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The Festival of Lights: Colorful Diwali Experience

I saw my friend’s mother, immersing a silver coin in a tumbler of milk, sprinkling in all the rooms of her house, on the night of Diwali, after all the rituals. I quietly went and asked her why was she sprinkling milk in all the rooms, pat came her reply “so that prosperity touches each corner of the house”. Diwali celebrations are festooned with firecrackers burning, colorful lights adorning the houses and a lot of exchange of sweets. Nation-wide, Diwlai is celebrated on Amavasya that is the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin according to Hindu calendar. The festival marks to drive away darkness to make space for the light of knowledge. Diwali is also known as the festival of lights where each house is adorned with beautiful lights and earthen pots, in this modern world which trace back to the rich and glorious past of India.

A simple Diwali ritual consists of the sound of firecrackers, homes are decorated, sweets are distributed and hundreds of lamps are lit in and around the house. The most sought after festival in India, it is by far the most glamorous festival as well.

The story of Diwali is complex as each region and states of India celebrate differently. While some, especially, in the North believe that it is the day when Lord Ram’s coronation was celebrated in Ayodhya after his battle with the demon king Ravana, for which Ayodhya and Mithila, Ram’s wife Sita’s homeland were lit up with rows of lamps to welcome their righteous king after their exile for 14 years.

He festival of Diwali has three days of celebrations, where on the day of Diwali doorways are hung with torans of mango leaves and bright marigold flowers, rangoli’s with different vibrant coloured powders are used to decorate the courtyards and the main ritual area, bright lamps are lit up around the whole house. In East, there is a tradition to use rice powder paste to make the footsteps of Goddess Lakshmi to welcome her and shower her blessings over the members. The paste is also used to make beautiful decorative designs which is called as Alpona. It is believed that if, on the day of Diwali if we buy some jewellery or silver coins, it assures prosperity for the rest of the year. This is why shopkeepers keep their shops open on the day of Diwali. And Diwali becomes the main commercial month where markets look for an outburst of shopping experiences.

All the simple rituals and practices of Diwali have some significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the burning of firecrackers is an expression of respect towards the gods to attain wealth as well as have good health throughout the year, with knowledge peace and prosperity working towards. In fact, in one of the legends, the sound of the fire crackers is an indication of the Earthly people towards the gods, making them aware of their plentiful condition.

The tradition of gambling in Diwali also has a legend attached to it. It was believed, Parvati played dice with Shiva on this day and she commanded whoever gambles on the night of Diwali will have a prosperous year ahead.

In delhi, like in many other states, the festivities start from Dusshera itself, where people set out on a shopping spree, whitewashing, redecorating their shops and houses. Market places are replete with streamers of various colours, fair’s crop up everywhere. Many people abide by the Diwali rituals, to buy new kitchen utensils, wear new clothes. It is a sight to be not missed, especially in the heart of India!

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Festivals of Delhi , ,

When the sun sets at Shahjahanabad the city rises!

Shahjahanabad was the ‘seventh’ city which reflected the Mughal magnificence of Shah Jahan’s vision of 1639.The city is a beautiful amalgamation of religions, culture, food, people and heritage. The best time of the day to witness its beauty is at night, when the city gears up to unwind it the colours of the place. This memorable experience in the walled city of Delhi is curated by ‘Delhi Walks’, a flagship brand of India City Walks that strives to provide unique, memorable city experiences.

The Old Delhi experience begins after sunset at Jama Masjid, one of Shahjahanabad’s most prominent architectural landmarks. A walking tour with ‘Delhi Walks’ will help you understand the grandeur of Shah Jahan’s vision and the kind of resources that the Emperor had at his disposal. You will not be able to go inside the mosque at this hour of the day, but since the mosque is at an elevated area, you can see the grandeur from a distance as well. The elaborate Indo-Islamic architecture and the magnificent courtyard where people still sit and pray, is an exquisite sight to watch.
Stepping out of Shahjahan’s imperial Mosque, you straight enter into the lively alleys pf Old Delhi. Discover the gems of the main streets of Chandni Chowk, when we tell you the stories related to them. It was said that the main street was called as Chandni Chowk because the a tank at the center of this historic street once reflected a moonlight.
This walk promises to enthrall history buffs with the magnificent view of Red Fort on one end, Fatehpuri Masjid on the other and an array of heritage buildings on both ends.
The road staright ahead from Jama Masjid takes us to the most opulent bazaar loaded with a wide array of precious, semi-precious stones which can easily give competition to other streets in India. The street which was once a street lined with jewellery from various corners of the world, has looters eyeing on the wealth that the empire had in terms of Jewellery, which has gone through enough ransack to let it now sell only silver jewellery. But the designs offered here are unmatched to any other place.
A walk through DaribaKalan, would lead you to a small alley called Kinari bazaar which is a haven for those who love to shop till they literally drop with the weight of the bags that they’re carrying. At night, the lanes glitter, pop and shine with the colourful borders, laces and colorful embellishments
Tucked away in the heart of Kinari is a lane that’s easy to miss. This tranquil lane is known as Naughara, which contains nine traditional havelis that belong to the Jain community. Not very from Naughara lies a popular lane called galliparantheywalli. Pack a parantha or two from this alley only to head back to Naughara, to enjoy your moment of peace!

