Exploring Old Delhi

John and I spent a day exploring Old Delhi this weekend. What a contrast from what we have seen so far. We first made our way through the maze of markets, sneaking through spindling rows of stalls, selling everything from light fixtures to spices to prescription drugs. You could spend hours in this labyrinth, trying to absorb the sights and sounds. My favorite players in this symphony of chaos were the chai boys, scurrying about delivering cups of tea.


We then explored Delhi’s Red Fort, a palace and fortress built by Shah Jahan, another Mughal emperor (see photo above). It was a fantastic monument and I realized again how complicated Indian history is. So many people from such different backgrounds, religions and cultures call this place home. A museum within the fort had an exhibit on the struggle for independence; it revealed the story of Nehru, Gandhi and the others who fought courageously to call their country their own.


We headed next to Jama Masjid, Delhi’s famous mosque which can hold more than 25,000 people in its courtyard (see photo above). On the walk, we cut through a “park” which has been transformed into informal housing. It was basically a shanty-town. It was one of the most difficult things I have seen so far in India. I did not take pictures – it was so dirty, poor and depressing that doing so felt exploitative. Everyone was living in absolute filth, including small children forced to entertain themselves by begging, searching for food or throwing rocks at stray puppies. The most shocking thing, though, was an infant sleeping in a bag. Hanging off a railing in a piece of cloth that looked like a plastic bag, a tiny infant was crunched into a ball. When I first looked, I thought the baby was dead and was being thrown away.

As I climbed the steps of the mosque, I wondered how we, as human society, have failed these communities. At the top, I looked out over the city and felt angry at our institutions - governments, businesses, NGOs, churches, schools, hospitals and more - because we have not figured out a way to meet the basic needs of every child born: all deserve food, water, shelter, medical care, safety and love.