It was not until I spent 3 days in New Delhi, that I ever thought it would be possible to call Bhubaneswar both calm and serene. New Delhi, or Dilli in Hindi, is a world of its own, somehow conjuring the feeling of being both metropolitan yet extremely Indian in its nature. The options and amenities are endless in New Delhi, however I felt like more of a stranger in a place accustomed to travelers than I did in Bhubaneswar, where I am regularly the only white person and the only female in an establishment. However, along with the myriad of availabilities in Dilli comes traffic, heavy fragrant air, crowding and the constant juxtaposition of poverty and privilege laced throughout it all.
A group of my classmates and I rented a driver for the weekend in order to make it to the “must-sees” scattered around Delhi, as well as in Agra, about 3 hours drive due east. However, there is an obscene amount of traffic in and around Delhi, as well as very heavy fog that impairs a lot of roadways during the winter months, so be wary.
On day one, I made my way to the breathtaking Akshardum temple, however I regret to inform that photography was prohibited! Devastating, yet I am almost grateful that it allowed me to solely focus on experiencing the incredible Hindu temple and learn far more than I usually would at such a destination. I recommend that you spare the 3 hours and partake in the exhibition tour, which involves an expansive and interactive walking tour, boat ride and movie, taking you through the history and life of Swaminarayan, whom the temple is dedicated to. The temple itself is a phenomenal construction, finished only 5 years ago, and home to some of the most beautifully carved pink sandstone and marble I have ever seen.
The evening led me to Connaught Place and into the farthest atmosphere from the spiritual haven of Akshardum. Connaught Place is one of the largest commercial centers in New Delhi, home to all sorts of shopping, restaurants and nightlife. I browsed through some of the shops, however they were mostly price regulated by the government and bartering was not allowed, so I saved my words and my rupees for another time. Dinner was taken at Pin Balluchi, a highly recommended restaurant in that district, if traditional Northern Punjab cuisine is what you fancy. I shared an order of the Pindi Chole, chickpeas slowly simmered in a spiced brown tomato gravy with ginger and coriander, and Kadhai Paneer, Indian cottage cheese served in a tomato and green pepper curry sauce, along side Palak Roti, a spinach stuffed flatbread made in the Tandoor oven. The dishes were typical to the northern cuisine, far heavier and gravy based compared to the southern fare I am accustomed to, yet nonetheless delicious.
Day two was dedicated to visiting the Lotus Temple and the Red Fort. The Lotus Temple is a phenomenal wonder with regards to its structure, with its massive white exterior forming to look like the petals of a flower. The temple is the house of worship for the Bahái faith, and is described as a place that invites people of all religions to find serenity in worship within its confines. Not far from the Temple, next stop was the Red Fort, which was the residence of the Emperor of India for over 200 years and now serves as home to multiple museums and monuments. It was also named as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. Although it was extremely impressive, for me, this monument was not the most riveting, however its sheer size and history was really interesting to learn about.
However, the evening of the second day, was the star of the show. I was invited to one of my Indian classmate’s homes for a dinner to celebrate his father’s birthday, and it was one for the books, at least with regards to my taste buds. This was the first time I experienced Indian hospitality and I was far from disappointed. A culture so deeply rooted to tradition and so identifiable through cuisine, I was completely in heaven at an Indian dinner party. We were greeted with so much warmth and general pleasure to be sharing a space and a meal with this family, I couldn’t help to wonder who was the lucky one in the situation! The menu was expansive and it felt like the food wouldn’t stop coming! We began with all sorts of “snacks”, including the most delectable Samosas I have ever tastes, filled with a potato mixture adorned with crunchy peanuts and aromatic mint, and fried until the exterior became a light, crisp golden brown. This was accompanied by thinly sliced and fried eggplant and cubed paneer, coming out in waves of incredible frequency and consumed with such.
Next came a more peculiar part... in India, cake is not considered to be a dessert or sweet. Therefore, the cake was cut and served between the appetizer and dinner... and alas, dinner was served! Pots and plates continued to come to the table, filled to the brim with the most vibrantly colored northern Indian classics. Never in my life had I seen such vivid greens, yellows and reds prepared for my palate. On the menu was Palak Paneer, cottage cheese simmered in a pureed spinach sauce, the absolutely best rendition I have ever tried. The minerally taste of the blanched spinach paired perfectly with the milky, salted taste of the paneer, which held its cubed form in the soft gravy, lending to a delectable texture throughout the dish. Another classic Punjab dish served was Pindi Chole, considered a “dry dish” in the north, is essentially chickpeas and dal in a light gravy, stained by tea leaves and cinnamon and finished with fresh coriander. We were also treated to Gobi Aloo, tenderly cooked cauliflower and potatoes coated with deep yellow tumeric powder and other complementary spices. Rice, Chapati and Roti, hot off the stove, were served as vehicles to transport the incredible dishes from plate to mouth along with curd, an Indian sour yogurt, made with garam pearls. After about two extra servings of each dish, I was successfully stuffed to the brim with content (and Roti!) and declined the Kheer, an Indian version of rice pudding that was served as dessert. Although one may say that food won this battle, I certainly was not a sore loser.