At the extreme end of this symmetrical street lies KhariBaoli, Asia’s largest spice market. A walk through the spice market lets you experience the smell of freshly ground spices, which is a mesmerizing feeling!
The Charm of Old delhi is intoxicating, and charismatic. A walk around Old Delhi is letting yourself immerse into the culture, the history and all that the city has to offer!

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , ,

When the past coalesce with the present: Old Delhi

Old Delhi is not a place, it’s an experience. Each street that you visit has a different story to tell. While you reminisce the past Haveli’s which are forgotten, you also get to experience the delectable’s that the place has to offer. While going through the narrow alleys of the Mughal magnificence the original havelis of Shahjahan’s era are gone now, most of them destroyed, but some of them taken over by larger populations dividing and converted into mohallas or the residential colonies and katras or the commercial enclaves. The main street of Chandni Chowk houses the most prominent Red Fort, which was the residential complex of the Mughal emperor, at the end of the street is his favourite wive’s Mosque, named after Fatehpuri Begum. There is an interesting story behind naming the main street as well. It was said, that the central arcade of the main street had a well at the center. On a full moon night, when the moonlight used to fall on the reservoir, it used to reflect on the mainstreet. That is why it was called as the moonlit square.

Apart from the old deserted Haveli’s which used to be of prominent people, the local culture and mixture of the people was effervescent. With the vibrancy that the walled city has to offer, the city has some delectables to offer. Be it for the non-vegetarians or vegetarians, such as Paranthewali gali, it is also the food haven.

If we have to travel back in time, the main street of Chandni Chowk exposes us to such cultural and religious tolerance which is unmatched till now. The main street has a Digambar Jain Temple, in line you have the famous Gurudwara Sis Ganj, right opposite to which is a cathedral Church and right at the end is the Fatehpuri Mosque.

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , ,

Tracing the Sufi Roots: Sheikh Nizamuddin

A veteran Sufi saint and the disciple of Baba Farid-ud-Din Shakar-i-Ganj, entombed in Delhi in an area which was earlier known as Ghiyaspur, it was the area where Kaiqubad- the grandson and successor of Balban shifted his capital from Delhi. Located 5 miles from modern day Delhi is Ghiyaspur, today known as the Nizam-ud-Din area deriving name from the veteran Sufi saint entombed here. Despite the fact that the saint died some 700 years ago the shrine even today is a active pilgrimage site where people from all walks of life are welcomed and no discrimination is done on the basis on religion, caste or creed. The main shrine of Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din is surrounded by a number of other tombs like that of Amir Khusro who was the most beloved disciple of Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din, the saint was so close to Amir Khusro that his last wish was that Khusro should be buried near him but due to constant rebellion by the peerzadas after the death of Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din Amir Khusro could not be buried near him and he was allotted a place at what was known as chabutra-i-yaarani, where Shaikh use to deliver a sermon to his disciples.

Jahan Ara Begum the beloved daughter of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan also lies buried here; she built a tomb for herself in her life time. Other later Mughal emperors like Muhammad Shah rangeela during his reign the central Asian invader Nadir Shah attacked Delhi and took away the famous Kohinoor diamond and Takht-i-taws i.e. the peacock throne of Emperor Shah Jahan. A medieval historian named Zia-ud Din Barani is also entombed here; he has to his credit the composition of great Historical works like Tarikh-i-Firuzshahi, Fatwa-i-Jahandari. The Dargah complex houses a number of tombs and Baolii.e. a step well which acted as a bone of contention between the Sufi saint and emperor Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq because the labor which was working for the construction of Tughlaqabad fort on the orders of Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq was also working on the construction of this Baoli for Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din. When the emperor heard of this he was furious and commanded the labor to only work for him and not for the saint, the laborers out of their devotion towards the saint started working for him at night after working for the Emperor during the day. The emperor when informed was further agitated and he banned the sale of kerosene oil to Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din. It was now that a miracle was performed by the saint and the water from the baoli worked as good as kerosene oil to lighten the earthen pots.

