Old Delhi and its charming mundane life

Puraani Dilli aur uski rozmarra ki saadgi

It’s a beautiful early morning here in Delhi. I am out with friends, clicking pictures and admiring the world around me.

We make our way through the crowded lanes of Old Delhi (Puraani Dilli), a region laden with chaos yet full of life. I look at the different faces, observe the small shacks and shops, and curiously stare at the heaps of electrical wires coming together in a disarrayed fashion. I wonder how this place is even functioning. There is barely any order!

But that is where its beauty lies. It's going with the flow. You don't need to make sense of it. Pointless! Just surrender, and you get to experience the magnanimity of it.

I started my day at the Chawri Bazaar Metro Station, and now I am near the Jama Masjid. I look around and see many tightly packed shops and makeshift places of business. There is the famous Qureshi Kebab Shop right at the corner. The softest, delectable kebabs for affordable rates! Nearby, there is a lane full of the famous eateries like Al-Jawahar and Karims. One can also find here the Instagram favourite, Aslam Chicken.

I move ahead towards the lane meant for the makers and fixers, surrounded by old scrap and varied parts of motor vehicles. As I walk ahead, I see an ironsmith. While he is hammering the side part of a scooter, a few scattered goats can be seen roaming about. The owner is just walking along without a worry in the world. He isn’t stressed about losing these feisty ones in the crowd. He believes the goats know who their abba is! 😀 No matter where they go, they will always come back home. That's the belief the locals like him have in their everyday rituals.

I move along towards the next lane. There are many tea stalls here providing an unlimited supply of elixir for the day. What's India without tea? We wouldn't know. Nearby, there are sweet shops frying jalebis and kachoris to perfection. There's Imarti as well. My favourite!

There is so much happening around, yet everything seems to be in its place. My friends and I hop onto an e-rickshaw towards Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest wholesale spice market. The rickshaw is picking up speed, honking in the lanes full of enthusiastic shoppers, cargo loaders, ragpickers, vagabonds, and the locals who call purani dilli their home. There’s more - The kulfi walas, the chaat vendors, chole kulcha carts, Kebab shops, and whatnot. You can see the old havelis nearby. Some turned into cafes, some still brimming with the familiar laugh of a dadi looking at her grandchildren involved in play.

The tonga waalas still exist here in the old city, while in New Delhi, one can easily spot the latest sports car blasting Drake or even Honey Singh at the top of its lungs. On this side of Delhi, you would be happy to listen to the dhinchak beats on a local music system in the mohalla, as well as mellow dhuns and ragas on the Akashvani. There’s puraane geet and ghazals too. You just need to be present at the right place at the right time.

There is so much stimulus and life here. It is upon you to see and experience this place from your perspective. There is always beauty in the mundane. You just need to pause and absorb.