e-Rick in Delhi

I was at India Gate yesterday when I spotted a group of people fussing over something. There was a big reflector screen, and on one side of it, there were a group of guys standing around, setting up a shoot.

On the other side of the screen, I spotted several young guys craning their necks at something. I'm all of five feet tall, so I couldn't see past the crowd.

"What's going on?" I asked one of the guys. "Shooting chal raha hai", he said, in the satisfied manner of someone who has just stated the obvious to an idiot.

A couple of bystanders rallied around to provide more information. "Riya Sen is here" said one. "And so is Aarya Babbar", chimed another. Oh goodie, I thought, a couple of starlets. So I went up to have a closer look.

I found Riya Sen sitting around, texting someone, impervious to the hubub around her. Aarya Babbar had disappeared, no doubt to have tea somewhere. 

She was wearing a very short skirt, so the organisers had oh-so-thoughtfully placed a thermocol screen to prevent her thighs from being burnt to a crisp by the stares. And although she wore a halter neck blue thingy, she had temporarily chosen to wear a jacket to hide her shoulders. Very sensible. It's tough being a star, I tell you :)

Like all shoots, I knew there would be interminable waiting while things were set up. I didn't want to hang around with the crowd. It was a pleasant sunny winter morning, so I left Riya Sen to enjoy her texting, and wandered around a bit more.

And look what I found - the e-Rick, an electric propulsion vehicle that is supposed to usher in a new generation of rickshaws in Delhi. This is what they were filming. 

Maybe they were going to have Riya lean against this thing stylishly and say something green and politically correct :) The seats are the back are tiny, and I can only imagine what fun the audience would have if she tried to actually sit in it wearing that short skirt. 

The e-Rick, in case you want to know, is being  touted as the greenest thing the city has seen. They have a horrendously slow website, in case you want to look it up. It's full of useless animations, and you have to hunt like crazy for anything remotely useful or practical.

When is the e-Rick coming? Is is going to be used all over Delhi? We last heard about the e-Rick during the Commonwealth Games. After 20 minutes on their website, I have no clue what they are planning, but it looks like this thing is back again in a new avatar. There are many tantalising hints on the website, a long list of areas that are going to be covered in "Phase 1", and some hypothetical route maps. But like all infrastructure things in India, there is no date. Do any of you know more about this?

I am waiting to see how the city's matrons and big-bellied Sardars are going to fit their plump Punjabi bottoms into this contraption :) :) It looks like it will keel over any moment, doesn't it?

Delhi Magic on Hindustan Times

My phone has been ringing non-stop this morning. Today's Hindustan Times carries a Delhi Magic listing. 

I'm surprised at the response, actually. Firstly, I hadn't quite realised how much power the newspapers have, even though we live in the era of television. Secondly, I didn't realise there was so much "pent-up demand" for bazaar walks among  Delhi wallas :)

We have quite a few walks coming up, so I will post some walk schedules on the Delhi Magic facebook page.

I've "cut-pasted" the relevant bits of the HT story into a single box below.

Unveiling India

I have just finished reading 'Unveiling India' by Anees Jung. The book is about Indian women, about their inner lives, about traditions and about change. 

It is a beautifully written book, almost lyrical. Words flow easily for Anees; maybe it is a gift, but maybe it is also because she really understands the women she is writing about. As a Muslim woman from Hyderabad, she is as much a part of the story as the many urban and rural women in her book.  Anecdotes about her mother and father, and the traditions she grew up with, helped me understand where she came from, so I was able to better see the country through her eyes. 

In the book, Anees visits women in many parts of India. She finds that among them there is a commonality, a shared sense of femininity and motherhood, a sense of rootedness. She senses the enormous reserves of fortitude among the women she meets. Theirs is an exploited and under-appreciated existence, but they bear it with a stubborn dignity. 

Where does this strength come from? Personally I think that it is a sense of duty, a vision of the 'ideal woman',  that gives Indian women strength. High ideals, drummed into girls from early childhood, create a self-image where sacrifice, resilience and patience are not just virtues to be cultivated, but the very essence of womanhood, the very basis of identity. Through legends and tales, through mythology and popular imagery, these ideals are internalised until they become very real. Anees talks about how her own mother, by effacing herself, by completely living for her children and family,  achieves almost a goddess-like glow. Anees envies that calm, that certainty which comes from the knowledge that you are living up to an ideal. 