A lot of stories revolve around the miracles, selfless personality of Shaikh Nizam-ud-Din. People in large numbers visit the Dargah of the saint especially on Thursdays as a routine pilgrimage and offer flowers, chadars, incense sticks, food to the poor people to gain spiritual merit. A common practice here is to tie a red sacred thread for a wish, once the wish is fulfilled one has to come and open the thread and feed poor people or offer what they has sentenced when they made a wish. The entire Nizam-ud-Din area is a living cultural tradition having various aspects to itself, for some it is a religious and spiritual affair on the other hand for the others it is a fascinating glimpse of the functional tomb veneration in Delhi.

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , , ,

The Story of the Bloody Uprising of 1857

Bahadur Shah Zafar’s walled city of Shahjahanabad, was indeed a bubble of Mughal high culture and fine tradition, until the revolt of 1857 massacred the whole place, asked a meek King who enjoyed his wine and poetic evenings, to be the leader. As the British were busy exercising control, Zafar was immersed in coming up with perfect Urdu couplets. The Uprising of 1857, a war between the British teachers and their Indian students of the Army was a religious enigma. A walk through the Northern Ridge would make it come alive, the horrors of the mutiny, where the high caste Hindu soldiers started the war to restore the glory of a Muslim emperor by fighting against a Christian force, however the so-called Christian force were not all whites either: they were basically natives.

A walk through the Northern Ridge would take us through the Viceregal house, which is now in Delhi University, the power center till the Independence struggle, during the revolt. Taking a ride from there the Flagstaff tower from the main gate of Northern Ridge takes you through the haunting stories towards the Khooni Jheel, Tughlaq architecture which came into prominence due to its location in 1857. Further as we move forward, from the Northern ridge area, we come across the Mutiny Memorial a Gothic structure which was put up by British after crushing the 1857 uprising to show the strength and prowess of the new born Empire.

While the British were busy establishing a city to reflect their power over the later to be called the ‘jewel in the crown’, the earlier part of the Empire’s administration was done from the Walled city, as that was the seat of the power.

A walk around the precincts of the Walled City would showcase the mix of material cultures which are the remnants of our historical past.

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , ,

The Morning Raga of Old Delhi!

Get.Set.Go, is the mantra that we believe in our organisation. Are you ready to enjoy a unique experience of a comfortable, cushy rickshaw ride brought to you by India City Walks. It is once in a lifetime experience which I’m sure you would not want to miss out on. With super comfortable rickshaws, brilliant storytelling to cater to your knowledge thirst and the narrow lanes which brim with activity all through the day will take you for a experience which will be etched in your memory. As the sun rises over the Walled city, which echo of some activities, where else would you find, the sleepy heads waking up to incessant chanting of mantras, from the Gauri Shankar temple, the serene ardas of Gurudwara Sis Ganj as well as the chapel in the Central Baptist Church will take you for a spiritual journey down the main street. The loud fajr azaan resonating from the walls of Jama Masjid’s imposing minarets is the cherry on the cake. While you are experiences all this in one go, I officially welcome you to the walled city of Shahjahanabad! While the shops are still closed, the shopkeepers would be seen sipping hot chai and waiting for the pakoras to be fried, which becomes their breakfast and kickstarts their hectic day!

The narrow alleys of Old Delhi move at a pace that they know of, especially in the mornings when they take their own sweet time to get up and get going with the day. Experience the unbelievable tranquility of a sleepy city with ‘Rickshaw Tours’, a flagship vertical of ‘India City Walks’ that curates special offbeat experiences to let you see city from a eye of a local. So what is a rickshaw?

Light, three wheeled passenger bicycle vehicle which carries one or more people according to the size and shape of the rickshaws. The custom made rickshaws which are owned by India City Walks have been designed to keep in mind the heritage, history and the culture of the historic walled city, which strives to offer the comfort and safety of the travellers who come to Old Delhi.

Be it any sort of experience, relating to food tour or just simple heritage tour, we are here to cater to a lot of varieties to give you the best of experiences. When paranthas at the Paranthewali Gali is a favourite for vegetarians, a rickshaw tour around Matia Mahal, opposite Jama Masjid, serves a quintessential breakfast meal which is filling at the same time a favourite amongst the locals. Nihari is the most famous breakfast meal around, which involves slow cooking of meat with nearly fifty varieties of spices, including garam masala, cumin, cardamom and other strong spices. This spicy dish is best eaten only in the morning. All passionate foodies who have a stomach of a pandora’s box, can join us for a tour in the meshed wired lanes of matia Mahal, which brims with the smell of lots of spices.

