* The Inner Child at Delhi

* The Inner Child at Delhi

Oct 1976. Our first visit to Delhi happened as a young schoolgirl with long plaits and small desires. We stayed with my uncle at Karol Bagh and Sunny Shobha saw the complete contrast in the living styles of an average simple South Indian family and the stylish boisterous North Indian family. We were so amused at the fact that the landlady of our typical open central courtyard house called Barsati in Karol Bagh would be seen with bright red lipstick even at eight o'clock in the morning!

As first time visitors we took the full day conducted sight seeing tour and listened to the guide talking in pure sweet sounding Hindi about all the amazing tourist spots in Delhi that I had read about in my textbooks. Sleepy Shobha realized that we Bombayites speak a very crude version of Hindi as compared to them.

It was a kind of a luxury to eat authentic north Indian food in a Grade 1 restaurant for the first time. Dad preferred to take us to Connaught Place for a South Indian Thali instead. We ate delicious 'chaat' and fruits from road-side vendors sprinkled with a liberal amount of some tangy powder. And for the first time in our young life, Sunny Shobha was treated to indulgent shopping... We brought three new pairs of shoes in colours of black, red and green...this was a very big moment for us, considering that we lived in the simple, conservative thrifty times of India of the 1970’s.

Two years later as a 15 year old we visited Delhi again, this time with shorter hair and bigger desires. My uncle now lived in the upmarket sector of Greater Kailash and we were fascinated by all the big houses in the area. And they were decorated very well for the Hindu festival of Diwali. We had never seen rows of candles adorning almost all the compound walls of the area.

This was an unplanned visit to see our grandfather in hospital. My dad decided to surprise our relatives by boldly bringing me and my younger brother by a long train journey in an 'unreserved railway compartment'. Sleepy Shobha still shudders at the terrible ordeal of sitting for more than 28 hours among crowds of people, and just hated that experience. But Sunny Shobha was glad that dad did take us to Delhi then as we did get a chance to see our ailing grandfather before he passed away at AIIMS. And we thought that AIIMS was one of the biggest hospitals that we had ever seen in our life!

 

 

Our next visit to Delhi was in 2003 exactly 25 years later as a mother of two teenagers and as wife of a powerful corporate professional. The city had completely changed with broad roads and lots of greenery. And it was so well-maintained that even Sleepy Shobha did not see any garbage strewn around. There were no beggars either. This was quite a contrast to the other cities that we had lived in. We drove past the diplomatic consulates of almost all the countries in the world and realized that we were in a city that is the seat of immense political power. Almost everyone we met seemed to have some connection or the other with politically important celebrities!

We drove at our own pace, in the air conditioned comfort of our own car to see some of the many tourist spots of Delhi. We bowed in reverence in memory of the martyrs at India gate; got confused at the many roads around it; saw the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament from it's high gates; visited the Nehru museum, went in reverence around the Shantighat and Rajghat memorials, saw the chaos in Chandani chowk and the silence of the Juma Masjid; and relived history at the sound and light show at the Red Fort.

I felt that my children were not as wonderstruck about Delhi, the way I had been, probably because they had been exposed to so many other international places and latest things in life. The Birla temple, the  Kali temple, the Bahai temple, the Chattarpur temples, the Bangla Sahib gurudwara seemed to be just places for mandatory visits.

Many years ago, we had the time to laze around the sprawling Lodhi tombs and gardens, now we just preferred to drive past it. We were not even allowed to climb up the spiral steps of the Kutubh Minar and see the spectacular view of the ruins. We did make time for boating in the old fort which was a simple fun activity! The beauty of the Humayun tomb was also appreciated. Delhi was witness to many rulers who left their mark in the city and there are countless historical stories about each of the tourist spot which was worth the visit.

