DIZZYING DELHI DELIGHTS

Our overnight flight meant that we were quite tired for our introduction to India. Delhi, however, quickly woke us up. Our very funny and chatty taxi driver was straight out of a movie and dropped us off in an area called Paharganj. We were then shown to our hotel shuffling through the busiest street I think I will ever see. The signs are the first thing to hit you, followed by the throngs of people, the "no rules apply" autorickshaws, the colourful stalls packed with saris and much more delights, as well as the infamous sacred cows who frankly aint that bovvered. The smells, sounds, speed, and the vivid blues, reds and yellows hit you like a big wonderful slap in the face. You could be nowhere else in the world but India!




We spent our first afternoon just acclimatising and attempting to take in some of what Paharganj has to offer. It's also the main backpacker hangout area in Delhi and therefore no shortage of cheap restaurants and net cafes and there's even a bar!



The first thing on next morning's agenda was Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort. Chandni Chowk is often known as the back bone of old Delhi. It is a long street brim packed with bazaar after bazaar, tonnes of street food stalls and traffic like you've never seen it(no rules apply here either). It took us a while to fight our way to the top of the street where the entrance to the Red Fort stood. The Fort immediately looks very majestic amongst the madness. The massive outside walls surrounding the grand Mughal palacial grounds create a barrier from all the chaos outside. Within lies a peaceful retreat where one can loll away the hours. The Palace buildings are huge harmonious structures in complete contrast to current day Delhi. The gardens made a welcome rest spot for a while. On making our exit from the Red fort we popped in to Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, for a look.



The next day saw our first visit to a Hindu temple, a very glittery affair! Inside were contained various shrines to Deities each one more colourful and dramatic as you walk through, many set in silver mosaic. Hinduism sure gets top marks in the most colourful religion awards. We also visited the Bahai Lotus Temple, a beautiful white temple in the shape of a lotus flower. People of all religions are welcome to the temple and it is a silent space, no speaking is allowed inside the building, for meditation. An evening's shopping in Paharganj concluded our first meeting with Delhi. With an introduction like this we couldn't be more excited about our further adventures in India.