Delhi according to Nigel

I've got a rather bad sinusitis and hence spends most of my time in bed. As I don't experience much new, I've once again found an old letter that'll make it today's story.

My biggest tourist experience in Delhi was the guided tour with Nigel Hankin. Actually, such a great experience that I came back for a secound tour a couple of years later. The following text is an excerpt from my letter about the first tour in 2003 while the pictures are from my second tour in 2006. Here goes:

Nigel is an incredible old Englishman (incredible meaning 83 years old). He's lived in Delhi since 1945, where he was transferred to after a couple of years in Northern Africa during Second World War. He was supposed to move on to Burma to fight the Japanese, but the war ended while Nigel was in Delhi and so he stayed. First working for the British government and after independence for the new Indian government that needed some help during transition. After a couple of years, the Indian government didn't need his help any longer, and Nigel continued working for the British High Commission in Delhi and never returned to UK (except for occasional holidays). He retired in the early 80'ies and now earns an extra living by showing his Delhi. It's sort of a secret, how you get in touch with Nigel and when you're going on a tour with him you promise only to pass on the secret to very few others.

First stop on the tour was Indira Gandhi's house. My impression at my first visit had been rather boring, but with Nigel's little details about her strolls in the garden, when he passed by on cycle on his way to work, or about her immaculate charisma, the house suddenly appeared much more interesting. Likewise with the government buildings and the presidential palace, when described and illustrated by news paper cuttings and pictures almost as old as the buildings themselves. 

From the government buildings

Later on we visited a deserted area 12 km north of the presidential palace. Next to the open dirt field was an unkept garden. When entering the garden you're welcomed by a gigantic statue of King George V. Around him are 20 pedestal of which only 4 holds a statue. This was the coronation place of King George and also the spot, where he declared Imperial Delhi the new capital of India (later on it became New Delhi - even the Brits could see Imperial Delhi were over the top). After independence all British statues in Delhi where moved to this garden and originally all colonial statues in India were supposed to be transferred here. The state governments preferred to keep theirs, though, hence the empty pedestals.

Lunch were eaten in colonial surroundings at Maidens Hotel, and afterwords we continued to Old Delhi. Delhi consists of seven cities from different epoques. The different rulers of the city have wanted to show their might and power by building a new city next to or on top of the old ones. The two newest cities are today known as Old Delhi and New Delhi. Originally, Old Delhi was called Shah Jahanabad named after it's creator – Shah Jahan. (Shah Jahan is also the creator of another more famous piece of architecture: Taj Mahal).

Old Delhi is very far from it's former greatness as it has grown into the whole sale centre of entire Delhi. Still bloody interesting to visit. We were walking through narrow streets, houses, up some stairs, through a corridor, down some other stairs, etc. etc. looking at trading, sitting, glaring, smiling, working, eating, sleeping Indians. We walked like this for hours and still we only visited a minor part of the area. Many visitors find Old Delhi filthy and crowded, but being with Nigel, who knows the place and the inhabitants, stops to tell about Tea Street, greets the shop owners and the rickshaw wallahs, the place opens up and you find out that it may be a busy place, but nobody tries to sell you anything and definitely not overpriced, they basically just want to show their craft. Old Delhi is full of pictures, impressions, smells, sounds, everything. This is where fairy tales begin but never ends.

 

So ended my story of Delhi according to Nigel. Unfortunately (but understandably) Nigel passed away a few years ago, so the era of truly historic tours has ended. My story will end with a (in my opinion) poetic picture of Nigel in his very own Old Delhi. Thanks for the tour!