The Chaos And Joys Of Delhi
It feels good to get the backpacks unpacked as we settle back into Delhi – the first time we’ve been able to unpack in the ten days since we left England. Coupled with the sense of freedom now that we are once again independent after the confines of the Buddha Train experience, it feels positively liberating to wander out into the lively streets around Connaught Place. Gulping a first beer in eight days feels pretty good too. Even if it is Kingfisher.
After majoring in Buddhism, touching on Hinduism at the Aarti in Varanasi and Islam at the Taj Mahal, our first port of call back in Delhi is the Sikh temple of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, covering our heads and baring our feet in order to experience its splendour.
There’s more than 1.4 billion people in India, a fact which is brought home just about everywhere you go. There were a lot of staff on the Buddha train; there are a ridiculous number of tuk-tuk drivers; every railway station is bursting at the seams; every bus is rammed full; every temple bustling; every walkway a heaving mass. There are just so many people, everywhere.
And on this Sunday morning the iconic India Gate, the surrounding parklands and the vast War Memorial grounds, are all places which take the adjective “busy” to a whole new level. Interesting to note that the huge war memorial remembers not the World Wars or those lost therein, but instead commemorates the numerous battles fought with neighbouring Pakistan throughout the 20th century. The narrative is predictably partisan, real hero-versus-villain, good-over-evil stuff which firmly casts the two sides in their respective roles.
India is a vast, vast country, and all of our comments and opinions are of course based on the places we have seen for ourselves. One person said to us that travellers should view India as a continent and the different states as individual countries, such is the diversity of cultures found in its various reaches. We will be leaving here vowing to discover more of this for ourselves.
Delhi is a mad, chaotic city, yet within this there is some semblance of order within Connaught Place, which is not only very different from everything else we’ve seen in India, but even different from the rest of Delhi. Here in Connaught Place there’s a Starbucks and two KFCs, there are numerous restaurants which look just like a restaurant does in Europe, and there are genuine, distinguishable bars, something which we never saw at any time during our last visit to this country.
So as a last farewell to Delhi, and India, we head back into Chandni Chowk, the city’s oldest merchant quarter, just to get a flavour of the old Delhi. My God this is a crazy area, so utterly rammed with people and activity that you could be forgiven for thinking that most of those 1.4 billion are milling around these little streets today.
“Chowk” sounds a little like “soukh”, and there are distinct parallels between the two – but don’t be fooled, Chandni Chowk makes Marrakech look like Marks & Spencer. We were told the other day that Mumbai is India’s busiest city which really takes “Indianism” to the extreme, but as we battle and barge our way through these choking streets, it is hard to imagine that anywhere in the world is more frenetic, manic, noisy and chaotic than Chandni Chowk. The senses are not so much assaulted as beaten to death.
There are bicycle tuk-tuks for carrying people and those for carrying produce, mopeds weave between people holding towers of goods on their heads, horns blare, people shout and all the while cows wander (and shit) amongst the frenzy. Every now and again you have to step over a sleeping form which is sometimes a large dog and sometimes a comatose man. In the spice market section the smell of cumin is so strong that it makes us sneeze.
Chandni Chowk is all facets of an Indian city wrapped up and squeezed into one tight area. Fantastic, terrible, exhilarating, harrowing, hilarious and claustrophobic all at once.
And so our time in India ends and we move on to Hanoi. Vietnam is of course where we were when COVID hit the world (you can find that story here) and our memories of that first visit are not great. We have some ghosts to lay as we leave India behind and head into the next stage of this adventure.
26 Comments
Mike and Kellye Hefner
I don’t think we’ve ever been in a crowd of people like you experienced in Chandni Chowk. Your descriptions of the sights and smells makes us think that we probably won’t ever visit there – I’m not sure we’re game for such culture shock. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to tag along with you on your visit. I have to say it was eye-opening to go from the beauty and relative calmness of Gurudwara Banga Sahib and the war memorials to the chaos Chandni Chowk. I will say it again, you guys are so adventurous, and we absolutely love following you around the world.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you so much guys …. Well India does have an inexplicable lure if you can bear its “issues”. On one level it’s a terrible place and yet we feel compelled to return, already!
