Rethink Quality » Lotus Temple

17 Oct 2010

The Delightful and Delhi-cious (Part 1)

I am a self-confessed foodie, I am always seeking to test my taste buds.

Having only three days to explore the sprawling city of Delhi, my last day was a mish-mash of temples, markets, gardens and shops- anything I could fit in. I wouldn’t recommend this approach to the city- if the unrelenting heat doesn’t wear you down, the traffic soon will, with the average Delhiite treating the city’s streets like a rally racing track.

That said, there is a lot to see. First stop was the Lotus Temple, suggested to me by my driver.

Located in Kalkaji, New Delhi, the building was like no other that I saw in the city; its clean, smooth facade painting a distinct silhouette against Delhi’s backdrop of crumbling Mughal-era monuments and colonial landmarks. The temple, which is a Baha’i place of worship, is open to all faiths, resulting in the huge crowds which were evident when I visited. Luckily, there was a place to cool off from the sweltering heat…

As the temple is a place of worship, we had to leave our shoes behind…

….and collect them on exit from a peculiar underground cloakroom, accessible through a small window in the ground. Only in India!

Next up was the Lodi Garden, a 90 acre park featuring a spectacular array of tombs, local wildlife and expansive lawns.

Other than the Taj Mahal, this was probably the most inspiring location I have visited so far on this journey. I cannot articulate the serenity of the gardens, especially in contrast to the bustle of Delhi…it was honestly like being in my own personal paradise and my only regret is that I couldn’t spend whole day there. As mentioned, the location is home to a wide range of local wildlife, especially birds.

I’m not exactly an animal lover (I’m more likely to get excited by the wings of an aircraft than those of a bird), but I actually had a good time trying to spot the park’s various species.