As someone who has stepped out from that comfortable traditional veiled corner, Anees is both an outsider as well as an insider. A lot like me, really :) and like many of the women I know. That's why I love this book. Because Anees sees the contradictions first-hand, and she looks for answers not only from the women she meets, but also within herself.

Perhaps she romanticizes things a bit; perhaps she puts Indian women on a pedestal. Perhaps she glosses over the role of women in perpetuating exploitative and unequal systems. But it is a wonderful book nonetheless, very moving, full of imagery, and a real insight into India. It is also a book where hope triumphs, so it doesn't leave you feeling depressed at the end of it all.

Read it if you can; preferably before you visit India, and you will begin to understand what lies behind the faces that you see.

INA Market - Refuge of the Delhi Tamilian!

This small shop in INA Market is quite familiar to most South Indians living in Delhi. 

It's where you go for those little things that you can't do without - 

• Bright yellow banana chips, fried in coconut oil and salted to perfection. 
• Raw green bananas, for the avial that you crave. 
• Green banana leaves, for serving traditional meals on festive occasions. 
• Sweet banana fritters, deliciously smothered in jaggery and dusted with dried ginger powder. 
• Fresh coconuts, without which no South Indian household can survive. 
• The little shallots that all Tamilians call "sambar vengayam", when you want to make the perfect sambar to eat with pongal. 
• A crazy bhujia-type thing called "mixture", there is no other word for it, but you'll find it served at 4:00 p.m. along with filter coffee. 
• Copies of Kumudam, murukku and ten-kozhal, Kerala appalams, Tamil pappadams.....ah, I could go on and on!

It looks like just any other old shop. But it has its definite place in the universe :)

Not far from the shop, there is this stall, selling medu-vadas. Served hot with chutney and sambar, by a guy wearing a folded lungi, they bring a little dash of South Indian soul into Delhi!

The medu-vada guy. Go around 11 am and you'll find it served hot.

Golden-brown medu-vada, crisp on the outside, spongy on the inside, with tiny bits of green chili, ginger and pepper to surprise you when you bite into it. Sigh...pure heaven.

Delhi Airport Metro Express

The Airport Metro Express is a great option if you want to get into the city in under 20 minutes. Works well, is not crowded, and if you don't have much luggage it is easy to manage.

From the airport there are only 4 stops on the Airport Express - Aerocity, Dhaula Kuan, Shivaji Stadium and New Delhi station (NDLS).

Unfortunately, if you exit the Metro at Shivaji Stadium (closest for Connaught Place), it is not easy to find local transport to get you to the exact place you want to go.

There are auto-rickshaws, but they are a pretty grim bunch of guys who I don't trust much. It would be really, really nice if they had a pre-paid taxi service running from the Metro stations, to get you to your home or hotel or wherever else you want to go. I didn't see any, but maybe they do? Does anyone know?

But the Airport Metro Express does look like the perfect option for backpackers who want to get to New Delhi Railway Station. The budget hotels of Paharganj are very close to the station. The hotels also offer pickup from the railway station.

Here are photos from my Delhi Airport Metro Express trip:

Boarding from the airport. The train is not exceptionally busy.

A lot of airport staff are on the train, but also you see several people with backpacks and small suitcases.

Inside the Metro Express. Note the luggage racks.

Most of the journey is underground, but for some phases the train emerges outside and you can see the city below.

I loved this photo of the Green Bus and the Green Auto :) both running on natural gas. Delhi looks very green in this photo!

And in this photo too! This is the Delhi Ridge, the green cover that protects the city!

On the horizon you can see Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's House) and the centre of New Delhi.

In 18 minutes, I exited at Shivaji Stadium on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near the city centre.

I didn't see any taxis or auto-rickshaws waiting outside. Maybe there is a service. If anyone knows, please tell me.

Air India passengers can check in at Shivaji Stadium.

