19 July 2007

OLD DELHI

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i promised ZZZ WRITER that i'd post some pictures of streets of old Delhi, but i couldn't find many, have to search, its lot easier for me to go to Delhi and take pictures again than going through my pile of CDs gathering dust, what a mess!!. My life is completely disorganised. This what i am, look at the picture below, i am India, this is where i belong.

Sorry JEE JEE Bitiya, this is all i could find


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41 comments:

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

these fotos r good saar, but yes if u can make a trip to delhi n post fotos then nothing like it :)

Ruth said...

This is the first time I think I've seen photos in daylight again without a woman! I looked and looked, and apparently there are no women on the streets in Dehli (not including the tourist in the first shot). Even at the bazaar, selling, it's men. This is quite astonishing.

So, is this anything you'd noticed?

Want to know where you're going next.

Oh! no, I spotted a couple of women in the 2nd photo.

Ruth said...

What I meant was this was the first POST I remember without a woman.

isa said...

Vegetables and stairs...that's all you've given us here ;-) What are you trying to say? We need to lose weight?

Yes, I vote that you take another trip to old Delhi and show us more!

PS I agree with Ruth - where are the women? Who normally shops for food? Who cooks the meals in the family?

Vishesh said...

:) another must visit :)

Sewmouse said...

So colorful. The vegetables look better than the ones in my market here. Do the sellers have a set price, or do the purchasers argue with them on prices?

I was in Tiajuana in Mexico when I was much younger and was expected to argue on price. It felt very foreign and uncomfortable to me.

Beenzzz said...

That is the Jama Masjid, correct? I was there in March. You are a very talented photographer!

katy said...

all those people i would so feel closed in, perfer to sit on the steps without the crowd

rauf said...

Your Majesty Crown Princess

i have been avoiding Delhi for some good reasons. i can no longer afford it with my paltry travel budget. i skip and hop in to a different train. i love old Delhi, i have taken many pictures perhaps in a different camera. Can't find them. Yes i'll go there again. But not to New Delhi. i don't want to pick up a fight with the Prime minister. Why unnecessary tension.

rauf said...

Ruth, i don't know, i never noticed. Now i have to check all my posts. i have picked up fights with Priests but i have always been very respectful to Nuns. One funny incident in Wynad Kerala. I went to a Bakery to buy some biscuits ( cookies) i found a Nun buying some bread and other things. I asked her if she would mind if i pay for what she bought. First she was surprised then she laughed, She said in Malayalam that she has an account in the Bakery and told the shop keeper to put what i bought in her account. The shop keeper refused to take any money from me. She ranted something in very fast Malayalam which i couldn't understand. Then she stuffed a bar of chocolate in my hands and left. Very funny.

This was very early in the morning Ruth, normally only women do the buying of daily needs. i am also surprised. i never noticed.

There are women in my posts largely because they manage things better. For them management is natural, they don't need an MBA.
A woman comes to my street selling vegetables. Wish i could post her voice and shoot a video. Hers is the best sales strategy i have ever seen. She makes people come out of their houses. This uneducated woman can conduct workshops for the best brains in advertising. Ruth, you should see how women sell fish in the fish market. Only women can deal with such tough competetion. No one pays any attention to some novel methods of selling. You can write a book on it Ruth. When you come to India you'll have lots of subjects to write.

oh I don't know, i am confused really, i am not booking any ticket, i'll go to the station and decide.

rauf said...

IZZI SWEET, whattoo ?
yes yes yes. i'll go to Delhi again and take some pictures. Any one from Delhi would be annoyed with these pictures. Is this where our President lives ? Is this the Capital of India ?
I never go to New Delhi IZZI, fly overs turnpikes, huge multistoreyd malls, the traffic. i skip Delhi and Bangalore. i hate both the cities, but i love old Delhi. And you need a lot of money in Delhi which i never have.

rauf said...

Vishesh, yes being the capital of India. Only for academic interest, otherwise i would advise you to skip. You said you hate smoking and smokers. One day in Delhi is like smoking 2 packs of cigarettes.

Ruth said...

