Old Delhi and Jama Masjid

So, there are many things to do in Delhi; Delhi has many characteristics as a place, offers traditional aspects, delicious cuisines, nightlife and many places to see. Some of the places in Delhi look beautiful and remain charming ever.

Every few distance you travel in Delhi takes you to a different world where the scene and the lifestyle become very dissimilar from one another. As you see Delhi and gradually explore places, Old Delhi comes along at some point – locating at the heart of the city. Traveling to Old Delhi comes across with a lot of excitement, fun, and a

sense of alertness thinking of what you would see and do when you reach there. Old Delhi covers the areas of Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar; you can reach there by the metro service or any other transportation. Your walks on the streets of Old Delhi will widen your eyes where you will see a kind of unfamiliar scene, as you will start thinking about the place deeper.  Rickshaw pullers, street foods, restaurants, hawkers and people come in numbers here – you will be amazed and thrilled at this time. Your day in Old Delhi will come with a price; looking around the massive and maddening bustle, walking on your feet, your exploration of Old Delhi will be without question laborious. But there is something about Old Delhi

that no one would deny – the essence, of olden times, nostalgia, and the beauty hidden under a surface that you can see gauzily. Trying to tell you stories, and unveil itself from the thin scarf, Old Delhi will show you some parts of its face, and amidst the scene inside the place you will hear a narration and feel a distraction. There are houses on the side of the streets that dates back to ages, some of the glasses of the doors and windows on the upper floor shining with sections of translucent green, blue and red. It does not come difficult to imagine Mughals residing there once.

At the beginning of the Chawri Bazaar road is the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. The area around Jama Masjid is covered with shops, people, noise and rush. Tall it stands you will see the minarets of the mosque from a distance. You will definitely want to see the inner area of the mosque, but there could also be a chance you would think of passing it – don’t do that.

The compound of the mosque spreads wide and big, and there stands the mosque – beautiful, massive and charming. Remove your shoes at the entrance of the mosque; this is the regulation given before you enter the mosque. Once you enter the compound of the mosque – there is it, right in front of your eyes. You will find people visiting the mosque for prayer or just hanging around – local people: family and friends, and travelers. The minarets of the mosque stands tall and just looking up in the sky and finding it there is a beautiful sight. Right across the opposite of the mosque in the compound leads to another passage, and from this spot you could see a panoramic view of the Red Fort. The courtyard of the mosque can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers where on every Friday noon, the masjid holds mass congregation prayers of muslims. Jama Masjid began its construction in 1650 and was completed in 1656, foundation taken by Shah Jahan.

If you are in Old Delhi, don’t leave the place without feeling delicious in your mouth. Known for flavorsome Mughlai cuisine, food is one of the souls of Old Delhi – numbers of food corners near Jama Masjid or anywhere 

around as restaurants or street shops. The food here is pretty much tempting with the aroma, texture and the delicacy when brought before you. Karim’s restaurant is located just by Jama Masjid and it is a famous restaurant particularly known for its delicate food and taste. The restaurant offers a menu with a variety of items, all delivering flavor and taste. History lies as a backdrop of the restaurant – it dates back to 1913.

Old Delhi is all about seeing, moving and experience; several other spots also lie in and around its areas like Red Fort, Mirza Ghalib’s haveli, Razia Sultan’s tomb, and Begum Samru’s palace which now stands as an old and weary building. Old Delhi is nothing but one of the rare places that you would find; with history and fascination it is an occasion - you will go back home with pictures and images in your head.

Another world.

Orchha is one of the places in India loved by many people. It is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh.



When you visit the place, the first thing that comes to you is the feeling - a sense of nostalgia, going back in time and some kind of sweet connection. As you look around, you will come across a huge palace fort consisting of several connected buildings. These buildings look like stories trying to tell them to you; the shapes of the temples - conical top section, the detailing on their surfaces, they are beautiful treat to the eyes. You will see the water of Betwa River surrounding the fort and spreading far, with stones around.

The Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, Ram Raja Temple and the Uth Khana(Camel Shelter) are the places of interest in Orchha. You can also climb on the roof of the Uth Khana and get a fastastic view of Orchha town. The ruins behind the fort complex is an even greater watch. Nothing much other than thoughts about the things around you will be in your mind.

In brief, Orchha was founded in the 15th century AD, by Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha, and also built the Fort of Orchha. The Chaturbuj Temple was built, during the time of Akbar, by the Queen of Orchha Ganeshi Bai, while Raj Mandir was built by Madhukar Shah during his reign, 1554 to 1591.

There's no thing like gay scene in Orchha, but it's the beauty and its charm that captures the heart of many people, and becomes an anticipation for gay men.

A visit to Orchha is worthwhile, it will fascinate and impress you. All that you will be left with is a feeling of going back to history, excitement and a number of pictures in your head.

Discrimination within the discriminated!

Coming from a small town, I always wondered if there's any gay scene in India, and after moving to New Delhi I realized that there's a loud vibrant gay scene in the bigger cities in India. I observed that a big number of crowd has started to stop fighting the fact about their sexuality and are accepting it in a positive way. Unfortunately, I observed that with this open crowd in cities like New Delhi, it has seeped in the some hideous norms and customs.

I am writing this article after having a long, serious conversation with a Spanish friend who has been living in New Delhi since a couple of years. Our conversation was lead in a direction making me think deeply about the fact that how rudely a strata of Indian gay community is discriminated by the gay community itself.

The conversation begun with the gay party scene in Delhi, I got to know that there are parties every weekend and generally on Tuesdays too, the parties are very happening and good. The conversation then headed towards the serious subject of how the transgenders and cross-dressers are discriminated and discarded by the gay community itself.

It was upsetting to know that they are not allowed in most of the parties in the city and are humiliated badly. The newsletter on the social networking sites have clearly written "Drags and transgenders are not allowed". 

This is because of the pressure that the gay community put on the organizers. There might be reasons behind this, but any kind of reason will not justify a conclusion like this. This striking fact tells us how unfair it is that when we come out on streets for the pride, we all talk about equality and freedom of choice but in real, things are contrary. The India gay community itself seems too homophobic.

Gay community in India clearly is divided into closeted and out-of-closet but there's another division, tabooed deeper - the discarded and the accepted gays.

Hope with time and more open minded people, the community which is already discriminated, by the straights and so called 'straight acting', will stop discriminating amongst themselves.