And we absolutely loved the local shopping. Even the malls that were now a part of every Indian city had something typically Delhi about it. The teenagers had big shopping aspirations and every wish was fulfilled in the Delhi markets. It was all about showing off in style! The Sarojini market, Palika bazaar and Lajpat market had many clothes and accessories for the college going kids. Janpath and Delhi Haat was like a treasure trove for typically Indian made unique items. We also visited Rajpath for a visit to the government-run emporiums from almost all the States of India! And we were surprised to find that even the big brands were offering goods on sale at the swanky Malls or exhibition centres.

The local people here seemed to be quite jovial in nature and would go out of their way to impress others with their hospitality. Sleepy Shobha grumbled at the seeming inauthenticity and the obvious attempts to show off. We were treated in style when we attended many corporate parties when my spouse was based here. But Sleepy Shobha was quick to notice the opposite culture among South Indians where the person matters more than the position. We would laugh in silence as my simple yet powerful spouse would be uncomfortable with the 'yes sir' culture prevalent in Delhi! Sunny Shobha loved the fact that Delhites know how to enjoy the good things of life...if you really have it then flaunt it, so what is the big deal?

Sleepy Shobha was also quick to blame the weather as the spoilsport. Most of the times in the year, it was either too cold or too hot and it was important here to dress as per the climatic conditions. The night life was also very amazing. We had a choice of clubs, pubs and lounges to visit with friends. Sleepy Shobha was wary and extra-protective about our attractive teenage daughter, since we had heard many horror stories about the way women felt unsafe in Delhi. My handsome son was also for a big surprise when he actually got pawed at in a crowded disco! Compared to other cities of India, in 2003, we found that Delhi was a really expensive place for a night of partying; the bill for just 6 of us was over Rs.16000+ at a fancy nightclub.

We went for a new year eve party at a friends place and we got a taste of the lavish lifestyles that some of the Delhites were accustomed to! This private farmhouse could easily be compared to a Taj leisure resort (like the one I had visited earlier in Chikmangalore). Unlike most of their South Indian counterparts, many people in Delhi believe in the term 'Live life King size' - whatever the size of their financial income!

We came back again and again to Delhi, for personal and professional reasons and each time we discovered a new side of it. Whether we stayed at hotels or homes in Punjabi Bagh, Laxmi Nagar or Paharganj, or Iskcon, Noida or Gurgaon, Sunny Shobha chose to see only the good side of it. Having a golf addict spouse meant that we were also lucky to visit almost all of the fabulous golf courses in Delhi. In fact the size and splendor of one of the sprawling private residences that we stayed in as guests and the love and royal treatment we got from our friends in Delhi could surpass the hospitality standards of any five star hotel!

 The extravagance and opulence of India as depicted in the Kingdom of Dreams makes a visit to Delhi an unforgetful experience. Delhi was freshly painted and shining like a new bride when we were privileged to watch the spectacular opening ceremony of the Common Wealth Games. We found it so easy to get around on our own by travelling in the metro for this first time.

Sleepy Shobha also found many dirty areas of Old Delhi to complain about, but this seemed insignificant as compared to the other specialities of Delhi. The local markets, the eating joints, the night life, the cultural events, the festivals, exhibitions, the grand weddings, etc....There was so much more to discover and experience about the different corners of Delhi, a lifetime of writing would still not be able to cover all its aspects. There was so much about Delhi that has confirmed to international standards, it is truly a world class city and does full justice to it's role as the capital city of India! Wow India!

*(There is an inner child within all of us. One that we were born as - warm and happy, optimistic, capable of serving and loving others, believing in the possibility of extra-ordinary achievements, filled with a kind of inner light, wonderment  and positive energy, taking initiative and action...I will call that your Sunny inner child.

And then we are exposed to circumstances and experiences. Depending on the way we react to our situations, a new inner child emerges. One that we create -  cold and sad, pessimistic, capable of being indifferent or hating others,  believing oneself to be trapped within ordinary limits, filled with a kind of inner darkness, cynicism and negative energy, lazily whining, not taking action, I will call that your Sleepy inner child.
You have a choice on which inner child you want to encourage in your life - your Sunny inner child or your Sleepy inner child?)

I will call my inner child as Sunny Shobha and Sleepy Shobha. Together we will travel around the world).