We'll have our thoughts on the capital of India at some later time. For now
we present some pictures of life in Delhi and the various sights
you can see on a visit. A big thanks to Santosh Massiji and Priya for their
wonderful hospitality during our stay and to Sanjay Chachaji for coming to
see us and having us over for dinner.
Puneet's relatives in New Delhi (Left Picture) On the extreme left are Sanjay chacha (Puneet's Uncle), his son Tinku and his wife Rashmi. In the center we have Vaya and Daria. On the right we have Santosh massi (Puneet's Aunt) and Meena. (Right Picture) Meena, Priya (Puneet's cousin) and Santosh massi pose for picture together.
It's quite common for vegetable sellers to go to residential areas to hawk their wares. It's convenient to have your food come to you rather than having to go buy the stuff from a store.
We visited Lal Quilla (Red Fort) in Delhi during our stay in Delhi. My overall impression is one of disappointment (this was a recurring theme throughout India) at the poor maintenance of this national monument. Various buildings were falling apart before our eyes (there was rubble surrounding many buildings during our visit) and it was pretty dirty in many places. I wholeheartedly agree with V.S. Naipaul's sentiment that India is a country in decay -- most of the monuments and other treasures (even if they aren't very old) are in some stage of ruin. Disappointing and sad.
The Lotus Temple (B'hai Temple) in New Delhi is very beautiful and definitely worth visiting.