I'm waiting to see how this Metro Express service does, and how much tourists are able to use it. I hope it works well. It is very hassle-free and quick.

The Amazing Pickle Shop

Just behind the bathing ghats in Haridwar is a very interesting market, with all kinds of spices and pickles and herbs and what not. I spent an hour walking through this market, so now I have a zillion photos, but for today I thought I'd just share this one:

THE AMAZING PICKLE SHOP

Just *look* at all the varieties he has got!

I tried to count all the types of pickles, in tubs and bottles, but gave up when I reached 50.

If you find the image too small to see, try this facebook page: The Amazing Pickle Shop

As it turns out, I can't name most of them!! So here is my first attempt at labelling at least some of them, and I hope you guys reading this will be able to identify the rest!

And here's the second set:

As if all these achars were not enough, he had loads and loads of interesting bottles too! Pickles, murabbas, chutneys, powders, sherbets, juice extracts, “health” drinks, ayurvedic balms, and what not.

I was soooo tempted to hang around at that shop, looking at all his stuff (and tasting it!). But we we still needed to get to the ghats, so I dragged myself away. What a shame. The shopkeeper was the friendly chatty sort too. You know the type that are proud of their wares? Those are the best :) because you can get lots of info from them.

Seriously, some day I am going back again. Or at least, the next Amazing Pickle Shop that I spot, I'm going to stop and spend a happy half hour tasting and clicking and furiously scribbling notes. Oh and I'll buy myself a lassi to drink in-between tiny achaar nibbles. Heaven!

The English are gone but...

From the intrepid Nazneen, on her solo Golden Triangle trip:

Gorgeous aerial view photos of schoolchildren queuing at Humayun's Tomb.

The queue has a strangely hypnotic quality, doesn't it? As if it has a life of its own.

I also simply *love* the way the queue is snaking its way through the centre of the Char Bagh Mughal Garden scheme.

The first Mughal Emperor Babur built many gardens, to make "that charmless and disorderly Hind (India)" feel more like home.

He was inspired by (and perhaps homesick for) the gorgeous gardens of Samarkand and Herat that he had left behind. Among the earliest things he planted in India were melons, I'm told.

In the Victoria and Albert Museum, there is a watercolour painting of Babur supervising the laying out of Bagh-e-Wafa at Kabul. It is in the Char Bagh style, and water flows merrily in the middle. The Emperor wears golden robes. There are orange-laden trees in the foreground, and birds in the sky. The brick walls enclose a little slice of paradise....

A closer look reveals that pomegranates were also among the favourites being planted. See how beautifully the fruit is detailed. There is a dove delicately perched on a pomegranate branch. The gardeners have their sleeves rolled up. Ah, the pleasures of a Mughal miniature.

As someone who dearly loves her little potted plants, and gets a great deal of pleasure from simply looking at them every day, I feel a sense of affinity with this Mongol king.

Looking at this painting, I can't help thinking that the popular image of the Mongols as "barbarians" conveniently ignores the softer and more aesthetic aspects of their life.

Woohoo!! We are on India Today Travel Plus and THE YAHOO HOMEPAGE!!

This month, India Today Travel Plus listed "10 Must-do Walks in India".

And guess what?

3 out of the 10 are ours!

My Old Delhi Food Trail, the Mylapore Bazaar Walk in Chennai, and my Matunga Market Walk in Mumbai are among them.

As you can guess, I am *very* pleased indeed!

And guess what - This story made it to Yahoo India!! So we're also the Home Page Story on Yahoo today!!

