Travel Diaries // New Delhi, India

What is the allure of India, specifically Delhi? Wealth. Wealths of history. Wealths of culture. Wealths of people. As the yellow and green rickshaw swerves through the fleets of cars. As the vast tombs of Mughal emperors cast shadows over the city. As the scents of street foods waft across the marketplace. There is something incredibly curious about city life, something I took notice of years ago as I walked the streets of Lodhi Road. This city sees it all. All suffering. All joy. All beliefs. All stories. We sat in a posh café and sipped on iced coffees, while across the street a small boy begged for change. It was disheartening. But in all of its honesty, it is the crux of Delhi. The sheltered, the hungry. The ancient, the industrial. A sleek Audi rolls by. A frail, old man on a bicycle does too. A man exits the Audi to give the small boy some food. Joy illuminated the boy’s face. Perhaps cities are the home of humanity. Perhaps this is why we gravitate towards them. New Delhi is a beautiful, quizzical place. 

We spend our afternoon at the mall, walking past Zara and MAC cosmetics. We stop for some coffee and spend our day in an air-conditioned, marble haven. That evening, we wander the circumference of the Safdarjung Tomb. The structure towers over us and radiates magic that can only come from a history of almost 300 years. This is Delhi. This is home.