DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding Pakistan in Its Entirety Erate In

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding Pakistan in Its Entirety Erate In politics of the times from the 1930s to the 1950s. Her easy grasp of that period is clear Understanding from the way she builds her characters: from the Mahatma and Qaid, to other protagonists Pakistan including Nehru, Bose, Suhrawardhy, Liaqat Ali Khan, Mirza and General Ayub. It includes delightful nuggets on how Sardar Patel would Arun Vishwanathan thrash out problems within the Indian Con- stituent Assembly (by going for big durbar- s a new civilian government finds its feet style walks in Delhi’s Lodi Gardens), and a Afollowing the historic transition of demo- footnote on how in 1954, the Pakistan Gov- cratic power in Pakistan, it is important to ernor-General Malik Ghulam Mohammad carry out a holistic analysis of the multiple dismissed Prime Minister Bogra, with Gen- crises plaguing Pakistan. These range from a eral Ayub Khan standing behind a curtain in troubling internal security situation with the same room! Just four years later General rampant terrorist attacks to a crisis of gover- Ayub forced Mohammed’s successor Mirza to nance to a slowing economy complicated by dismiss Prime Minister Noon, and then took an energy crisis. In recent years, given the over as President, while exiling Mirza from troubles plaguing Pakistan several scholars the country (the template for the more recent have outlined a pessimistic future for Paki- coup in Pakistan too). stan that has ranged from implosion of the If you read between Tudor’s well-crafted country, to its breaking up or ‘Lebanonisa- lines, it is easy to see many events of today tion’ to carving of an Islamic Emirate from that tie into our subcontinental past: In the within Pakistan’s territory. she researches his use of Khadi, the crusade tussle between political parties and person- against untouchability, the Dandi March and alities (the cult of the ‘high command’) that PAKISTAN: A NEW HISTORY other campaigns against colonial laws, all as continues to this day, In the pursuit of ‘coali- By Ian Talbot methods of unifying nationalistic support tions of convenience’ with extremist groups Amaryllis, New Delhi, 2013, pp: x+311, `499.00 through an ‘instrumental embrace of in order to gain power (as well as sectarian, Gandhian tactics’. Jinnah’s comparative reli- anti-Shi’a movements fuelling radicalism in What makes Ian Talbot’s book a great ance on a ‘vague religious nationalism’ while Pakistan from the 1950s), in the struggle be- read is the fact that it chronologically and in unifying only along specific lines (poor Mus- tween principles and consensus deciding the great detail analyses the historical develop- lims, landed aristocrats or zamindars, and pirs constitutions of both countries, and in the ments in Pakistan and highlights the turn- with committed followers), was one of the resolution of linguistic divides in the country ing points—beginning with the failure of the reasons for Pakistan’s unsettled polity later, (The formation of Andhra vs the current chaos first democratic experiment in 1958—which Tudor surmises. Tudor’s description of the role over Telengana and the creation of Bangladesh have led Pakistan down the path it currently of pirs is unique, recounting how they first on the other side). finds itself in. The strength and quality of helped Jinnah win elections in Punjab and Finally there are the international exten- Talbot’s scholarship comes across given the Bengal that strengthened his case for a sepa- sions of this study. Tudor speaks of a ‘fleeting fact that he engages with the spectrum of rate state, then convinced their followers in window for institutionalization’ for any coun- available scholarship on every issue whether the United Provinces, Bihar, and Punjab to try, with a cautionary tone for Pakistan in par- it is the link between madrassa education and migrate to Pakistan, and finally, the role of ticular. The fact is that around the world, de- militancy or poor governance to uneven eco- the same pirs post-Partition in destabilizing mocracy is seldom a final, solid state of being, nomic development. This coupled with elected governments. and is mostly just a work in progress. Accord- Talbot’s assessment of the strength and weak- Tudor’s approach to the subject is aca- ing to a study by the Journal of Democracy, of nesses of the reading of the issue by various demic, but her style makes this complex book 100 countries in stages of upheaval between scholars provides the reader with a well easy reading. It is possible to differ with her 1970 and 2000, only 20 became stable de- rounded understanding. conclusions that seem to damn Pakistan to an mocracies. 5 relapsed into dictatorships (in- While reading the book one does en- unstable polity forever, based on the past. It cluding Algeria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), counter Talbot’s masterly understanding of is also possible to see Tudor’s work as heavily while a staggering 75 were stuck somewhere the country and his love for Pakistan and its loaded in India’s favour, with extreme pessi- in transition. people. It is probably this affection for the mism about Pakistan’s prospects of stability, At a time when many question the rele- country which makes him more optimistic even as she glosses over many of the contra- vance of democracy around the world (Egypt, about the country’s future vis-à-vis most dictions in India’s promise of democracy— Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco), where the exit other scholars who are all ‘gloom and doom’ the persistent inequalities, and suppression of dictatorial leaders and holding of elections when it comes to the future of Pakistan. of divergent movements in Kashmir, the have brought little by way of regime