Very Sparkling Happy Diwali

I came to Hyderabad to meet with colleagues and to escape Delhi's notorious autumnal smog.  As a bonus, Diwali was celebrated while I was there and I joined in some of the celebrations.  Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals, celebrating the victory of good over evil.  It was described to me as the Hindi equivalent of Christmas, and is similarly transforming into a secular festival celebrating family and the giving of presents.  Most of my colleagues planned to return to their villages for the celebrations, which extend for the best part of a week.  Diwali itself is on the new moon which falls (in the modern western calendar) between mid-October and mid-November each year.

For the few nights leading up to Diwali some rockets were set off, by those who couldn't wait any longer.  It was fun seeing them light up the night sky!  Fireworks in Hyderabad were selling for as little as INR500 (AUD 10) a kilogram, which is pretty cheap - there are a LOT of fireworks in a kilo!

The night before Diwali there was a party at the research institute: we dressed in our finest, South Asian style, and those who had access to kitchens brought a plate to share.  It was a very colourful, happy evening: there was lots of dancing and even games of the Indian version of bingo, which has confirmed in me that I find bingo intensely dull.

The day of Diwali, I discovered that it's customary to wish everyone "Happy Diwali," but if you hope they have a really good Diwali you wish them a "Very Sparkling Happy Diwali!"  During the day things were fairly quiet - it was a public holiday (but fortunately the canteen didn't close!).  After dark  (well, actually, shortly before dusk, people were keen) the fireworks really started going off, making every other firework event pale in comparison: there were just so many explosions, non stop.  As the air thickened with smoke - even on the research station, well out of Hyderabad - and the night sky lit up with occasional flashes it struck me that Diwali was like a very peaceful war zone: while there was no sense of danger the atmosphere was oppressive and there was no escape from the noise and smoke.

It turns out fireworks are another thing it's difficult to photograph well...particularly when the air is hazy

Around the research station campus many people had lit small oil lamps around their flats and in one of the communal areas people were letting off fireworks.  These were mainly a sort of horizontal Catherine wheel which spun round on the ground before fizzing out, with the occasional rocket which did actually go vertical and splash colour across the sky.

Heading back to Delhi a few days later the airport was still decorated Diwali style!

Hyderabad...briefly

Charminar

I spent a week in Hyderabad in November - mainly I was working, slightly out of town, but some friends lent me their car for a half day and I did a bit of exploring in the town itself.  Hyderabad is very prosperous (it's one of the cities in which major international companies place their staff - there's a Special Economic Zone for IT industries) and very, very clean, particularly when compared to Patna.

The very clean, tidy streets of Hyderabad, with Charminar in the background

One of the major attractions of the centre of Hyderabad is Charminar - it was originally a mosque, and the name means 'four towers.'  Charminar is a huge structure, but so gracefully built it doesn't appear particularly large, it's just that in comparison everything else is very small.  I climbed the three or so stories to where there is a walkway underneath the dome - there are great views in all four directions and the marble structure itself is delicately carved, elegantly proportioned and very beautiful.

Looking across the walkway under the dome...

...looking down from the dome...

...and looking up from the ground at the walkway under the dome

I visited on a Sunday morning just after the gates opened and the place was bustling with families having a day out.  Apparently after lunch it's almost impossible to get in, it's so popular

The stone path between the staircases in the pillars and the walkway around the dome

One of the views from the top - they go in for impressively-sized archways in Hyderabad

I don't think Charminar is used as a mosque any more - I and many other women weren't required to cover our heads inside.  Nearby is the current, much larger mosque.  I didn't realise, but Hyderabad has a sizable Muslim population (around 40% I think) and there have been some religious tensions.

The mosque next door to Charminar.  It's an even larger building!!

