Saturday, November 27, 2010

Final thoughts on Delhi

It's wonderful to be back home. The first thing I noticed when I got back here from Delhi is the cleaner quality of air and the "lightness" in the air. Bombay doesn't have anything close to a violent and cruel history the way the national capital does.

Delhi is a rough and tough city and can easily wear anyone down. I guess there's a price to pay to admire the gardens and parks and the stately and radiant beauties. Yes the metro has improved life in the city, but is even crowded at 6 am on a Sunday! Yes you can travel to any area with ease but what's the use of getting to within 3 kilometres of a place and finding it impossible to get a three-wheeler to get to the final destination?

At times, the city feels more crowded than Bombay and it's more of an energy-sapping, tired and worried crowd. Life is awesome for a VIP or someone with the right amount of $$$ and connections but the rest of the city basically falls into the peasant category. I really understand why Bombay is the ville-préférée of India. There's so much freedom here, safety and despite the rush, a mental calmness.

Delhi, no doubt, has its good points but it's more of a city for 40-somethings with a house in a nice locality and a chauffeur-driven car. It's conservative and traditional and too much of an adjustment for a fun-loving Bombayite liberal

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