stability, Talbot’s book is a comprehensive attempt North-East and areas that Naxal groups op- Tudor’s The Promise of Power is aptly titled. at understanding Pakistan in its entirety erate in. Fortunately Tudor sticks, for the most Because the dual promise of democracy: Jus- which includes details about its people, land part, to empirical facts and practical descrip- tice and Equality remain an elusive promise in and its society. The book is divided into eight tions, and it is hard to fault her on the re- India and Pakistan. All that can be counted on chapters and begins with an essay titled ‘Pa- search she bases her argument on. is the promise of power, in all its fleeting glory. kistan: Land, People and Society’. The ex- What really sets apart The Promise of Power cellent chapter is a great way to begin the is Tudor’s anecdotal style in describing the Suhasini Haidar is Foreign Affairs Editor, CNN-IBN. book as it provides the reader with an overall The Book Review / October 2013 51 Pakistan’s historically low tax penetration of less than two percent. Talbot helps the reader In Search of a understand the current crisis in Pakistan by tackling issues such as distribution of land Constitution holdings and the links therein to skewed development; the nature of political parties and political participation to the lack of Sohan Prasad Sha strong presence of political parties at the grass- root level in large parts of Pakistan in the pre-Independence era. It is to Talbot’s credit ith the heightening of a heated na- that he masterfully highlights such intercon- Wtionalism debate, this book is a timely nected linkages thereby providing the reader contribution to the constitution making pro- with a better understanding of Pakistan. cess in Nepal. There has been no dearth of With the second chapter onwards the constitutions in Nepal with those of 1948, book follows a detailed chronological account 1951, 1959, 1962, 1990 and 2007. Nepal of Pakistan’s troubled history. This begins has been going through a fresh constitutional with an analysis of the reasons behind the crisis in recent years. The process of drafting failure of Pakistan’s first experiment with de- the new constitution which started with the mocracy that lasted from 1947 to 1958. The establishment of a popular Constituent As- following chapters study Pakistan’s swing sembly failed in 2012, and presently another back and forth from military rule to democ- constituent assembly election is being racy. It begins with the martial rule under sought. The book under review sheds inter- General Ayub to democratic rule under esting light on this process and unpacks the Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and back overall legacy of constitutionalism in Nepal feel of the country. The chapter deals with to military rule under Zia-ul-Haq to a tran- and socio-political conflicts involved in the the geopolitical situation Pakistan finds it- sition to democracy under Benazir Bhutto Constitution making processes through the self in, provides details of Pakistan’s demog- and Nawaz Sharif between 1988-99 which case study of the 1990 Constitution. raphy and the problems posed by the rapid was followed with the military coup by Gen- The author argues for a framework and growth of its population. Here Talbot also eral Parvez Musharraf. The book ends with perspective that makes a strong case for con- deals with the issue of migration both over- an analysis of President Asif Ali Zardari’s ten- stitutional ethnography in Nepal. Malagodi seas as well as internal rural-urban migra- ure which was a watershed being the first draws a parallel between ‘Factual diversity- tion. The issue of migration, overlooked by democratically elected government to com- Formal equality’ that existed in the making many, has important ramifications on the plete its full term. of the 1990 Constitution and in the post- growing Wahhabi influence in Pakistan. Most The resolve shown by Pakistan’s politi- 1990 democratic context with regard to ‘the analysis of growing Wahhabi influence in cal parties—especially the current Prime Pakistan tends to focus on Saudi Arabia’s ef- Minister Nawaz Sharif—in ensuring that the CONSTITUTIONAL NATIONALISM AND LEGAL forts to further the ideology.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • I. Mehrauli 1
    List of Masjids in Delhi which was built by destroying Hindu temples LIST OF HINDU TEMPLES DESTROYED AND CONVERTED TO MOSQUES IN DELHI BY MUSLIMS We give below, state-wise and district-wise, the particulars of Muslim monuments which stand on the sites and/or have been built with the materials of Hindu temples, and which we wish to recall as witnesses to the role of Islam as a religion and the character of Muslim rule in medieval India. The list is the result of a preliminary survey. Many more Muslim monuments await examination. Local traditions which have so far been ignored or neglected have to be tapped on a large scale. We have tried our best to be exact in respect of locations, names and dates of the monuments mentioned. Even so, some mistakes and confusions may have remained. It is not unoften that different sources provide different dates and names for the same monument. Many Muslim saints are known by several names, which create confusion in identifying their mazars or dargahs. Some districts have been renamed or newly, created and a place which was earlier under one district may have been included in another. We shall be grateful to readers who point out these mistakes so that they can be corrected in our major study. This is only a brief summary. Sita Ram Goel It should be kept in mind that the list below doesn’t include all the temples destroyed by Muslims and which were converted to mosques. The below is the list of mosques and Darghas where evidences exists of having been made after destroying the temples at these locations.
