Paratha’s galore at Parathewali Gali

We travelled by Metro to Chandi Chowk station and dodged our way through the heavy traffic, starving ourselves to savour the much famed parathas of Parathewali Gali. The nondescript lane dedicated to selling paratha’s in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi is known as Parathewali Gali (lane of stuffed Indian flat, fried bread)

The enticing aroma of freshly cooked parathas wafts through this lane. Impatienly, we rushed to the nearest stall of Pandit Babu Ram ParatheWala, which is comparatively new and was established in 1983.

The oldest of the paratha stalls is of Pandit Gaya Prasad Shiv Charan which was established in 1872.

With expectant eyes, we looked forward towards relishing our meal, which first arrived in steel plates, laden with potato curry, raita, mixed vegetable pickle, sautéed mash of sweet pumpkin alongwith sweet lassi.


The varied menu card - an array of stuffings for the parathas.....

Later, the various stuffed parathas (all of which are strictly vegetarian) arrived with stuffings - whichever we wished for…. Peas (Matar), Ladyfinger (Bhindi), Gramflour(Besan), Cauliflowe, Tomato (Tamatar), Raisins (Kishmish), Indian cottage cheese (Paneer), Carrot (Gajar) We relished the tasty parathas to our hearts content ! You name it and they have various stuffings of vegetables and sweets too.

Chandni Chowk is a popular culinary destination in Old Delhi, thus to cater to the ever increasing need of food lovers, an online food retail website has been launched: www.chandnichowkfood.com



“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

Lotus temple, Delhi

A view of the serene Lotus temple.

Our next stop was the famous, Bahai House of Worship, popularly known as the Lotus temple. It is designed in the shape of 27 blooming lotus petals and is a white marble structure.



From close quarters...


Situated towards the east of Nehru place in Delhi, it has been designed by Iranian architect, Fariburz Sabha. Encircled by nine pools in sprawling green lawns and gardens, spanning an area of 227 acres, this modern structure was completed in 1986.



An aerial view of the beautiful lawns surrounding the temple...



Glimpse of one of the serene pool's...

It is the last of seven major Bahai temples* built around the world.
The lotus shape was chosed as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam.

*The other six Bahai temples are located in:
o Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.
o Kampala, Uganda
o Sydney (Ingleside), Australia
o Frankfurt (Langenhain-Hofheim), Germany
o Panama City, Panama
o Tiapapata, Samoa
o Santiago, Chile (currently under construction)

The Bahai sect originated in Persia and is based on a view of humanity as one single race. All Bahaí temples share certain architectural elements, some of which are specified by Bahaí scripture. Abdul-Baha stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of Worship be that it requires to have a nine-sided circular shape (Nonagon)

Temple timings: Winter: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Summer: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, the temple is open on throughout the week except on Monday.

For more details check its website: http://www.bahaihouseofworship.in/


"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
- Bahaullah

Qutb Minar – Standing tall in Delhi

The 'minar' at a distance

Inscriptions on the minaret

Are'nt we short ?

The rustless iron pillar!



Standing tall.....



Amidst the ruins in the complex

Our next stop was the Qutb complex, in Delhi, which houses the famous Iron pillar and the Qutb Minar.

Here are some facts about Qutb Minar:

a) World’s tallest independent standing stone tower at a height of 72.5 metres.

b) Was the tallest skscaper in the world, when it was built between 1193-1368 AD.

c) The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with delicate carvings and verses from the Quran.

d) The fluted form tapers from base to the top. This produces and illusion of greater height than it is.

e) The word minar in in Arabic means a pole or axis.

f) Also known as the five storeyed victory tower.

g) It comprises of 379 stairs. Currently, the public are not allowed to climb this tower.

h) The diameter of the base is 14.3 metres and the top is 2.7 metres.

i) It is surrounded by several other ancient structures and ruins including the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, collectively known as Qutub complex.

j) It was built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika – the former capital of the Tomars and Chauhans (who were the last Hindu rulers of Delhi)

k) 27 Hindu and Jain temples were destroyed and the building materials were reused to construct this complex This is listed in a Persian inscription on the inner eastern gateway.

l) The Qutb complex is listed as one of the UNESCO heritage sites.

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

North India Sojourn

Part 1

Having been to many South Indian states of India, I yearned to visit the Northern states and finally visited some of the famous places like:

a) Delhi – The Capital City



The famous Lotus temple in Delhi

 

b) Chandigarh – The Planned City


 

One of the many beautiful creations at Rock garden, Chandigarh

 



Beautifully adorned swings at Rock garden in Chandigarh



c) Amritsar – The Holy City

 

Overlooking the serene Golden temple at Amritsar





Wagh border near Amritsar



d) Shimla – The Cool Hilltown



The famous Mall road in Shimla




One of the many scenic pathways in Shimla

 

Visiting these cities and town within a week was indeed possible. Though seven days is not sufficient to explore all of these wonderful places, I must say it was a wonderful experience!

Each of these places has its own inherent attractions, which I will share in my upcoming posts.

“A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

The Incredible state of India, Jaipur !

Location: In the state of Rajasthan, located, 260 km from Delhi and 240 kms from Agra, Sanganer Airport is 15km south of town

Also called: The Pink City

Famous for: Handicrafts - Glittering gemstone and silver jewellery, Lac work, Meenakari, Metal work, Marble work, Paintings, Leather work, Gemstones, Carpets, Wood work, Tie and Dye textiles, Artefacts, Antiques, Apparel, Jaipuri quilts (rajai) and Local sweets and delicacies.

Best time to visit: October - December. In the rains, it gets very messy and in the winter, its quite chilly.

Accommodation: Check http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in , to find a listing to suit every budget.

Our much awaited trip to the capital city, Jaipur was filled with awe and admiration.

This state is famous for its wealth of forts, palaces and monuments. It is an epicenter for handicrafts too ! Founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1727, the layout of the streets in this city was based on a mathematical grid of nine squares representing the ancient Hindu map of the universe, and the royal palace was placed symbolically at its centre. This city was said to have been painted pink in honour of a visit by Prince Albert in 1853.

We opted for the full day tour of the city conducted by RTDC (Rajashtan Tourism Department Corporation) and set off to explore the rich monuments which are the:
Hawa Mahal, Laxminarayan temple, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum, City Palace and Museum, Jaigarh fort, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Palace and fort.

More information about these sights will be covered in my upcoming posts.

Tip: For those who have less time to spare, opt for the day tour (or the half day tour, see table below) conducted by RTDC, which covers most of the historical monuments in Jaipur.

RTDC Sight seeing tour information:
Half Day tour:
Timings 0800 -1300 hrs
11.30 -1630 hrs
1330 -1830 hrs
Fare Rs.120/-

Itinery: Hawa Mahal (Front View), Amber Palace, Gaitore, City Palace, Observatory

Full day tour:
Timing: 0900 -1800 hrs
Fare: Rs. 170 /-

Itenary: Hawa Mahal (front View), Laxminarayan temple, Jantar Mantar, Central Museum, City Palace & Museum, Jaigarh fort, Nahargarh Fort (Lunch), Amber Palace and fort, Jal Mahal (front view), Kanak Vrindavan.

For reservations for all tours contact RTDC at 0141-2375466, 2375835, 2371648, 2200778, 2315714, 2206720 (24 hours Tourist assistance on Tel .No. 1364)
Tourist Information Bureau, Railway Station, Tel 91-141-2315714
RTDC Tourist Hostel, Old Govt. Hostel, M.I. Road, Jaipur, Tel 91-141-2375466
Tourist Office, Hotel Khasa Kothi Tel: 91-141-2372200

Say Yes to a Life with Zest !