Home » India » New Delhi, Monday the 16th of August

Feeling already marginally better, I decided after breakfast to head to the old city of Delhi. It was a fresh morning and the chaos of the city did me good. I found a chapatti seller and bought all his stock to give to the army of dogs surrounding me and a few of the kids, if they were nice to the dogs. I soon became very popular and had gathered a crowd of curious and possibly believers. I felt like they were expecting something from me and that I should make some sort of statement or action but I could not work out what they were hoping for. I quickly distributed what was left of the chapattis and made my way to the Jami Masjid Mosque, India largest mosque. It was planned by Shah Jahan and completed in 1658. There are 4 angle towers and two 40 metres high minarets and a very large open square where about 25000 people can assemble and pray. Built all with red sandstone, I find it to be the most impressive sight in the city. The mosque itself was closed to non-believers but that could be because I turned up during prayer time.<br/><br/>

New Delhi, Monday the 16th of August

Degrubenc
2005-12-09 17:27:48

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Feeling already marginally better, I decided after breakfast to head to the old city of Delhi. It was a fresh morning and the chaos of the city did me good. I found a chapatti seller and bought all his stock to give to the army of dogs surrounding me and a few of the kids, if they were nice to the dogs. I soon became very popular and had gathered a crowd of curious and possibly believers. I felt like they were expecting something from me and that I should make some sort of statement or action but I could not work out what they were hoping for. I quickly distributed what was left of the chapattis and made my way to the Jami Masjid Mosque, India largest mosque. It was planned by Shah Jahan and completed in 1658. There are 4 angle towers and two 40 metres high minarets and a very large open square where about 25000 people can assemble and pray. Built all with red sandstone, I find it to be the most impressive sight in the city. The mosque itself was closed to non-believers but that could be because I turned up during prayer time.

I like the feel of the old city, it is full of stalls selling absolutely everything from belts, carpets to horses. The atmosphere is full of life and shouts. It is the true India, not the administrative India found a few streets away, in the New Delhi.

After a few hours of walking the streets of the old city and reading in the shade of a café, I buy another pack of chapattis and head for the red Fort. The light there is extraordinary on this surprisingly empty building. The inside is full of bats and the outside is full of dogs. I feed them all yet again and have the feeling of recognizing a large strong black dog from the last time I came here with my parents. Then my mother overfed (much as I am doing today) a tiny black puppy; my father and I were convinced that the poor thing exploded later in a corner as he had eaten so much. I have a feeling the strong black dog eating in front of me is the same ...