My city of choice is my beloved Delhi, falling under North
Zone. Let me think now, how many cities have I seen in my long life of over 50
years? I belong to Delhi, but the cities I have lived in are Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Geneva, Paris, London, Berne,
Zurich, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco, Panjim, Ahmadabad, Jamnagar,
Chandigarh, Shimla, Mussoorie, Mandi, Manali, Nainital, Cochin, Tiruvananthapuram,
Wellington, Ooty, Conoor. Kodaikanal,
Madurai, Chennai, Kolkata, Allahabad, Nasik, Belgaum. Each is unique, but for
me, Delhi is the best in terms of all three-Drive Design and Connect. It truly
is “made of great “as epitomized by http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/
You may taste the most fabulous cuisines of the world but
the ultimate comfort you get from the home-cooked food you have grown up with,
cannot be replicated. So is the case with the city you have been born and
brought up in. It may not seem great to many, but those who have grown up in it
tend to automatically wear rose-tinted glasses when comparing it with any other
city.
Over the years, I have witnessed Delhi becoming the melting
pot of the country-pulsating with drive; it attracts people from all over, beckoning
them to become a part of its throbbing growth. So we have migrants from Bihar,
from Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Karnataka who
have made Delhi their home and added their vibrancy to the city’s rich tapestry-it
is no longer peopled by the rich “haveliwalas” with their leisured lifestyles
but with upwardly aspiring youth from all corners of the country, bent upon
achieving what they have set out to: maybe higher studies at Delhi University
or JNU or a job at an MNC or call center, or the eagerness to learn English and
get that passport to the life they want. Kudos to their drive to overcome all barriers in the way of their progress.
Delhi is also the place where many thousands relocated,
leaving all that they had, behind in Pakistan in the aftermath one of the
bloodiest partitions in human history. They came penniless but with sheer dint
of hard work, set up successful business empires. The drive to succeed in the
face of all adversity and ability of overcoming all odds has been the leitmotif
of this city from ancient times- it has always had to fight for survival and
emerged a winner against numerous invasions right from the days of the
Mahabharata.
Which other city can
surpass the regal splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavnan, Rajpath and Lyuten’s Delhi? The
magnificence of Shanti Path where the High Commissions of all countries are located,
would be the envy of any city. No shopping mall can stand competition to the
majesty of Connaught Place. Delhi’s design is unique to itself-the aristocratic
posh colonies like Golf Links and Nizamuddin rubbing shoulders with the stacks
upon stacks of similar-looking Government houses, the identical DDA housing
blocks and the region- specific colonies
like Chittaranjan Park(for Bengalis), R. K. Puram teeming with Tamilians! The
chance to taste authentic dishes from the four corners of the country is thanks
to these colonies-sandesh, shighara and Macher Jhol from Bengal and Littie
Chokha fron Bihar, Wazwan of Kashmir, Bisi bele bhaat from Karnataka, all are
available in Delhi.
Worth mentioning are also the study-specific student
villages-Sarai Kale Khan for IITs, Ber Sarai for IAS aspirants, Rajendra Nagaer
for CAs and so on- the design of the city formulates on its own, according to
the existing requirement, resulting in a win-win situation for all. Reams can
be written about the magnificent historical monuments dotting Delhi from the
Red Fort to the Purana Quila, from the Qutub Minar to the Bahai Temple.
The beautiful Design of Delhi can also be seen distinctly in
each season not only in the changing colour of the foliage of trees and bushes,
the birdsong but even in the wares of the roadside vendors-. The heaps of ripe emerald-green
watermelons (with their lovely red slices displayed to literally quench the
thirsty eyes of the summer-worn citizens) augur the harsh summer months. You
can also see cartloads of cool cucumbers. The roasting corncobs on coal herald
the onset of monsoons after a parched hot summer and onset of winters is
proclaimed by the mounds of water chestnuts and roasted peanuts, popcorn and
gajak.
All other cities in India envy the connectivity of Delhi
being easily accessed by air, train, and bus. This is the reason why conferences
and exhibitions from all over the world are held regularly in Delhi. With the
coming of the Metro-no place is too far now. Even the well-heeled ditch their
cars in favour of the metro when it involves long-distance travelling to
crowded places. So connectivity whether intra-city, inter-city or
internationally, is just superb. The impressive flyovers bypassing the crowded
localities of the city have also contributed to cutting down travel time. There
are glitches in some places but with time, these too shall be ironed out.
The physical connectivity apart, a lot can be said about
people’s connectivity- you can’t come across a real Delhiwala without them
wanting to know each detail of your life, your social standing (as evident from
your residential address), your family, et all-very different from Mumbai’s
professional types where everyone minds their own business.
So Delhi stands top in all three parameters- drive, design
and connect!
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The Gulmohar, which in some months will be a riot of Orange is bursting forth small tendrils of its new foliage from branches which the sunless bleak winter had laid bare.
