Delhi - First Impressions

Firstly, the place of the religious. The first thing to greet the newly arrived after walking up the air-bridge from the plane was a somewhat out of place sandstone carving of Ganesh (a god associated with commercial success) leaning precariously against a dirty-grey tiled pillar. There were, in fact, a few of these, along with the odd silver trumpet lying nearby. My taxi-van and driver also had their own assortment of relics, no doubt to cut a safer path through the dodgem-style traffic (more on that below). Of particular note to me (as a religious studies student) was the bouquet-garni of green chillies and limes tied to one of the windscreen wipers. From memory this is a magical charm used to ward off yakshis (evil spirits), but I felt it also contributed to degreasing the driver's side of the windscreen.
Secondly, the road rules. Or lack of them. Lanes mean nothing. Let there be no mistake with this, they mean nothing. The four lane 'dual-carriage highway' that rings the airport was host to six to seven 'lanes' of traffic, not counting those making their way off-road. Even the side of the road one drives on is only conceived of as a way to make things slightly easier. Any chance to overtake traffic, even if it means weaving through the oncoming flow, is taken without a thought.
Thidly, spending on public infrastructure. There seems to be very little. The supply of electricity, for instance, is a hit and miss affair. Indeed, I had just finished writing this paragraph and was about to save when we had a power failure... Paragraph lost. A more poetic example for me could not be had. Perhaps not so for the reader, however. Likewise, roads are better thought of as a series of connected potholes with little to no drainage. On days like today, when it rains, they quickly turn into medieval mudbaths, through which the pedestrian must pick their way with care.
Nonetheless, this town is growing on me. It has a defiant charm, and is filled with smiling, friendly people. Most importantly, for me at least, it has good food. Cheap too! My luch today (which I could not finish, so large were the portions) of dahl, malai kofta, fermented cheese, veg curry, roti, and rice cost a princely 73 rupees, or around $2.50.
My hotel, while nothing special in so far as the accommodation is concerned, is run by two very friendly brothers and a host of boys who run around switching the generator on when the power goes, and make sure that your key is waiting for you as soon as you walk in the door.
My hotel is in Paharganj. It's a madhouse, but it's close to everything and is easy to negotiate.














Yesterday I didn't do too much, being exhausted after the 26 hour journey. However, today was spent wandering around the impressive Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Apparently it can hold up to 25,000 worshippers, although this seemed a touch ambitious to me.















In the grey overcast half-light it looked a little dull and dejected. However, I suspect it a sunny afternoon would bring out its magical qualities.
I also had my first cycle-rickshaw experience. Aside from feeling one's life may be about to end under one of the huge trucks or after being tossed out after bouncing over a pothole, it is an excellent way to get a feel for the smell, sound, and sights of the street.



Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm hiring a taxi for the day (about $15) so as to save the hassel of arguing with drivers about which shop I want to go to. I had a particuclarly adamant Sikh auto-rikshaw driver today who almost wouldn't take no for an answer and then lectured me on the benefits Sikhism has brought to the world and what a great one he was... Barmy!