For a traveller, there can be no single favorite place to visit. Every trip is a journey, right from the nascent stages of planning to the very end, when you're still recovering from the thrill and the exhaustion. I feel lost when I try to pick a single favorite in this massive expanse of hidden treasures and abundant love. But there is one place that keeps nagging at the edge of my conscience. Delhi – my home town, a place I fondly call 'my' city. Over the last few months I have been on an endeavour to experience the city in a more intimate, meaningful manner. I have grown up here for the vast majority of my life, yet I feel disconnected from a vast majority of this ancient land of seven cities.
Recently I landed up in one corner of Delhi known as Majnu ka Tilla (MT). MT is a Tibetan refugee colony located in northern Delhi, along the ancient Grand Trunk Road, or National Highway 1. It gets its name from a Muslim saint around the time of the Lodi dynasty (15th century) who spent years lost in meditation on a hillock here. His neighbours named him Majnu, 'crazy' in the local language. The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, while passing through, was impressed by Majnu's devotion and named the place 'Majnu ka Tilla' or the hillock of Majnu.
On a hunt for some delicious Tibetan food, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience this little settlement had to offer. For the two hours we spent here, I felt like I had been transported to a quaint little village in the Tibetan countryside. As we walked into the tiny lane, we were greeted by two old men sitting on a bench, sipping tea and quietly discussing what seemed like the daily musings of life. Walk in a little further and coupled with mystical aroma of incense sticks was the soft voice of vendors selling everything from flip-flops to backpacks to Oreo cookies. Amidst all of this, both sides of the lane were speckled with little Tibetan restaurants that proved to be a gastronomical delight for my starving tummy! But the image of what I saw next will forever remain etched in a special corner of my heart. In front of me was a community square with two sides lined with restaurants. Outside the restaurants, three to four women had set up their tables and were rolling what looked like minced meat into thin strips of yellow coloured flour. And along one wall was a Buddhist temple, with a life size image of the Buddha sitting cross legged, prayer flags flying and at least 50 lamps lying in front of the temple, their flames wavering to the evening wind. Outside in the courtyard children played in free abandon and came giggling to shake hands.
Majnu ka Tilla was a unique community experience in Delhi. There was an air of spirituality combined with the commercial pursuits of a suburb in a cosmopolitan city. But at no point did it feel like one was taking away from the other – the blend was unique and peaceful – something I have never really witnessed elsewhere. And while I spent a mere two hours here this time, I cannot wait to go back to learn and experience more.
