Showing posts with label Chawri Bazaar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chawri Bazaar. Show all posts

Thursday, 18 December 2014

India - Day 1: Nizamuddin Complex

One of the unfortunate things that happens when you get back from holiday is that real life reasserts itself and gets in the way. So apologies to those of you who have been eagerly waiting for the next installment: here it is, finally!

These are the final few photos from Day 1. After Chawri Bazaar, we took the metro (clean, efficient, stupidly cheap and pretty fast, if packed with people) to the Nizamuddin Complex. The main attraction the tomb of one of the most famous sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya, and has a number of other smaller tombs of his disciples in the surrounding area. We stayed around watching sunset over Delhi, or at least what you can see of the sun behind all of the smog. We then retired to the hotel, utterly footsore and knackered. Nothing like a busy day to help you get over jet lag...

The man responsible for the huge rolls of cardboard in the last post. His friend was very amused that I was taking photos of him.

Bags of coloured wooden beads in Chawri Bazaard
And yet more beads, just in case you didn't have enough...

One of the more picturesque streets in Old Delhi. The main attraction is a man getting his ears cleaned. 
Gateway to one of the tombs in the Nizamuddin complex
Said tomb. Looking a little worse for wear. 
The view from the roof of Nizamuddin's tomb
All of the tombs have beautiful carvings or marble work along the top and sides.
Chamber in one of the smaller tombs.

Just to prove that it really is us there! Also, it's harder than it looks to take a selfie with a DSLR - I had to make use of Christopher's long arms...

Me!
 More soon (I promise). Day 2 will bring the delights of India Gate and the world's largest Indian Flag, so hold on to your hats, people...






Monday, 24 November 2014

India - Day 1: Lunch and Chawri Bazaar

After a busy and hot morning in the Red Fort, we moved on to Chawri Bazaar, an area near Chandi Chowk known for it's shops. We tried (and failed) to get there on foot, so we eventually gave in to the crowd of rickshaw drivers to get there. Everything in Delhi is further apart than you think!

Around Chawri Bazaar, there are all sorts of small streets, each with its own theme: paper shops, metal working, beads, saris, text books, you name it. We had great fun wandering the streets feeling incredibly out of place and looked at like we were mad, but it was wonderful to get out and explore. Christopher took the opportunity to indulge in some excellent street food. I was still full from breakfast (and feeling the effects of travel) but it gave me a great excuse to take loads of photos. Hearty lunch for 40 rupees (40p). Yum.

Cycle rickshaw to Chawri Bazaar
A somewhat laid-back passenger in another rickshaw
Quilt makers and sellers
A woman inspecting the produce
Lunch please...
Samosas!
A man with a paan cart. Paan is a palate cleanser made with a variety of different ingredients and wrapped in a leaf. Apparently chew very carefully, or your mouth will explode (says Christopher).

One of Delhi's many, many dogs taking a well-earned rest in the heat.

A brass pipe shop! Floor to ceiling brass pipe. Sandwiched between two other brass pipe shops. On a brass pipe street. You get the idea...

We went into a small shop piled high with paper and notebooks, all with beautiful tie-dyed covers and sold by weight.

Rolls of corrugated card

A shrine next to rubbish gathering on the street. Very Indian. 


The staircase up to a textbook emporium.
I couldn't decide whether I liked the colour of B&W version better