India was familiar to me. I have read Jungle Book, Just so Stories, Kim, as many as S. Maugham's short stories I could find, The Jewel in the crown - and seen the TV series-, Georgette Heyer's The Far Pavilions -and seen the TV series, R.P.Javarbahla....so no wonder that on the way to the hotel from the airport, although it was night time and dark, I felt that I could recognize the views: dusty.
The next morning my first impressions were confirmed. There is a thin layer of dust covering all, even the green bushes. For along with the milling crowds and heavy traffic Delhi has many green spaces, gardens and tree lined avenues.
We were meant to see a market, but I think that our guide decided to take advantage of a Sikh festival and let us have a powerful first impression of India; noisy traffic, loud prayers, merchants calls, colorful saris and children, festively dressed. I even saw Kim's skinny holy men, wearing huge turbans and wrapped in sheets.
We were visiting a Sikh temple during a special festival. So, as instructed, we covered our hair, took off our shoes and visited the temple. It was hard to get and impression of the temple architecture because it was so crowded but we were taken around the premises and witnessed the way Sikh worship. Apparently the main tenet of the religion is a special style of living , stressing generosity and care care for the ill and poor. As visitors we were made welcome and offered food and drink.
Lunch was suitably a Veda feast, with many kinds of dishes served in small cups.
On the way we walk through the Kinari bazaar which offers everything needed for Indian weddins. there is lots of gold, jewellery, braid, saris. The streets are very narrow but somehow cars and especially motorcycles manage to drive through at high seed, hand pressing the horn. The buildings lining the passageways are dilapidated but we are told that they are historic buildings and very luxurious inside. We also notice tangled electric cables hanging overhead; we are told that they are illegal and causing electric supply problems.
At Jama Masjid we climb the 120 steps, admire the view (India looks so much better from a distance), remove our shoes, put on some huge dressing gowns and walk around the courtyard; it is closed for non-Muslims at prayer time.
The place we visit later may be in a different country.This is Humayun's Tomb, a Mughal emperor. It is an imposing structure, displaying Indo-Islamic architecture. It is impressive but in a gentle, peaceful way. The monument is surrounded by gardens, restored to their original design .We see it late afternoon just before sunset, when the graceful gazelles who live here, lie down to rest
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