Dilwalonkidilli

The Greenery of the Metropolitan Delhi!

A usual metropolitan city is an image of being overpopulated concrete jungles. Delhi reflects these characteristics but it also has a lot of green covers and refuge from the hustle and bustle of a city life. One such example of a protected green cover is Lodhi Garden, a name which already provides a hint to the characteristic of the place. One of the beautiful landscapes with perfect manicured gardens in Delhi has a good mix of history, nature and gives a sense of peace whenever someone decides to spend time there. It is this location, where people, from all walks of life, come, interact and have a good time, during the afternoon. Mornings are quite hustled as joggers getting their morning exercise routine on the stone path, or families coming for a garden picnic next to the lake for an exquisite quality time, while photography enthusiasts can delve in taking different angles of the pictures coupled with beautiful tomb structures in the background dating back to the Lodhi period as one can explore the serenity of the garden only on a leisurely walk.

Lutyen’s Delhi is another area which is filled with greenery. The wide roads, built around 18th century by the British, which reflects the colonial as well as neo-classical architecture. The prowess of the British Empire can be seen in the way the roads have been laid as well as the monuments which were built by them. You can imagine, if you have a separate elaborate gateway for King George the Vth, which is the India Gate, the amount of prowess they would have had is humungous.

Delhi offers opportunity to even deep dive in history and simultaneously enjoy the greenery at Mehrauli Archaeological Park. With the clearly visible Qutub Minar in distance greeting everyone and beckoning them to explore the 200 acres’ area sprawling with greenery and ruins from seven historic cities of Delhi. In terms of history and the city of Delhi having a character we have provided enough examples to prove that there is more to Delhi than just the traffic and its metropolitan status.

Even the area we refer to as Lutyens Delhi was built in the late eighteenth century by the British, so the modern and colonial architectural style that one sees in Connaught Place or the area around Rashtrapati Bhawan or the Civil Lines area are part of the built heritage of the city and add to its characteristics.

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?

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