A group of my classmates and I rented a driver for the weekend in order to make it to the “must-sees” scattered around Delhi, as well as in Agra, about 3 hours drive due east. However, there is an obscene amount of traffic in and around Delhi, as well as very heavy fog that impairs a lot of roadways during the winter months, so be wary.
On day one, I made my way to the breathtaking Akshardum temple, however I regret to inform that photography was prohibited! Devastating, yet I am almost grateful that it allowed me to solely focus on experiencing the incredible Hindu temple and learn far more than I usually would at such a destination. I recommend that you spare the 3 hours and partake in the exhibition tour, which involves an expansive and interactive walking tour, boat ride and movie, taking you through the history and life of Swaminarayan, whom the temple is dedicated to. The temple itself is a phenomenal construction, finished only 5 years ago, and home to some of the most beautifully carved pink sandstone and marble I have ever seen.
The evening led me to Connaught Place and into the farthest atmosphere from the spiritual haven of Akshardum. Connaught Place is one of the largest commercial centers in New Delhi, home to all sorts of shopping, restaurants and nightlife. I browsed through some of the shops, however they were mostly price regulated by the government and bartering was not allowed, so I saved my words and my rupees for another time. Dinner was taken at Pin Balluchi, a highly recommended restaurant in that district, if traditional Northern Punjab cuisine is what you fancy. I shared an order of the Pindi Chole, chickpeas slowly simmered in a spiced brown tomato gravy with ginger and coriander, and Kadhai Paneer, Indian cottage cheese served in a tomato and green pepper curry sauce, along side Palak Roti, a spinach stuffed flatbread made in the Tandoor oven. The dishes were typical to the northern cuisine, far heavier and gravy based compared to the southern fare I am accustomed to, yet nonetheless delicious.
Day two was dedicated to visiting the Lotus Temple and the Red Fort. The Lotus Temple is a phenomenal wonder with regards to its structure, with its massive white exterior forming to look like the petals of a flower. The temple is the house of worship for the Bahái faith, and is described as a place that invites people of all religions to find serenity in worship within its confines. Not far from the Temple, next stop was the Red Fort, which was the residence of the Emperor of India for over 200 years and now serves as home to multiple museums and monuments. It was also named as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. Although it was extremely impressive, for me, this monument was not the most riveting, however its sheer size and history was really interesting to learn about.
However, the evening of the second day, was the star of the show. I was invited to one of my Indian classmate’s homes for a dinner to celebrate his father’s birthday, and it was one for the books, at least with regards to my taste buds. This was the first time I experienced Indian hospitality and I was far from disappointed. A culture so deeply rooted to tradition and so identifiable through cuisine, I was completely in heaven at an Indian dinner party. We were greeted with so much warmth and general pleasure to be sharing a space and a meal with this family, I couldn’t help to wonder who was the lucky one in the situation! The menu was expansive and it felt like the food wouldn’t stop coming! We began with all sorts of “snacks”, including the most delectable Samosas I have ever tastes, filled with a potato mixture adorned with crunchy peanuts and aromatic mint, and fried until the exterior became a light, crisp golden brown. This was accompanied by thinly sliced and fried eggplant and cubed paneer, coming out in waves of incredible frequency and consumed with such.
Next came a more peculiar part... in India, cake is not considered to be a dessert or sweet. Therefore, the cake was cut and served between the appetizer and dinner... and alas, dinner was served! Pots and plates continued to come to the table, filled to the brim with the most vibrantly colored northern Indian classics. Never in my life had I seen such vivid greens, yellows and reds prepared for my palate. On the menu was Palak Paneer, cottage cheese simmered in a pureed spinach sauce, the absolutely best rendition I have ever tried. The minerally taste of the blanched spinach paired perfectly with the milky, salted taste of the paneer, which held its cubed form in the soft gravy, lending to a delectable texture throughout the dish. Another classic Punjab dish served was Pindi Chole, considered a “dry dish” in the north, is essentially chickpeas and dal in a light gravy, stained by tea leaves and cinnamon and finished with fresh coriander. We were also treated to Gobi Aloo, tenderly cooked cauliflower and potatoes coated with deep yellow tumeric powder and other complementary spices. Rice, Chapati and Roti, hot off the stove, were served as vehicles to transport the incredible dishes from plate to mouth along with curd, an Indian sour yogurt, made with garam pearls. After about two extra servings of each dish, I was successfully stuffed to the brim with content (and Roti!) and declined the Kheer, an Indian version of rice pudding that was served as dessert. Although one may say that food won this battle, I certainly was not a sore loser.