we bustled through several gigantic malls and market complexes. We got a chance to board the metro which was a nice experience. We went to Dilli Haat- which is a combination of craft, food, and cultural activities. After that, we went to Chandni Chowk. And, if you have watched the film Chandni Chowk to China, then you can very well surmise the purpose of our visit there. Yes, food was the motivation indeed. Chandini Chowk is abuzz for its mouth-watering street food. I suggested dad go to Connaught Place as I had read about it in my books. We arrived at Rajiv Chowk by metro. It is built under the CP. The inner circle and central park of Connaught Place are worth seeing. 

By this time, a major architectural marvel demanding to be seen was the Qutb Minar. We went to the Qutb Complex which is an agglomeration of the world’s tallest rubble masonry minaret, the Qutb Minar, with the ancient and medieval monuments surrounding it. 

Next was the turn of Jantar Mantar. It is an equinoctial sundial that can give the local time to an accuracy of 2 seconds. The evening was resplendent and we were in a mood for some entertainment. So, we made our minds to go to Appu Ghar. The major attractions at this mammoth amusement park in Pragati Maidan are swinging sensations like the Columbus jhoola, my fairy lady, games on snow, the tower of thrills, hi waves, etc. It was more fun than we ever could have imagined. We decided to end our surreal trip by visiting the National Rail Museum, an amazing storehouse of the rail heritage of India.

            The trip remains boldly engraved on the foils of our memory till date. The vivacious memories of that time instigate us to conjure up another trip to Delhi to re-live the ebullient days. The best thing about Delhi is that it is a perennial visitable place and its animated vigor is surely lucrative.