    [Show full text]
  • Master Plan for Delhi 1957 Volume
    VOLUME - II MASTER PLAN FOR DELHI 1957 PART - I ( PREAMBLE & CHAPTERS ONE TO FIVE ) Prepared by the Delhi Development Authority Under the Delhi Development Act,1957 MASTER PLAN FOR DELHI Volume Two PART - 1 Preamble 1. Chapter One Origin and Growth of Delhi. 2. Chapter Two Regional Study. 3. Chapter Three Population. 4. Chapter Four The Economy of Delhi. 5. Chapter Five Land Use Survey and Analysis. PREAMBLE Planning as a concept and as policy needs no eludication 13.3 per cent. But the urban population increased by about in the India of today. However, strangely enough, planning three times that. Urban places of up to 100,000 population methods have not yet been applied to reforming the physical increased by 23.2 per cent, but much more spectacular and environment within which planned economic growth and alarming was the increase in cities of 100,000 and over, where social development are to take place. Except for the design of the population rose by 125 per cent.* new towns, for the dramatic new steel mills and the capital of Delhi’s growth in this period was especially drastic for newly created states, our old cities growing at a vertiginous well known reasons: the lakhs of mass refugee migration from rate have been left to sprawl over the land. Finally, four years Pakistan; the massive growth of Government employment ago the Government recognized that its own seat, Delhi, from colonial law-and-order State to the Capital of a with its population doubled since 1941, was in dire need of great country dedicated to the planned welfare State; the some drastic surgery, dynamic proposals to accommodate proliferation of Embassies, business representatives from its expected growth, as a major city of India, and as a major India and all over the world, of National Associations and world capital.
    [Show full text]
  • Narayani.Pdf
    OUR CITY, DELHI Narayani Gupta Illustrated by Mira Deshprabhu Introduction This book is intended to do two things. It seeks to make the child living in Delhi aware of the pleasures of living in a modern city, while at the same time understanding that it is a historic one. It also hopes to make him realize that a citizen has many responsibilities in helping to keep a city beautiful, and these are particularly important in a large crowded city. Most of the chapters include suggestions for activities and it is important that the child should do these as well as read the text. The book is divided into sixteen chapters, so that two chapters can be covered each month, and the course finished easily in a year. It is essential that the whole book should be read, because the chapters are interconnected. They aim to make the child familiar with map-reading, to learn some history without making it mechanical, make him aware of the need to keep the environment clean, and help him to know and love birds, flowers and trees. Our City, Delhi Narayani Gupta Contents Introduction Where Do You Live? The Ten Cities of Delhi All Roads Lead to Delhi Delhi’s River—the Yamuna The Oldest Hills—the Ridge Delhi’s Green Spaces We Also Live in Delhi Our Houses Our Shops Who Governs Delhi? Festivals A Holiday Excursion Delhi in 1385 Delhi in 1835 Delhi in 1955 Before We Say Goodbye 1. Where Do You Live? This is a book about eight children and the town they live in.