Hindus have tacked a temple onto one side of Charminar - it looks out of place, like a large golden mushroom blooming in the wrong place - which has done nothing to cool tempers and now has a constant police presence on guard to protect worshipers

The Hindu temple on the side of Charminar.  The blue screens have been set up by the police

Once I'd looked at Charminar I wandered down the street, to the Laad Bazaar, which the (15 year old) guidebook I'd read had recommended as one of the top places to shop.  15 years is a long time in guidebooks: Laad had not aged well, and I was not in the market for second hand plastic crap paraphernalia.  Still, it was interesting to wander around - not least because I was clearly a novelty for some of the other shoppers and traders.

Laad Bazaar from a distance, where it's quite sweet...

...and up close; less to recommend it at this perspective...

...though there are some treasures, like this lamp

I'd like to have more time to explore more of Hyderabad: there's a fortress on the hill I didn't get to, and I hear that there's a whole street of bangles somewhere else near Charminar.  I'll definitely have to go back!

Hyderabad's Fortress on the Hill (and more very clean streets)

The Claridges, New Delhi

Last year a colleague introduced me to the Claridges Hotel, in Delhi, and it's now a favourite.  Besides being within easy walking distance of Lodhi Gardens it's peaceful and very relaxing with friendly, competent staff - a nice place to come back to after a few weeks travelling round rural areas.  I don't stay there all the time - it's outside my budget unless I can find a good special online - but I do enjoy their quirky touches:

Flowers
There are lots of flowers everywhere - in the rooms, and up and down the hallways.  Not only are the flowers REAL (and not dusty, as so many fake flowers are!) they smell great, and the whole hotel smells pleasantly floral.  It's a huge improvement on the plug-in chemical diffusers hidden away in many other hotels.  I start my stay in a lot of hotels hunting down all the power points and making sure nothing nasty is plugged in.

Laundry
As if it weren't wonderful enough that someone else does my laundry for me, if I ask for my laundry to be folded (as opposed to hung) it comes back discreetly packaged in its own basket.  I don't think anyone takes as much pride in laundry as Claridges' housekeeping!  Inside the basket everything, including my pyjamas, is starched into crisp submission.  Because nothing says Well Dressed For Bed like properly starched collar and cuffs.

I once got a shirt rejected by housekeeping: they sent it back because it came in with a small stain on one shoulder and, thinking they couldn't take the stain out (they were right), they didn't want to wash it in case I assumed they'd put the stain in.  It was quite a battle to get that shirt washed and back into my limited wardrobe again but eventually, and with some anguish, the Head Housekeeper agreed to accept a garment which could only be delivered back to the guest in an imperfect state.

My shirt, with a note politely rejecting it

Food

Breakfast!  Watermelon juice, fresh fruit and  bircher muesli 

The food is excellent, with lots of fresh fruit and vegies.  I stock up on salads and western food (they do a mean pear, rocket and blue cheese salad!).  Most western meals in room service come with teeny tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce; I guess in case you find your meal too subtly flavoured.

Emergency spice with all Western meals.  That's a 500ml bottle of water: the Tabasco really is small

There is an on-site bakery which makes and sells bespoke cakes for parties and functions, and which services the hotel's cafe.  There are traditional-looking cakes to eat with coffee which would give any patisserie competition...

Raspberry & white chocolate mousse

...and some amazing looking non-traditional options!  I've not (yet) had corn-on-the-cob cake but maybe one day I'll be tempted.  For research.

Gardens
Unusually, in my experience of Delhi hotels, Claridges has an outdoor restaurant (with excellent tapas!) and a separate, beautifully manicured, lawn on which, depending on the time of day, you can order afternoon tea, a drink, or a light meal and watch people coming and going through the main entrance.

My current hypothesis is that Indian sparking wine is very good, however I continue to increase my sample size to ensure my results are statistically significant

Hiding on the streets of Delhi

I was in Delhi the morning news of the Paris attacks broke, 14 November 2015.  I watched the ghastly news unfolding for an hour or so before heading out for my morning walk.  As I walked to Lodhi Gardens it struck me that the streets were particularly quiet, even for a Saturday morning in the diplomatic quarter.