Text of article here:

Old Delhi Food Trail
What's the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of food in Delhi? Mughlai? Perish the thought. For a change, focus on the unique 'Baniya' vegetarian streetfood of Sitaram Bazaar. The Old Delhi Food Trail walks you through the bazaar to learn about the ingredients and essentials of Indian cooking. The colourful and interesting streetfood in this market caters to the Baniya community. Crisp Gol Gappas, Kulcha Chole, Bedmi Puri (stuffed with a spicy mixture of lentils), Nagori Halwa (small puris served with halwa)--the list of enticing streetfood is endless. After this, visit Masterji Kee Haveli, one of the last-standing havelis in Delhi. Here, you can choose to participate in the cooking of a vegetarian meal or just watch. This is not a cooking lesson though; it is a chance to get up close and personal with four generations of a family that continues to live under one roof. http://www.delhimagic.com

Mylapore Walk, Chennai
This walk makes you go through Chennai's cultural hub and one of its oldest areas--Mylapore. The Portuguese arrived on Mylapore's shores in 1523 and left only in 1749, when the British took over. Despite this, the area has retained its incredible temples and the traditions that revolve around them. The walk takes you to the 300-year-old Kapaleeswarar Temple, the epicentre around which Mylapore is built.

Peek into the temple's daily routine, its own schedule--one that is not usually visible to the outside world. Later, walk through the surrounding areas. Learn about life around the temple tank with its myriad chaos of small shops dedicated to everything from jewellery, brassware, silk, puja items, to fruit and vegetable shops. The walk ends with snacks and coffee at the popular Saravana Bhavan. http://www.chennaimagic.com

Matunga Market food walk, Mumbai
Matunga, in central Mumbai, has a vibrant cultural scene, an indication of the various communities living here. The Food Walk takes you through the markets of this area, and gives a peek into the food of the three communities--Tamil Brahmins, Gujaratis and Jains. All the three are vegetarian, but have different customs and rules, which are very much visible in their food.

The tour begins at the Kannika Parameshwari temple where you learn about the history of Hinduism and Buddhism. From there, head to the market area where you'll be introduced to local fruits, vegetables and spices, with an explanation of how they fit into the daily meal.

Discover inventive foods like Khakra Dosa (a plain dosa made very crisp and then dried liked a khakra), Jain Mousse (mousse prepared without egg) and Chocolate Barfi. The combinations are tantalising and designed to please every palate. Do leave some space for authentic aromatic South Indian coffee at the end. http://www.mumbaimagic.com

Moolchand Paranthewala - total paisa vasool

Every taxi driver in Delhi knows that when night-time hunger pangs hit you, the place to go is Moolchand.

Nondescript thela, favourite night haunt of all truckers, cab drivers, and late night party fiends

Paratha in progress - scalded by fire. The flames go whoosh, and the paratha turns out crisp and brown

The assistant at the back rolls out the parathas and tosses it in one smooth movement, it lands unerringly on the far edge of the pan.

Then the guy with the tongs moves them around. Four or five parathas are usually underway at a time, because there's always demand. The anda-paratha is popular, so there's always a stock of eggs.

Hot parathas stacked, waiting to be handed to a long list of buyers.

Lots of people eat here, but many people come and take-away stuff too.

Usual accompaniment - a simple but delicious raita ladled out in plastic cups

Trademark garnish - fried chillies and chaat masala

We ordered the basic aloo paratha. It arrived so hot that we scalded our fingers. We wolfed it down in seconds.

Absolutely delicious. I'm definitely going back again!

On Independence Day

The Prime Minister addressed the nation today from the Red Fort. He spoke on many difficult issues facing India today - corruption, education, gender discrimination, agriculture, economic development, and so on.

For me, the most important thing to take away from the speech were simply the last few words:

We should have faith that our democracy, our institutions and our social ideals and values have the capacity to deal with any difficulty. We should all have faith in ourselves. The faith that we can build a promising future for ourselves. The faith, that united we can do the most difficult of tasks. Let us all resolve to build a bright future for our country.

Given the enormity of some of the issues facing the country, this "faith" has become a matter of great difficulty for Indians. In private parties, on facebook and other social forums, I see my friends constantly expressing protest and anger. The primary emotion is NEGATIVE. There is a feeling of victimization, of powerlessness, transforming into frustrated anger.

But I ask all my friends - are you really powerless? Really? There are so many ways - hundreds and hundreds of ways - in which you can make a difference to your country. Go find them! Find those ways, and instead of just sitting at your computer screen and cribbing, go DO something. It's a heck of a lot better use of your energy!

Protest is an important aspect of citizenry. But absolutely nothing is achieved by pulling down an edifice, unless *you* are actively building another one.