My journey to New Delhi
Tradition and innovation in one. Marzhan Malik explores India from all sides.
MM
Marzhan Malik
Thu, 22 Jun 2023
I visited Delhi for the first time in 2011 as part of a student internship that lasted about 3 months. The list of countries was vast, but my choice was India, a place I soon fell in love with.
As soon as we got off the plane at the airport, the hot humid air engulfed us. We discovered new smells and felt as though we had entered a completely different world.
It is worth highlighting the huge, relatively new Delhi International Airport, which is named after the only woman to become Prime Minister of India - Indira Gandhi
Delhi immediately sunk into my soul. The city attracted my attention as it is decorated with bright colors and is home to cheerful, smiling people. It also has extraordinary cuisine with a wide variety of spices and noise that does not stop either day or night. This is a city that doesn’t sleep. It wakes up and starts working early in the morning, due to the climate, but also does not stop at lunchtime, and at night, the fashionable establishments come to life. Also, the sharp contrast between wealth and poverty cannot fail to strike your attention.
This is also a city of contrast, in some places, there are completely unsanitary conditions and frightening diseases, but at the same time excellent medicine and medical clinics with cutting edge technology. The contrast can also be heard, there is the peaceful silence of the temples and the deafening noise of the street bazaar.
Delhi is divided into three main parts - "Old", "New" and "Southern". It combines ancient and modern, representing centuries-old mosques, designer shops, bazaars with fragrant spices and quiet parks.
If you are in Delhi, be sure to visit the Jama Masjid Mosque - the largest and one of the oldest and most beautiful mosques in India. An interesting fact is that there are more than 300,000 active mosques in India.
You should also stroll through the streets of the busiest bazaar in Delhi Chandi Chok; and visit these attractions - Red Fort, Akshardam, India Gate, Presidential Garden, Humayun's Tomb, Lotus Temple, Qutb Minar Minaret, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, the National Museum of India and many others
Despite the many invasions, seizures by the Mongols, Arabs, Persians, Portuguese and the British, India has managed to preserve its identity and authenticity and remains one of the best destinations for travellers. As a result of the influence of different colonial countries, the regions in India differ from each other.
One of the destinations that is definitely worth visiting is the state of Kerala.
Kerala is a state in southern India, which stretches along the coast of the Arabian Sea. It is distinguished by its cleanliness, the level of education of the local population, its Ayurvedic resorts, the azure waters of the Indian Ocean, the white sand on its numerous beaches, romantic shopping towns and low mountain ranges of Ghats. An area where wild elephants, exotic birds and tigers live in lush tropical forests and there are cultivated tea plantations.
Kerala is also called the "Indian Venice" because of the numerous boats and backwaters, here houseboat cruises (hotels on the water) depart from the local marina along the backwaters of Kerala.
Everyone will find what they are looking for in India. Maybe you will like the spiritual component, the tourist diversity or the unusual, delicious cuisine.
If you are planning a trip to India you won’t be disappointed. It is incredible, extraordinary, completely different, and the perfect holiday destination.
India fascinates, bewitches and attracts like a magnet. Once you get to know it, you will fall in love with this extraordinary country forever. It can be different, historical, traditional, and at the same time very modern, dirty, crowded with slums and very developed and rich with advanced medicine and rich architecture, one thing we know for sure: India will not leave anyone feeling indifferent.
There are many more stories, secrets and legends hidden under the cover of colorful saris and in the fog of incense. And if you want to see a different life, be sure to go to India.