The quiet was so great that I started to write a text as I went, commenting on how well India was protecting other countries' representatives in the light of the French tragedy, with fewer cars driving round and perhaps even more security officers near the hotel than normal.  As I walked along, focussed on my phone, I was aware of whistles blowing - but someone is always blowing a whistle or tooting a horn in Delhi, and it's either not aimed at me (I'm not cutting you off at this roundabout) or, if it is I don't want to engage (I don't want to visit India Gate again, I'm quite able to get to Khan markets by myself), so I just ignored the whistles and kept texting.

As I pressed 'send,' however, one of the more senior security men gave up whistling and ran up to me, halfway along the block between my hotel and the park:

Army Officer: "Madam!  You should not be here!  You are in the security cordon!"

Alixon: "Oh!  I am sorry, Sir!  I didn't know there was a security cordon!  Why is it here?"

AO: "Oh dear, Madam, perhaps your hotel is within the security cordon.  But you should not be here, and now you must go!"

Alixon: "Yes, of course, Sir!  Is it possible for me to go forwards? I am going to Lodhi Gardens.  And why is there a security cordon this morning?"

AO: "No, Madam, you cannot go forwards!  The security cordon extends forwards!"

Alixon: "Oh, Sir, must I go backwards?  I have come from backwards, I want to go forwards!  And why is there a security cordon?"

AO: "No, Madam you cannot go backwards!  The security cordon extends backwards!"

Alixon: "Sir, if I cannot go backwards and I cannot go forwards, where would you like me go?  And why is there a security cordon?"

AO: "Madam, you must stand very still, away from the road.  Stand next to this tree!  And this soldier will stand in front of you.  Do not move!"

Alixon: "Sir, yes, I will stand still next to the tree.  But, Sir, will I have to stand like this for long?  And is this because of the Paris attacks???"

AO: "Madam, what are these Paris attacks?  The President is coming!  Quickly now - and be still!"

And so it turned out that I had inadvertently wandered into the path of the Presidential motorcade, and was a headache for the man responsible for that particular block.  I don't think anyone regarded me as a threat (that's a good thing, right?) but I was Not a Good Look (I'm not so sure that is!).  It was too late for me to go forwards or backwards, so I was hidden as discreetly as possible.

Hiding behind a soldier and a tree

The Presidential motorcade was fairly low-key (I'm sure this was just an early morning run and that he can bling up a motorcade with the best of them); just one long black car with flags, a couple of 4-wheel drive types bristling with aerials, some army jeeps which looked like they would imminently retire from service, and one Ambassador, the Indian classic car.

The Presidential motorcade passing

Once I got to the park I did a couple of rounds and when I came to go back to the hotel a very nice (though rather intimidatingly heavily armed) soldier was stopping us from leaving by this gate.  Apparently the President was coming back, and we had to keep the route clear for him again.

Our temporary warden

Modern parts of the motorcade...

...and the historical Ambassador

The soldier told me that the President was in the neighbourhood because it was the day of the 126th anniversary of the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first President of India.  I gathered that the 125-years-since-birth had been celebrated in style over the last 12 months and this was a final commemoration to close off the celebrations once and for all (or at least for the next 24 years).

Walking back to the hotel I realised Nehru's 125th birthday had been celebrated widely, I'd just missed the signs (literally!) until then

Lodhi Gardens

An atmospheric Mohammed Shah Sayyid's tomb on a foggy morning

 I've briefly mentioned Lodhi Gardens already: it's a fairly large public park about a kilometer from my favourite hotel in Delhi, and a wonderful spot for a walk, not least because so many other people enjoy being there, and there's so much going on inside: it's very good entertainment!  Some areas of the park are open lawns, while other parts are quite densely treed.  There's a small lake and a number of monuments.

