I am writing this blog-post to be a part of #madeofgreat Zonal War and I am playing it for North.
I grew up in Lucknow for the first thirteen years of my life and then moved on to Noida and then Delhi. Initially the capital of India did not impress me but in the last twelve years, it has grown on me. The city has lots to inspire us from the past because of its historic roots and significant position in history. From the by-lanes of Old Delhi to the the plush food outlets, there is no denying the fact that Delhi is the famous one when it comes to gastronomical indulgences and if you talk about its people, it has schooled the best of best in the form of top bureaucrats, writers, literary experts, diplomats, sports-persons and top journalists. How does one hate it when its got so much to love it?
In context to Drive, Design and Connect, I would say my city has one of the best roads in India. I have learnt to drive here and when you are in South Delhi, you really can’t ignore the beautiful, wide lanes. If traffic jams and pollution is a concern here, it is because Delhi has a huge number of vehicles. Of course, the evolving infrastructure in the form of wider network of roads, Delhi metro and more number of flyovers helps us meet our everyday commutation needs. Running late? Relax!! Almost every part of the city is well connected with public transport. The Metro is definitely expanding rapidly but for now we have the Green and the Red buses. And if you are not too fond of the buses, you have the option of auto-rickshaws. They are easily accessible all around the city.
Compare it with any city and Delhi wins hands down in heritage and culture. The city also makes us connect with art, music, fashion and more from around the globe. The capital city connects people from all over the country. The food of Delhi binds us all together. There are kebabs in the old Delhi and Momos in New Delhi and they are delicious everywhere. It has state-of-the-art shopping malls and the global brands in there help us connect with global fashion. Delhi is famous for big fat weddings and that’s where we connect with our huge gang of family and friends. And last but not the least, can we be without talking about its flagship airport. Here, the global connect is in millions every year.
The capital has endless novelty and it is because of its design of the city and the design of its monuments. From Qutub Minar to Humayun’s Tomb to Akshardham Temple, we have the best in architecture too. It has five prominent areas to it East, West, North, South and Central Delhi. South Delhi is a charmer when it comes to its manicured lanes. There are gorgeous parks in the middle of the city. If you have not been to India Gate, Raj Ghat yet, you should not miss it next time when you are in Delhi. Not just it, go to Pragati Maidan for some of the best fairs and events.
No doubt, Delhi has bagged a negative image lately but I would say the city is not be blamed for that, it is the administrative failures and political tussles that have led to its fate of being called unsafe. In the last few years, I have traveled to quite a number of places in India and in comparison to most of them, I would say Delhi is the best in many ways.
I write this while I am exploring Dubai these days. Keep following my travel updates @manjulika5