Hehe, that's a good story. I think when you do good things like that, something good happens to you. Sometimes it's just the feeling of warmth, but sometimes it's like what happened to you, someone actually does you a favor. It's a cosmic law, just like physical laws. I wonder what they said to you.

We did not have any women sellers in Istanbul. We had a vegetable seller on our corner, but he was grumpy and we were maybe the only faithful customers. Women bought their goods early there too. Went home, cooked supper in the morning. Did housework, washed windows. Then sat all afternoon gossiping, drinking tea. But they could run the country, very smart.

Now I want to write a book comparing Turkish and Indian women.

rauf said...

SEWMOUSE, Road side vegetables are always fresh. so many people, they sell very fast, they have to, they have no access to refregeration. Yes there is a set price, no room for bargaining.
Now giant corporations have come in selling vegetables and fruits in fancy malls, my sister says, the prices are the same. Now even the lower middle class people prefer to buy from fancy malls.
i am confused actually, on one hand you get everything under one roof in a mall. On the other hand, these giant corporations using modern farming equipment put poor farmers and farm hands out of work
They end up committing suicides. And these poor roadside vegetable sellers would soon go out of business.

rauf said...

BEEENZZZ, Thank you, welcome to daylight again, Yes yes it is Jama Masjid. The surroundings are not very clean but i love the atmosphere and terrific food you get there.

rauf said...

HER INDOORS, India is a land of extremes. Its hard to find places where there is no crowd. And still there are places where no one ever goes. There are so many forts and temples in ruins.
We have very little of wilderness left.

Alicia M B Ballard StudioGaleria said...

Raufie dear

should I ever come and visit I might get forever lost in the streets and the captivating charm in the air...
oh, the fresh veggies, the sounds, the smells - hmmmmm

lots of love and hugs

PS
Even manage to write and post myself today! :)

Pauline said...

The photos are very revealing. I did notice it was the men shopping;however that would not make me complain. It is the energy displayed, the community connection, the discussions that are taken from us in the new malls.
There is a power in the gathering of local shoppers found only in this setting.

FOUR DINNERS said...

Didn't know there was an Old Delhi. Suppose it's obvious as there's a New Delhi. Don't do obvious.

I don't suppose they'd like to pop over here and cheer on Oldham Athletic. We've never had a ground so full of people before!!

sandy said...

This was so cool seeing these pictures. In my mind I love India, although I've never been there.

DJ Kirkby said...

Once again such beautiful pictures, but oh there are just so many people! Too many for me, I would hate to walk in those crowds...

rauf said...

Ruth, fish markets are very interesting places, you'll have to bear the stink. These ladies sing songs to attract customers. sometimes the songs are obscene. If the lady had a bad day and couldn't sell much, she may throw dirty water on you if your bargain is insulting. i have not been to a fish market in recent past. They used to announce their rates in good rhyming songs. How her fish would brighten up your day how you can make your husband attracted to you by feeding him her fish. i don't know if the younger generation of fisher women still sing those songs.

rauf said...

Ruth Never never get in to a fight with a fisher woman. The language is always obscene. My mom used to send me to buy fish but i was always terrified of bargaining.
but i always got some bonus fish from these ladies. i prefered men sellers, these ladies would say you don't know what a woman is come buy from me. i stopped going there. it is still a nightmare for me.

rauf said...

dearest Angel there is not much here, Delhi is surrounded by very fertile land. the reason for repeated invasions. So plenty of vegetables and fruits. Very good and cheap food on the roadside. Its the atmosphere and the activity which i find very charming, but locals avoid crowded places and prefer, modern fancy shopping malls, i avoid them as much as possible. i find that i am not myself, and i act like a thief in these shopping malls.
love and HugsAngel

rauf said...

Hi Pauline, normally women do all the shopping for daily needs, now, working women don't have time for that. So they do weekly shopping. Women carry all the burdon on their shoulders, in the cities and more so in the villages.
Yes as you say the atmosphere in such open market places is bursting with energy. i love to be there.

rauf said...

