Red Fort

I love the streets of Old Delhi as the colorful markets, mouthwatering food and monuments just transport me into another world, where everything is so captivating and beautiful. I know I may sound foolish when I say that because many people get apprehensive over the thought of visiting there, saying it’s too crowded and noisy, but for me, it holds a charm that remains engraved in my heart. Searching through the pictures of Old Delhi for some project work ignited emotions and memories of my childhood days. I immediately decided to relive the magic of Old Delhi with my family members.

It was a foggy Sunday, around 7 AM in the morning and nearly all the roads leading to the famous Chandni Chowk market wore a deserted look. I was quite surprised and began to wonder where have all the people gone? The cows sitting in the middle of a road and blocking your path and no near-deafening traffic noise? It was so quiet. Before I could figure out the reasons, the Red Fort was to my right, magnificent and enveloped by a thick blanket of fog.

The gates of the Fort were not open yet so I decided to wait for some time and shared fun-filled moments with my family members sitting on the steps leading to the Fort. After a few hours, the sun touched the sky and I could feel the rays giving the much-needed warmth to the body. I could see the Chandni Chowk coming back to life with the shopkeepers beginning to set up their shops along the road and people moving fast here and there through the narrow lanes.

After spending an unforgettable time in the Red Fort and clicking lots of pictures, we all began to feel tired and hungry. We had skipped breakfast and were famished. So, without wasting any time, we marched towards the popular ‘Paranthe Wali Gali’ to satiate our hunger. 

After meandering like a snake through the narrow lanes, we reached through the Pt. Kanhaiyalal Durga Prasad Paranthe Wale's shop. Different kinds of lip-smacking Parantha, Indian bread made of wheat flour and can be stuffed with several different things ) options listed on the menu only increased our hunger. I was quite amazed by the photographs on the wall that showed famous personalities like Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Shrimati Indira Gandhi or Amitabh Bachchan dining at the shop.

My short trip to Old Delhi was completely magical that just can’t be expressed in words but only felt and experienced. Hey! WAIT! More coming up in Part 2 about the architectural charms of Old Delhi. Stay tuned… you thought that the magnetizing charm of the place could be penned down in just one post?

Manish Pandey is filled with passion for travelling different places and sharing experiences through his blogs. A blogger for the past four years, he dreams to explore length and breadth of the country and publish his own travel stories book someday. When he is not traveling, Manish likes to fulfill his love of photography and read lifestyle blogs.