On the Silk Road: Arrival in New Delhi
Is Mandarina Duck now seeking Nirvana?
One thing is sure; it has crossed Asian borders, arrived in New Delhi, the capital city of India, and opened up a new Mandarina Duck store in the Select Citywalk mall.
This city of Gandhian democracy is 3,000 years old and yet looks modern. Especially considering that it is second only to the USA with regards to new information technologies. And despite the fact that it is the fulcrum of the “Golden Triangle”.
New Delhi is crisscrossed with wide avenues from which rise both New York style skyscrapers and British imperialist buildings such as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s residence.
Connaught Place - the business center of New Delhi surrounded by affordable hotels, theatres, cinemas and restaurants - looks and feels like any metropolitan city in the world.
There are plenty of choices for eating out: from Chinese kiosks on the streets to fine Indian restaurants. Don’t miss out on delicious Indian cuisine!
Dilli Haat fully immerses you in Indian culture with its cafés, craft bazaars, snake charmers and underage merchants selling just about anything from saffron to fabrics to TV antennas.
Old Delhi is the historic part of the city, the part that has been fascinating Europeans for centuries. It teems with bearded men in colorful turbans and jodhpurs, naked children on bicycles, women wrapped in beautiful saris, cow-pulled carts, wild animals and people sleeping on the ground or just aimlessly milling about.
A massive stone lotus flower rises through the crowd: it’s the modern Lotus temple made of 27 petals that sprout between the historic monuments. As you enter, you are given a bag for your shoes but keep an eye on your socks!
For a very low fare, you can catch a folkloristic rickshaw ride to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in Indian. Its tall minaret can be climbed, which is of benefit to both your heart and your soul.
If you wish to pay tribute to the Mahatma, you must go to his cremation site, Raj Ghat, on the banks of Yamuna River in front of the Gandhi National Museum.
I’d leave right now, if I could!
I’ve also discovered how wonderful a Rajasthan wedding is: the spouse is richly dressed and goes to the bride wearing a sword and riding on a white horse with his entire family following behind. How romantic! Too bad the bride’s family has to pay for the ceremony!
5 June 2008 at 06:18
Could you please give a little more information on the cremation site for Mahatma, I would be extremely interested in visiting the site of Mahatma one day and find it utterly fascinating.
25 September 2008 at 21:05
hey thnks ppol but could you please add a little bit more info on old Delhi and the silk road like where it is located on the silk road etc…plz coz am doin some h/w which i blieve u ppol can help me alot with! thnx ppol!!
27 September 2008 at 07:30
plz be quick don mean to pressure you but am in need of some answers(the ones I asked for at the top).running out of time so plz b quick!