October 23, 2024
After a long travel day (over 30 hours) I was finally in Delhi heading to my hotel. Even though it was almost midnight traffic was insane!!! The city was all lit up including the India gate. Can’t wait to daylight to begin evploring.
My first day in Delhi began with a walk about in the neighborhood surrounding my hotel.
Although colloquially Delhi and New Delhi are used interchangeably to refer to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, both are distinct entities, with the municipality and the New Delhi district forming a relatively small part within the megacity of Delhi. There are 16.8 million people living in the NCT of Delhi. The city is chaotic with insane traffic and swarms of people even early in the morning.
Today we visited the Bangla Sahib Sikh temple (also known as the golden temple) where Sikhism is practiced.Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that originated in the Punjab region of India in the late 15th century, and currently is practiced by tens of millions of people around the world. At the temple, we had an opportunity to learn more about this religious minority, who believe strongly in giving back to the community. There is a yellow flag pole in the courtyard that an be seen through out the city so people know where they can seek refuge.
Our explorations of the temple included a visit to the on-site community kitchen. Upwards of 30,000 people a day are served meals here by volunteers. The underlying principle of this practice is that everyone who comes here, regardless of religion, social caste, gender, or other socio-economic factors, is welcomed and provided a meal. I sat on the floor with the local and was serve a meal. The volunteers came around with their large metal buckets to scoop out food to the masses. They were genuinely happy to be serving and were all smiles! There was an overwhelming sense of joy and peace as the people swarmed into the hall to share a meal really different than I have experienced in the US. I had a chance to take part in this selfless service by helping to make and bake bread. It was an incredibly special opportunity to interact with people as the ladies joyfully rolled the dough and helped us to learn the process.
During the afternoon free time I headed to the Lodhi gardens for a walk . The twin tombs of Bada Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad (both from 1494) and the fortress like called complex of Sikander Lodi’s tomb are the most notable structures of the gardens. It was a peaceful walk away from the chaos of the city. We took a tuk tuk both ways and being in the crazy traffic zipping along the twist and turns of the street was so much fun!!
My first day exploring Delhi was everything I had hoped for and the time spent at the community kitchen made this a “Best Day Ever….so far!!”
Amazing experience.
I’m very interested in following this trip. It is one that Mac would like to go on, but I have never been interested in going to India. Maybe you’ll change my mind. You always seem to glean the very best from your travels. Looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your photos.
So glad you were able to see and connect so well with the culture and all its diversity. It’s amazing how a person’s attitude towards giving back to their community can be so varied depending on what country you are in. You have a unique perspective on how it’s supposed to be in helping your fellow man. Keep bringing your positive attitude and great smile to all you come in contact with. It does not go unnoticed. ❤️