Old and new signs to the gardens

When I'm in Delhi I've been trying to walk a circuit or two each morning - it takes me about 30 minutes to do a lap of the park at an easy pace.  Lots of people walk, jog or (occasionally) sprint along the track which winds around the park's perimeter, past the remains of several tombs and mosques.  People in Delhi wear a variety of clothes to take exercise: some people very seriously put on the latest sporting clothes (including headbands, water bottles, and all manner of accessories!) and walk verrrry slowly around.  Some people wear street clothes (plus/minus sneakers) and zoom round barely making a sweat.  Most people seem to wear some variation on normal clothes - there are lots of women in shalwar suits with sneakers, which always strikes me as a bit incongruous.  I think it's because it's a less elegant look than is customary for Indian women.  

The jogging track - and the dirt track next to it, which I think would be much more comfortable than concrete to run on

There are many groups of people participating in yoga sessions, and quite often solitary people meditating or doing their own static exercises.

What a fantastic setting for a yoga class!!  In winter I noticed the participants put groundsheets underneath their yoga mats

In the seating areas groups of old men congregate, as they do the world over!

Early morning gossip session

The buildings date from a period within the Mogul rule, when an Afghani dynasty, the Lodhis, ruled much of northern India and neighbouring regions.  When the park was created, in 1936, it was called the Lady Willingdon Gardens, but was renamed Lodhi Gardens after Independence in 1947.

Mohammed Shah Sayyid's tomb

The palm lined pathways surrounding the tomb

The first monument I come across on my circuit is the tomb of Mohammed Shah Sayyid, the last of the Lodhi rulers.  His tomb is flanked by straight palm-lined paths which are very elegant; almost like small avenues.

The Shisha Gumbad...the remaining glass tiles are just about visible as a horizontal line above the middle arch

Facing each other nearby are the Boda Gumbad (big dome) and the Shisha Gumbad (glass dome), on which the very last remaining glass tiles with which it was adorned can just still be seen.

The Boda Gumbad - the attached mosque is up the stairs to the right

Detail of the intricate stone carving on the mosque attached to the Boda Gumbad

Sisha Gumbad is a tomb while the Boda Gumbad is the gateway to a small attached mosque, on which very delicate intricate carvings in the stone are still clearly visible.

Rambling rose garden with mosque and yoga class in background

Nearby there is a rose garden (surely British, not Mogul!?!) and the remains of a much more decrepit, smaller mosque.  The garden and mosque are surrounded by a crumbling boundary wall and this part of the park has a very peaceful, gentle air.

The tomb of Sikhander Lodhi

Walled courtyard surround Sikander Lodhi's tomb

The last building I come to on my circuit is the tomb of Sikander Lodhi, which is set apart within a walled courtyard.  Most of the gates up to the ramparts are locked, but there is one which has been forced open.  From the top of the wall there's a good view over the nearby tracks.

One of the dastardly locked gates to the ramparts.  Why have ramparts if you can't visit them?

Success!  Ramparts achieved!!

There's a lot of wildlife in the park: tiny squirrels boldly dart everywhere; and semi-wild dogs roam the garden.  They seem very tame and don't interfere at all with the leashed dogs who often accompany their owners (or dog walkers).

Squirrel!  They don't stay still for long...

...unlike the wild dogs, which don't move very often, but who seem quite happy to peacefully ignore humans

There are heaps of birds: from parrots, on specially built feeding stations to Birds of Prey taking advantage (or trying to!) of the squirrels and other small animals on the lawns.

Parrots at one of their feeding stations

BoP (centre, towards the top of the picture) hunting above the lawns

In the lake there are geese and ducks - and a fountain!

That's a very nice bridge to pause on and Think About Life for a few minutes

View from the bridge back towards the fountain

I think many people drive to Lodhi Gardens to walk: the areas around the entrances are crowded with cars, while the busy bustle of the park itself is in contrast to the streets between the park and my hotel, which are eerily quiet in the early morning.

Cars jam packed around the entrance gates...

...but very quiet streets on the walk back to my hotel