Ah FOUR DINNERS, old Delhi is where all the Moghuls ruled, forts and palaces, New Delhi is pretty modern and boring, just speeding cars, smog, fly overs. When foreign dignitaries visit India, they are shown only that. Wow, India is pretty advanced. they don't get the stink in the airconditioned cars and they are never shown where people live.

rauf said...

Thank you Sandy, Its a happening place. Activity everywhere. Good place to sit and observe people. No one objects if you take pictures, you'd love it

rauf said...

well DJ That is India. People everywhere. You can experience India in the flight itself, it will be very noisy.

Ruth said...

Are you telling me that children get sex ed at the fish market? Haha. If Don taught 4th grade in India he wouldn't have to teach the boys sex ed; just send them to the fish market, "be sure to buy from the ladies. Come back, write me a report."

I wanted to see what kind of fish you catch in Chennai, just googled "type fish sold chennai" and I found this Indian guy who said when he was growing up, going to fish market with his mom, didn't know if he was drooling on the fish or the beautiful women selling them:

http://kamalji.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/07/fish-market-2.htm

Ruth said...

Why did you delete your analog clock? Now I have to use my noggen: It's exactly 16:00 right now, let's see, take away 12, hey, it's 4pm!

rauf said...

hahaha Ruth, i never had that education. it would be a good subject for research though. i am a good subject too. i am a good 'specimen' My cousin who is a doctor in England used to make me stand and count my bones with a book in her hand. i said why don't you count your own bones, she said counting your bones is easy, you are a walking skeleton.

Cindy said...

I love the pictures of all the people and all that produce- so colorful and vibrant...

Anonymous said...

toujours des images dépaysantes et colorées.

rauf said...

Cindy, There is activity everywhere, so much life and interaction. Indians love to talk. They don't hesitate and they'll ask you lots of questions and they'll make you talk. Some don't like it. i sit with them have tea and chat.

rauf said...

Thank you MARIE, please come to India, its a land of extremes, colourful activities every where. Ruth Translated your comment for me. She has been to Paris many times and she has a blog on Paris
Paris Deconstructed please see her photoblog FLYING


and dear readers please click here to Enjoy MARIE's gorgeous pictures

lorenzothellama said...

Dear Rauf,
Thank you for these pictures. My only experience with Delhi was an overnight stop at Delhi Airport. (what a place!! so exciting) We were whisked away to a hotel on the outskirts of the city for the night, and then onto Katmandu the next day.

I loved Katmandu and spent many hours just wandering around by myself. The Nepalese are so gentle and friendly.

Seeing your photos I would love to go back to Delhi and spend some time there. It looks really interesting.

Thank you for visiting me again. I have seen your Potter posting before and I love it. These are the true potters, those who dig their clay and work with man-powered wheels, not electric ones like me. I did however, have to make pottery my main income as I was bringing up four children alone. I combined potting and selling my pots with teaching pottery to blind and disabled people and taking a few private students at home.
Love Lorenzo.

Cuckoo said...

Delhi, my Delhi. It is always very little to talk about it. So fascinating the place is.

rauf said...

LORENZO, sorry for the late response, i completely missed it.
Delhi airport has very elite atmosphere and it is hardly an image of India. You see real India only in Villages. Hope you'd visit one day Lorenzo.

i spent a couple of days in Khatmandu on a hired bicycle. got drenched in rain.
lots of love
rauf

rauf said...

CUCKOO Ji, i thought you are in Mumbaai. I'll post pictures of Delhi soon. i don't like New Delhi though.

Sangita S said...

Hey nice pics..How do u get the mind to catch up the frantic pace of market in ur camera..It looks so pretty ..Last one is the best of the lot which bldng is that? Also the steps very pretty though surprised how r they so empty..Wow u bring out the mood and prettiness of the bldngs ..Nice

rauf said...

Thanks SANGITA, couldn't find other pictures. i stop for a second take picture and keep walking. i don't look at the people. But in India no one really objects. Those are the steps of Jama masjid early in the morning. not many people. Later in the day the place gets filled up with hawkers beggers. Indira Gandhi cleaned it up and removed all the shops around jama masjid during emergency.