Unsurprisingly, seven ancient cities and one busy metropolis later, Delhi’s architectural skyline is dominated by forts, palaces, and sundry monuments at varying stages of (dis)repair. Then, there be those breathtaking ruins of historical remains, the tombs. Of which, the 15th century ones within the Lodhi Garden, in my opinion, out-rank by far many others that dot the National Capital.
Nearly a hundred acres of green lung amidst frenetic activity, the garden’s well-maintained verdure, historical footprint–permanent home to Sikandar Lodhi (pic above) & Mohammad Shah Sayyid (pic below), among others–and beautifully laid walking trails are a classy seduction act. Unsurprisingly, again, it remains the most preferred go-to place for families, office-goers, fitness enthusiasts, lovers, and unabashed heavy-petters.
I caught a few rounds of the place in winter earlier this year. One such visit on a late evening found my camera handy to capture the creatively-lit monuments as I trailed (way, way behind) a more energetic sibling on the joggers path. Subsequent visits, during the day, have found me minus my photography aids. Of course it is entirely possible that I may have also been otherwise occupied; but that’s for me to know and you to guess.
Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu, travel enthusiast and the author of Adrift: A junket junkie in Europe is the youngest of four siblings born into an aristocratic family of Punjab. Dogged in her resistance to conform, and with parental pressure easing sufficiently over the years, she had plenty of freedom of choice. And she chose travel.
She was born in Shimla, and spent her formative years at their home, Windsor Terrace, in Kasumpti while schooling at Convent of Jesus & Mary, Chelsea. The irrepressible wanderlust in her found her changing vocations midstream and she joined Singapore International Airlines to give wing to her passion. She has travelled extensively in Asia, North America, Australia, Europe, South Africa and SE Asia; simultaneously exploring the charms within India.
When she is not travelling, she is writing about it. Over the past decade or so, she has created an impressive writing repertoire for herself: as a columnist with Hindustan Times, as a book reviewer for The Tribune and as a contributor to travel magazines in India and overseas. Her work-in-progress, the documenting of colonial heritage along the Old Hindustan-Tibet Road, is an outcome of her long-standing romance with the Himalayas.
