Delightful Delhi

OK, so this picture isn't Delhi- its Agra. But I'm a bit late and unskilled on the blogging. It is insanely hot in this picture and I'm wearing the brigtest clothing I own- shawl, pants, top all this crazy orange color! Its a salwar. At a very expensive boutique for Indian wedding clothing down the road from us in Delhi where we ventured in just to look, the lady said in a beautiful British accent, "My, you have bright clothing, even for India." She understood better when I said I had bought everything in South India- pretty much another country altogether.

The last few days in Delhi have been fun and relaxing. Our hotel is excellent- Jor Bagh 27 Guesthouse across from the Lodi Gardens.

It is a small place with only 11 rooms but one of the very few places in Delhi that is mid-range- western toilets but hot water debateable. It is in a small gated neighborhood peopled with Sikhs, Muslims, and expats for the most part. People have actual dogs here among the strays and a few small greens to sit in in the middle of the neighborhoods. The small market down the road boasts western foodstuffs (although very expensive) and there is a bookstore with English titles only. Across the road is the Lodi or Lodhi gardens which I described and several blocks away is Khan Market where we went today.

Khan Market is a small grouping of upscale shops where expats hang out. The Indians are extremely hip and wealthy and the expats are mostly old diplomats- German and English women. (I assume the men are working?) By the way, I have not met a single American since being in Delhi. Our little hotel has a few German businessmen and a few Australian tourists. But Americans are a pretty rare sight as far as white people go.

The shopping in Delhi is phenomenal. It is much more expensive than Chennai or Vellore, but much less expensive than the US. And the products are so diverse and beautiful- so much is handmade and unique. Generally speaking, its so hard to forgo shopping in a country where things are colorful and handmade and cost a fourth of the price. We went into a very upscale and expensive for Delhi standards home shop and the beautiful glasses and platters made in India were reminiscent of Anthropologie- the price, less than half that.

I didn't buy anything there, but I will say I am bringing home an extra piece of luggage. A duffel, all of $4.

Yesterday we also traveled to the Qutab Minar- a monument built by yet another Muslim shah- lovely mosques, the remnants of a college, and a large tower 73 m high which I had seen from the plane.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutab_Minar

It was a beautiful area, but Muslim architecture is wearing on me and it is remarkable how many amazing structures- including multiple tombs in the Lodi gardens were built by Sultans where Hindu kings left little.

When I get back I'll have a more clarified conclusion to India, but in the meantime, I want to express what a strange country and people it has. I am reading an excellent book helping me deal with some of the major contradictions. It is called "Holy Cow" by Sarah MacDonald and is very funny and dead-on with its observations of daily Indian life (at least from what I've seen) even down to her notation of the "sweaty feet" smell inside the Akbar's Mausoleum hallway on the way to the tomb. Exactly what I was thinking.

MacDonald travels through India learning about the major religions trying to come to peace with the crazy land. It is hard to understand how people so friendly can take major advantage of you without any conscience (not all the time, obviously, but much of the time). Or how a country that has shown major tolerance historically to multiple religions: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christianity... can also uphold a caste system (still very much in place) and value people with the lightest skin above all.

What country promotes sanctity of family life and children and at the same time commits major female infanticide and calmly justifies suicide for honor? A country where humanitarian groups are highly regarded and charity is blessed yet day to day life includes the killing of beggars by buses which leave them to die?

Ok, critics will note that every country has some contradictions. But India puts it all out there- in the wide open- all the time. The injustices are very visible and easily felt, as are the kindnesses. I have not seen a great many places, but I feel this place leaves me completely emotionally adrift in a way I did not experience in Europe, Africa, or Latin America.

Well, as one might sing at church youth camp: give it up to God.