We understand, crawling out of bed, right in the morning is a tedious task, and we at ‘India City Walks’ strive to give you the rare glimpse of serene Shahjahanabad through the empty lanes and alleys.

A Unique perspective to Old Delhi, the history of Shahjahanabad can be sought while you take a rickshaw tour, as we do impromptu storytelling of all the places you visit, the colours and the soul of Old Delhi which makes it a living fabric of the city. Shot halt’s around the city where you would step down to experience the places, will be done, and of course for food tasting. Pick your bet, whether a food tour or a heritage tour, we are ever ready to deliver the best of the experiences!

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , , ,

The Effervescent City: Delhi!

Imagine a place, the longest serving capital of India, if not for urbanization; most of the sites could have been earmarked as archaeological sites. A place which is rich in cultural history, blending in since the medieval times. Yes, you heard me right! Delhi is a place which is ever evolving. The vibrancy of the place is marked by the hustle bustle of a cosmopolitan city blending with the pockets of traditional cultures, which adds to the diversity that is Delhi!

With all this, Delhi is also the home to the grand architectures which have been adorning the glory of the city since 12th century. Right from the forts, elaborate gateways to centuries old market place. With the urbanization kicking in, most of the heritage sites have been hugely neglected which adds on to their desecration. A case in point can be taken of Mehrauli Village. Major chunk of the architecture belonged to the Sultanate period which are either in ruins, not taken care of, or highly polluted because of lack of social awareness. This was the first ever city built in Delhi that we are talking about.

In contrast, the New Delhi area reflects the glory and the prowess of the British Empire. While a major chunk of the archaeological sites can be marked in South of Delhi, the grandeur in terms of material remains is what can be seen in the hamlet which we popularly call as ‘The Walled City’, the home to famous Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and Jama Masjid to name a few. A treasure trove of cultures, the walls of the for city have a lot to talk about its heritage.

But what is more significant of the city, is the fact that the city survives, with all its hustle bustle with an hour long traffic jams at various places, the city does not sleep. Be it the bumpy roads, illegal constructions or encroachments, which have become a norm in Delhi, of the test of patience that each car driver in the city faces, the city still moves. In the walled city, the narrow alleys which lead to the narrowest path, where you might think twice to step on a usual day, gives us an insight as to how these are still the living fabric of the city.

With all these, the city boasts of a vibrant culture of theatre, art and music, which is imcomparable with any other city. So have you tasted a slice of Delhi as yet?

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , , ,

The Cultural Hub that is Delhi!

India’s capital which has been reflecting the diversity of the nation and a range of cultural tradition since times immemorial, has been a show window to the whole country for a long time.

It is said, that the best way to experience Delhi, with its years of legacy is through the eyes of a passionate Delhiite, someone who offers you a perspective beyond the hustled lifestyle of the city, to explore the city’s soul. The landscape of Delhi is dotted with ample heritage buildings and structures which are intriguing enough to arouse curiosity even the busiest person urging him/her to step out from their tightly packed schedules and explore these places. You just need to pan at the right places.

‘Delhi Walks’ was conceptualized keeping the local cultural perspective in mind, the fact that the ‘right places’ or the heritage scattered all over Delhi’s nook and corners, waiting to be explore and discovered on foot by some passionate people about the city’s heritage and diverse history. By curating earthly experience to connect travellers with the city’s colorful past, thus providing a context for the present development of the city. These experiences are curated keeping in mind the larger narrative of the cultural amalgamation that the city boasts of.

You name a cultural experience, and the city has the experience right from the heart of the locals, residing there. While you are in North Delhi, you will experience how the medieval culture as well as the British monuments and the bloody remains of the first war of independence, coupled with the trails and the struggle for space right after partition had resulted in a culture which is a mix of typical Punjabi with a tinge of Mughal etiquettes can be seen in present days. The overarching grandeur of British monuments that have stayed back as a legacy keeps reminding us of the British influence on us.

When you travel towards the central part of Delhi, the central arcaded roads, with planned roundabouts which are built in the lap of greenery and wide roads which make you feel the British Raj at its best, every time you see the monuments.

From Central Delhi, we move right towards South Delhi, which was the centre of first habitation by all the invaders and rulers who came and ruled over Delhi. South Delhi has a mix of cultures from the 7th century A.D to the medieval monuments and overarching ruins which reflect a lot about the transition that Delhi was going through in the medieval past.

November 20, 2017 admin Blog, Culture , , ,
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