The Delhi Duchess

Who is the Delhi Duchess? Well, that is me! My friend Shamrock (nickname) came up with this brilliant nickname once he learned that I come from a Dutch speaking country. The Duchess is no longer a nickname, it has become a phenomenon. People bow for the Duchess, kiss her hand, people have forgotten or never knew her real name, the Duchess is assisted by a personal assistant and a butler, emails and text messages are addressed to and signed by the Duchess. And that is not all, last Wednesday, on WORLD REFUGEE DAY, the Duchess made her first appearance in the Delhi top newspaper. My star is rising............................ (and so is my ego).

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Of gajras & some great music…

A DIFFERENT SOUND: Rock shows and gigs have been rocking the capital all summer. But this musical do was slightly unusual. And it was the musicians who made this one different. The band that was performing called themselves the Powercuts, which is as Delhi as it gets in the summer. Also, this was a retro band of expatriates from various embassies. They played everything, from old favourites like Beatles and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash. After a break, they played hard rock to suit the tastes of the younger crowd. AND THE CROWD LOVED IT: The guests loved their performance as they got to hear the best of all kinds of music. A member from the band, Kerstin, who hails from Sweden, said, “I enjoy playing in Delhi. The crowd here really appreciates good music. It’s fun playing.”
THE HEAT DIDN’T BOTHER THEM: Most of the guests were from various embassies, and the place was choc-a-bloc with avid rock fans. Pretty Julia Arevalo was a little troubled because of the summer heat. “I am feeling a little hot,” she said, and added, “But who cares about the heat when you have such good music!” And all her friends nodded in agreement. That’s the spirit, we say! LONG NIGHT OF DANCING: Jack, one among the group from the American embassy, was enjoying himself thoroughly. “I’ve been here with all my friends since early in the evening and I am really enjoying the music,” he enthused. Aftab played the host, and went around asking the guests if they were enjoying themselves. And they sure did! GAJRAS OR EARRINGS?
We noticed that a Dutch girl, Lauren, had worn gajras as earrings. She said, “They smell so good and fresh, I just had to buy them from the florist.” She made quite a style statement by wearing them like earrings and not in her hair. One of her friends told us that everyone called her ‘The Dutch-ess’. Unusual nickname, unusual earrings! (Contributed by Pallavi Pasricha & Piyali Dasgupta)

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631. The construction of the mausoleum was completed in 1653. Many have tried to describe its beauty:

“Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, this sublime Mughal mausoleum is India’s tourist emblem” (source: the Lonely Planet)

“Many people think it is one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.” (source: Wikipedia)

“India's most stunning monument” (source: BBC)

Monday morning 2 April, Hero and I left for the Taj Mahal in Agra. With the help of a handsome Indian man we managed to purchase a train ticket in only minutes and hop on the train just seconds before departure time. Although the journey takes at least 2,5 hours, with Hero it only seemed minutes. I should mention that we hadn’t seen each other in seven months so any opportunity to catch up was greedily taken up.

An auto-rickshaw endowed with a screaming pink interior took us to the closest Pizza hut as we believed that one cannot possibly marvel at what is called the most extravagant monument on non-disputed Indian territory, on an empty stomach.

After paying the entrance fee and equipped with shoe covers, only for foreigners as locals are supposed to go barefoot, we slowly made our way to the Taj. Thrilled about the treasure that was just ahead of us and wondering if it would indeed live up to our sky-high expectations we reached the entrance arch to the Taj.

Well, it did not. It only took my breath away as I was overwhelmed by the surprise, or should I say shock, that it did not live up to my expectations. I must admit that the Taj Mahal is surely a visit worth, and the legends and romance surrounding the Taj Mahal make it somehow unique, but it didn’t radiate the magic I expected. I wanted to be touched by the enchantment, to be left with my mouth half open absorbed by its stunning beauty. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I feared that my senses were satisfied and that from now on I would be totally indifferent towards all historical monuments as I have seen too many during my past journeys. Thank heaven, my next trip proved me wrong.