Nemorino
My daughter returned home with a book called “Delhi OMG”.
Phil & Michaela
Ha! We could write a book with that title!
Laura
I am fairly confident that I would experience a nervous system crash in such an environment- I have never travelled anywhere that can compare with what you have described! I remain conflicted about ever visiting India but have loved reading about it through your eyes- looking forward to following you into Vietnam! 😊
Phil & Michaela
Well, Laura, I think the safest thing we can say is that….India is not for everyone!
WanderingCanadians
I’m sure it felt good to leave the Dawdlers behind and start travelling at your own pace again. I’m not sure I could handle all the noise, chaos and crowds in Delhi!
Phil & Michaela
Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea…!
Monkey's Tale
I felt like I was back there in the chaos with you with you. Interesting observation to consider India as a continent with separate countries rather than states. Enjoy Vietnam! Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Maggie x
grandmisadventures
Chaotic and exhilarating all at once for sure! I think it is interesting that at the temple they wanted legs covered but feet bare. I would think they would want feet covered too. Looking forward to Hanoi next 🙂
Toonsarah
A wonderfully vivid depiction of Delhi and all its madness! Despite the challenges of travelling here I loved observing life on the streets, but I don’t think we threw ourselves into them quite as deeply as you two did, content to observe instead from the relative (dis)comfort of a bicycle rickshaw in Chandni Chowk! And I think that comment about seeing India as a continent and its states as separate countries holds some truth. I was surprised at quite how different Kerala felt from Rajasthan.
Phil & Michaela
It’s an intense city, isn’t it….in both good and not so good ways…
wetanddustyroads
Wow … indeed, so many people! While looking at the photo of Chandni Chowk, I thought that an electrician must have a hard time in India (that’s IF there are any electricians) 😉. Ok, I think Vietnam might be ‘softer’ on the eye (for me anyway) – and wishing you guys a good (and uninterrupted) trip this time around!
Phil & Michaela
The electrical cabling is a constant source of amusement for us…it has to be seen to be believed!
leightontravels
Great stuff guys, the shackles are off! It’s been fun to get this ‘update’ on Delhi so that I can see how the old girl looks so many years after my visit. Typically insane scenes aplenty then in terms of foot traffic, vehicles and other objects all crammed in. I have been to Mumbai and actually found it far more chilled than Delhi. I have similar memories and photos of Chandni Chowk, with random bodies on the floor and meandering cows. By the way, I quite like Kingfisher!
Phil & Michaela
It’s a city which definitely gives the traveller some stories to tell
Christie
Wow, choking, indeed. Looking at those few pictures and it feels totally claustrophobic. But on the other hand, India has some other alluring particularities, a magic, which I hear from every person who has visited this country. Hopefully we will be able to visit it one day.
Hope Vietnam is much better, enjoy!
Phil & Michaela
Yep, India just has a certain something which keeps luring you back
Andrew Petcher
Having arranged a holiday to India this is all very useful stuff.
Phil & Michaela
Not sure if you saw my earlier response but we dan definitely help with advice, including on how to stay healthy. Whereabouts are you headed?
Andrew Petcher
Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Agra, Ranthambore.
Phil & Michaela
Fantastic, well…you know where to come for some advice if needed
rkrontheroad
I remember well the crazy chaos in the Delhi streets. I stayed in Chandni Chowk. As a single woman navigating the crowded streets, I was stopped every few steps by a vendor, peddler, or whatever. Unpleasant but exciting as well.
Phil & Michaela
“Unpleasant but exciting” just about sums up India!
Annie Berger
Years ago we also spent a few days in Delhi but I count myself lucky to have missed the mayhem of Chandi Chowk except through your eyes!