Seven Cities

Pictures from last week. They deserve to go up with a long post detailing how lucky I am to live in the seven cities that make up Delhi. But history is too long and historical puns are a bit...old (ha!) so I'll just try to stick with mostly pictures instead.

Still, a short introduction. You didn't think I was going to let you jump in to a (monumental) bunch of randoms, did you?

On either side of the Qutub complex (and most of the city, really), there are treasures to be found. The first of the two we discovered that day was Adam Khan's Tomb, also known as Bhoolbhulaiyaa (literally: a maze you can get lost in). It is rumoured that a wedding procession once got lost in its corridors, and you can easily imagine them losing their way in the dense forest that surrounds it, even in daylight.

Details on Adam Khan's tomb, Mehrauli

Planes roar overhead, and a city rushes past on three sides, but the seconds stand still when you look out at the Qutub Minar in the distance. Perhaps the only way to not get lost is to keep sight of it, marking its presence as the centerpiece in the crown of Mehrauli. Part of its charm lies in how it pops out of nowhere, suddenly visible in a sea of foliage in parts of South Delhi. It reminds you that you are in a city built generations ago, that you are very much a part of a history that you may have studied about. And it reminds you that rulers, too, were people, each wanting to build upon the successes of the last, each wanting to leave his mark in time.

Boys at Adam Khan's tomb, Mehrauli

The Qutub Minar, Mehrauli's crown gem

A little bit of the past, a little bit of the present. Adam Khan's tomb, Mehrauli

From Bhoolbhulaiyaa, we drove to the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. I've driven past this place too many times without really knowing that it existed. If you're in Delhi, or planning to come visit (!), it's worth the effort it takes to come out here. Seriously. And it's free! So you can enter multiple times for short visits, or come on a day when you have ample time - and a picnic hamper - on hand.

A time to rest, a time to reflect, Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

A tomb with a view?

Archway to the wild. This is where I heard about how King Humayun fell to his death down the steps. Though maybe that's not my favourite story to share in a place with no railings.

Or up here on this ledge.

The Mehrauli Archaeological Park; a place to come on your own...

...or with a friend.

...or just to watch the planes fly by.

You've seen the pictures, now go, discover it for yourself. There's tons (more) to see!

Things happen for the best.

What better way to break a photography hiatus than with a sunset? When I first caught this composition while walking around this evening, it would have made an entirely different photo. The sky was a different hue, the lamp was glistening, but not on yet, and you could tell the colour of the foliage. By the time I got hold of a camera, this happened.

Who am I to complain? (Insert title.)

Like a Record Player

Sorry for the long break from posting. Exams are on, so this'll be just a quick post to share a couple photos and a little bit of poetry.

This:

Geneva, Spring 2011

this:

Delhi, Spring 2012

and this, which I found today, and absolutely love:

a kinesthesia of music,
your fingertips like a needle
deep inside the vinyl grooves
of my heart.

By the dust dances too,

currently one of my favourite online poets.

More soon!

Sandstone and Arches: Delhi of Old

Taken at the Jama Masjid earlier this year.

Ode to Everything

I will always remember the night of my college graduation.

There will be none of the pictures I clicked, nor any tangible evidence that the night ever happened. But for so many reasons, it will remain unforgettable. Because of all the hugs savoured, and all the goodbyes that weren't actually said. Because of all the dancing and good conversation. Because I was struck (yet again) by how many people in my life care. And because, for the first time, I let my camera out of arm's reach, and didn't get it back. But as with all truly legendary nights, I would do it all again.

There are so many people I want to thank, not just for making this one night special, but for making college the place it is to me. And when I first sat down to write this post over a week ago, I penned down a whole series of individual thank yous. But then I realised there could be no end to the number of people I could include on that list. So I will deluge you all with my gratitude individually, either in words or in kind, but definitely in due course.

Anyway, with finals nudging their way into the horizon, and people of the night taking off with my belongings, I am a little short on novel photographic adventures right now. So until I can work up the courage to post photos in low-resolution (thank god for camera phones), or the funds to make a shiny new purchase, I will post from the archives. The pictures that have been waiting for their debutante ball. Let's start with a few shots from a day out in Geneva, almost exactly a year ago.

Dandelion fields, duck families, and a sunset. Let's bring on the nostalgia.

Looking Up At Trees Looking Down On Me

Spring in Delhi is possibly my favourite season of all.

But I almost missed [all three weeks of] it this year. I've been buzzing around with purpose lately. You might even say I've been bees-y. Oh, I know. But every second I haven't spent looking out of the viewfinder of my camera, I've spent wishing I had it. My photos are very much a part of the way I view the world. And all of you know that, of course. But it also means that driving past the wonderfully flower-canopied Delhi roads without my camera made me crave it like a pregnant woman craves a piece of dark chocolate.

And so, I very much needed to take my camera out for a walk today. Here is what I saw:

Sleepy seeds, just waking up as I walked by.

A shoe! The other half of this pair was just a few metres away, being used as fuel for a fire.

Callistemons, otherwise known as bottle-brushes.

A thousand different flowers on each stalk. Nature is so, so pretty.

More callistemons!

A lonely mulberry. I think the monkeys ate all the others. Shame.

And finally, a shot for the title.

Oh spring, don't go away.

Holi

Happy Holi, everybody!

Ever since one holi five years ago, where someone managed to dye the inside of my ear bright pink, I've been understandably hesitant about being a part of this festival. I mean, I'm still walking around with pink earwax, so it's hard not to be.

This year was no different. For days before, I was all prepared to lock myself up in a room and watch bad movies all day. But festivals are about about the spirit of the community and all that. So, I steeled my will (tied back my hair, pulled on my combat gear and put on the war nail paint), and went out to be a part of the action.

Of course, I got splashed. And bucketed. And water-ballooned.

And of course, it was fun!

We played with colour, water, flowers...

Wait, flowers?

Yes! We played Braj ki Hori. Holi as it's played in Braj, North India. They play nine different kinds of holi, which means they use not only colour and water, but sticks and flowers, among other things.

It's pretty, isn't it?

And when that was over, we stood there and dried off, in all our multicoloured glory. And rubbed cheeks with friends and family, and filled our bellies with good food, and our hearts with sunshine and happy things.

Mush aside, it's a nice feeling.

So, happy holi again, everybody. Join us next year!

(Hopefully, my earwax will have returned to its normal, non-hot-pink self by then.)

Last Days

It's early days in Delhi spring, and since this season - like autumn - lasts all of one week, we make the most of it. That means more lazy days spent out in the sun, catching memories in pieces of glass. (Don't worry, I'm talking about my lens!)

So say hello to my bumchums, 7m and Mega!


Aren't they gorgeous?


Here they are together. Six percent curious...

Four percent freaked out...

But mostly, just happy.

Baah, I'm going miss you two.