Brownian Movements

 On a recent visit to Delhi, I found myself with some time on my hands before a dinner engagement with a former medical school classmate, now a renowned surgeon in the city. I decided to visit the nearby Lodi Gardens, where I spent a happy couple of hours rambling through its sprawling expanse—a walk I have narrated in a previous blog. On my way back, I passed the Meteorological Observatory and the rather officious-looking Mausam Bhavan on Lodi Road. Its walls, however, were enlivened by a pleasing collection of street art. Among the paintings was even a rainy-day scene at CST station (the erstwhile Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai. Street art has always fascinated me; apart from its aesthetic appeal, it adroitly conceals layers of grime and dust, making the locality appear more cheerful and colourful. It was a cold, foggy evening in early January, with the temperature hovering around 11°C. Though well protected against the chill, I had worked up a healthy appetite after my walk i...

  During a recent visit to Delhi , I was fortunate to be put up at the India Habitat Centre , a multi-purpose building that was built with the aim of bringing together individuals and Institutions working in diverse habitat and environment related fields. Located a stone’s throw away from Lodi garden, it gave me the perfect opportunity to spend a few hours exploring one of Delhi’s most historic green spaces before a dinner engagement with a college friend. The Lodi garden in New Delhi is a large artificially created park spread over 90 acres, making it a significant green lung in the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi . It was created in 1936 in the village of Khairpur by relocating the villagers and was named Lady Willingdon garden after the wife of the then Viceroy of British India, Lord Willingdon . Following India’s independence, it was renamed Lodi Garden, a more fitting title given that it serves as the final resting place of several kings of the late Delhi Sultanate . The present l...