Nothing could fresh me or make me happy as much as travelling or exploring places could.. so me with my friends Ila and Hardik bunked my college to explore the hidden gems of Delhi and to feel excited..
As we are living in different states of India me in Delhi and they in Ghaziabad(UP), that's just a few kilometer away from my house but still it is counted as different state so we have to say that.. :p
The journey itself started in a funny note... we met at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, usually I am considered a latecomer but this time it was Hardik and Ila.. that too because of Hardik's laziness.
After meeting we headed towards the Jor Bagh Metro Station the nearest metro station to reach TOMB OF SAFDURJUNG or Safdurjung Maqbara. The tomb was build by Muhammad Shah's son and the rest you can google .The entry fee for the tomb is Rs 45 per Indian tourist. The entrance gate itself gives a spectacular view of the main tomb and we started preparing our cameras for some amazing click.
The tomb has tanks and fountains dotting in the central pathways with palms trees on either side which gives us a feeling of royalty as we walked towards the tomb. The tomb is divided in a square shaped pattern quite like charbagh with green lawns and good surroundings.
In this rustle and bustle of the city this place offers a peaceful and silent environment and a chance to connect to one's self and nature. The silence of this place is like finding a Kohinoor in the coal mine.
I was lucky to hear the sound of peacock and even felt more luckier to see few of them dancing with their features fully openly. The three of us just sit there for few hours doing nothing except connecting ourself to us and the beautiful nature.
As we were just sitting I couldn't help to stop the explorer inside me and notice that the tomb is very much similar to the Humayun's Tomb. As we were leaving the tomb to again connect to the rustle and bustle of city life, I couldn't stop wondering that how could this beautiful mausoleum is left alone by the tourist and locals.
TOMB OF SAFDURJUNG
As we had plenty of time so we decided to head toward Chandni Chowk Metro Station and visit the MIRZA GHALIB KI HAVELI, located in the Ballimaran Chowk of Chandni Chowk.
As I was going to Chandni Chowk I could not get control on my watering mouth as soon as I reached near the Natraj Dahi Bhalle wala, and we enjoyed the dahi bhalle at natraj.
As we filled our tummy it was now time to see the Haveli.
AS SHAKESPEARE IS TO ENGLISH LITERATURE..GHALIB IS TO URDU LITERATURE..
And all these narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk belongs to the man who changed the world of Urdu poetry - MIRZA GHALIB.
His work may be loved by all but that's not the case with his Delhi Residence in Chandni Chowk. Only few knows the residence of the legendary poet.
As only a handful of people knows about his residence we came across a weird,mad rickshaw wala who knows the way to Haveli. As we had no other choice left so we sat in his rickshaw to reach the Haveli. On our way to Haveli he was pulling his rickshaw only by seeing at the back and telling us some weird and unknown stuff.. but that made us laugh..and we were always telling him to see in the front only..and then only Hardik said, Abe ye to pakka thokega , Abe marwaega ye to.. and at that moment only our rickshaw hit the car that was standing in front. We controlled Hardik and just asked him to shut up and make us reach the Haveli, but he just dropped us outside the Ballimaran Chowk and in no mood to argue we started walking in the Ballimaran Chowk.
The Ballimaran Chowk is a market for shoes and spectacles. The Haveli is just a lane away from Ballimaran Chowk. It might seem a little difficult to reach the Haveli but not worry anyone in the Galli will guide you.
The HAVELI as the word sound we all imagined something big with huge lawn and rooms around it... but it is just the opposite of our imagination.
Half of the Haveli is acquired by the shops and just 2 rooms are converted into a museum. The Haveli has some preserved belonging of the great poet like utensils, shatranj,couple of clothes, few books of the poet, couplets of poet's composition on the walls written in Hindi, English and Urdu.
The special highlight of the Haveli are the wooden entrance gate and the chhajja in the courtyard, life statue of him holding a hookah, some currency notes and stamp of his time.
Even though the haveli is not so big, but still the essence of Ghalib ji can be felt in the Haveli. Each and every corner of the Haveli have something or the other that keep the spirit of Ghalib sahib alive forever in the mind and heart of people.
Thus the Haveli just gives a insight to the life of the master of poetry and the couplets and quotes of Ghalib in the walls of Haveli made me keen on reading more of his work.
(Entrance fee of the Haveli is nil and the Haveli remains opens all day of the week except Monday from sunrise to sunset)
As we had only a few hours left in our hand so we headed to Rajiv Chowk from there we had Chuski Paan from Odean Paan Shoe,which got me a moment to laugh on them as they were struggling on how to eat... :D
Finally our few hours trip came to an end.. and we headed back to home with bag full of memories and a little difference in our attitude..