Rising above modernity
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Old
You have to look pretty high in Delhi to find a view that showcases India’s illustrious past while also obscuring her modern rise.
But Qutub Minar is tall enough. When jumbo jets aren’t cruising in and out of the nearby international airport.
Not that I’m a primitivist or a return-to-times-gone-by wallah, but it certainly is pleasant to see visions of history: an ancient tower and a blue summer sky.
Tags: architecture, blue sky, delhi, history, india, photography, qutub minar
A uniquely Indian phenomenon: Jugaad
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Makeshift
This is a classic example of an oddly Indian creative force: Jugaad. There’s not a good English translation of this, but it some kind of a blend of makeshift, ad hoc, innovative, unconventional and jury-rigged. Often with a negative connotation, if that can be imagined.
In some parts of the country, it manifests itself in a category of vehicle: the jugaad, a frankenstein of parts and pieces that function as something less than a proper vehicle.
More broadly, the term is an adjective for any solution or device that is made on the fly, that makes do, a MacGyver-esque fix.
Here, we see a two-wheeled cart, attached to a bicycle frame with a scooter handle-bars, front wheel and motor. And it’s hauling what I believe to be trash across central Delhi.
Two men and a, umm... thing
Tags: delhi, design, engineering, india, innovation, jugaad, photography, transport
I will miss thee, chaat-wallah
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Snack wallah
Granted, I rarely partake of streetside chaat (snacks), but when I leave India I will miss the ubiquitous chaat vendor nonetheless. He’s always ready to offer me peanuts, chips, chickpeas and other roasted or fried bits of unhealthy tastiness.
Tags: chaat, delhi, food, india, peanut, photography, snack
It’s a bull market
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Kamal Cinema cattle
My local market — Kamal Cinema (where there’s no cinema) — is home mostly to liquor stores, dhabas, a few businesses, carousing men and the occasional bull.
Like this guy, a behemoth that wanders Safdarjung Enclave.
Most of the shops pay him no mind and occasionally throw him scraps of food. Or shoo him from their counters before he can dribble snot everywhere.
Tags: cattle, cow, delhi, gaiwallah, india, kamal cinema, photography, safdarjung enclave
A spire of history
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
History
It is truly wonderful to be able to visit a World Heritage Site for just 10 rupees. I don’t visit often enough.
Tags: architecture, delhi, history, india, photography, qutub minar, tourism
Ancient parrot
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Qutub resident
Green tota! Ancient ruints!
A parrot flies over the ruins in the Qutub Minar complex. My favorite bird (yes, I appreciate parrots even more than pigeons) appear all over Delhi in the form of the ubiquitous rose-ringed parakeet.
But they’re particular fun to watch at parks and monuments where they’re relatively unhassled by noise, traffic, pollution and other urban detractions. They’re one of the most successful parrot species at adapting to “disturbed” environments.
Tags: delhi, india, indian ring-necked parakeet, monument, parrot, photography, qutub minar, rose-ringed parakeet, tota, wildlife
Gully water tap
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Work with what you've got
Water in India, like in many developing countries, isn’t exactly accessible to all. Here, in a busy gully in Old Delhi, amid bustling sari shops and dhabas and the like, a water tap is something a focal point for nearby residents.
During an afternoon visit, I watched this man come with several buckets to fill and dishes to wash. He had to fight for time with a nearby snack vendor who had similar intentions.
Tags: delhi, gully, india, labor, old delhi, photography, poverty, washing, water
Cheating on my kebabwallah
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Old Delhi kebabs
I don’t hide the fact that I have a special relationship with my kebabwalla, but my outlet of choice, however, closed down this spring and I’ve been relegated to a getting my fix at a different, less convenient branch (that I swear just isn’t as good).
Given that, I took a visiting friend up to Old Delhi to the celebrated Karim’s Hotel kebab joint in the bylanes outside Jama Masjid. Karim’s is a legend in Delhi culinary circles and certainly deserves some of it’s fame.
We picked up chicken seekh rolls (for my friend) and paneer tikka for me.
It was good, that’s not in doubt, but it still can’t match my Aap ki Khatir. I’m almost relieved. Visiting any other kebab stand just feels like an illicit tryst.
Tags: aap ki khatir, delhi, food, india, jama masjid, karim's, kebab, old delhi, photography
Puja day in Tughlaq ruins
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Hurry up, mom
The last time I visited Tughlaqabad Fort, a small shrine was drawing a crowd for puja. Despite multiple trips to the fort, which is my absolute favorite hideaway in Delhi, I have yet to discern just who this shrine celebrates.
A small stream of worshippers continued even in the afternoon heat, as they carried food and items for puja. Festive times for a fort that is usually home to herdsmen and a handful of tourists who escape the beaten path. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: delhi, fort, hinduism, history, india, photography, puja, religion, shrine, tughlaq, tughlaqabad fort, worship
Kebab week, Vol. 7
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Some like it hot
In honor and memory of the Khan Market Aap ki Khatir branch, this week I devote the blog to a series of kebab-wallah photos from a trip with friends to the Nizamuddin location.
Tags: aap ki khatir, delhi, food, grill, india, kebab, paneer, photography, wallah