    [Show full text]
  • Khushwant.Pdf
    This is the diary of a nature lover patterned after the traditional Baramasi of Indian poets. It tells you of trees, flowers, fruits, birds, snakes, insects and animals to be seen during the twelve months of the year in and around Delhi. It also tells of the many fairs and festivals celebrated in the country; how clouds are formed and what their shapes and movements mean; why hailstorms come in spring and early summer and not in winter; how birds communicate with each other and why their calls vary with the seasons. With the descriptions of nature are included poems on natural phenomenon by poets like Kalidasa, Guru Nanak, Meer Taqui Meer, Ghalib, Akbar Ilahabadi, Tagore, Rudyard Kipling and many others. Nature Watch is the joint product of one of India’s finest painters of natural phenomenon and one of the country’s leading novelists and short-story writers whose series The World Nature was highly rated on Indian television. The lure of the pen enticed Khushwant Slngh (born in 1915) away from his profession of law and diplomacy to turn him into a successful writer and a journalist. He has authored over fifty books including A Train to Pakistan, a two-volume History and Religion of the Sikhs, innumerable collections of short stories and articles as well as translations of Urdu and Punjabi works. He was also the editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, a Times of India publication. Presently his syndicated columns Gossip Sweet and Sour and With Malice Towards One and All are popular for their forthright comments and humour.
    [Show full text]
  • Lodi Gardens in New Delhi, India
    Occasional Paper No. FutureGenerations Applied Community Graduate School Change and Conservation AN URBAN PARK: LODI GARDENS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA Robert L. Fleming Jr. July 2006 Occasional Papers of the Future Generations Graduate School explore community-based approaches to social development, health, nature conservation, peace building, and governance. Faculty, alumni, and partner organizations present their field studies and applied research. www.future.org AN URBAN PARK: LODI GARDENS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA July 13, 2006 Robert L. Fleming, Jr. Future Generations Professor in Equity and Empowerment: Conservation An Occasional Paper of the Future Generations Graduate School of Research and Applied Studies in Community Change www.future.org A female and juvenile Small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus, in Lodi Gardens 2 AN URBAN PARK: LODI GARDENS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA Lodi Gardens, one of Asia’s best-known urban oases, lies just southeast of the heart of New Delhi. I visited the gardens on the morning of 13 July 2006, staying from 0745 to 0930. Often, entering a garden in an urban setting is something of a shock to the senses. But this is not the case with the Lodi Gardens for here the neighboring streets are wide and tree-lined, shade overhangs the sidewalks, palm squirrels poke along compound walls, and sunbirds seek nectar from conspicuous flowers. Once inside the grounds, however, there is a noticeable change for the sound of traffic is shunted into the background, replaced in part by the voices of birds. Tees are tall and varied, lilies or petunias - or whatever is in season - line the walkways, and green lawns beckon.
    [Show full text]
  • PRACTICAL INFORMATION 4Th OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy Measuring Well-Being for Development and Policy Making
    PRACTICAL INFORMATION 4th OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy Measuring Well-Being for Development and Policy Making 16-19 October 2012 New Delhi, India Measuring Well-Being for Development and Policy Making 16-19 October 2012, Ashok Convention Centre, New Delhi, India Practical Information This practical information note is designed to give you all information required for your stay in New Delhi and complements the Event Guide. If you have any queries, please contact the New Delhi 2012 Co-ordination Team at [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ........................................................................... 2 2. ARRIVING IN NEW DELHI ...................................................................... 2 3. ACCOMMODATION ................................................................................ 3 4. CONFERENCE VENUE........................................................................... 4 5. CONFERENCE BADGES ........................................................................ 4 6. CONFERENCE PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE ...................................... 5 7. VISIT TO THE TAJ MAHAL ..................................................................... 6 8. GENERAL INFORMATION ...................................................................... 6 9. EMERGENCY NUMBERS ....................................................................... 7 10. TOURIST SITES OF INTEREST ............................................................. 8 11. CONFERENCE CENTRE LAYOUT AND MAPS ..................................
    [Show full text]
  • Gurcharan Singh and Making a Place of New Delhi
    ASTRAGALO, 27 (2020) Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA ARTICLES, ISSN 2469-0503 BROWN AND BLUE, WITH LOTS OF GREEN: GURCHARAN SINGH AND MAKING A PLACE OF NEW DELHI Annapurna Garimella Art, Resources and Teaching Trust, Bangalore and Hyderabad https://dx.doi.org/10.12795/astragalo.2020.i27.03 At the 1911 Coronation Durbar, a royal proc- this purpose. The people who were living there lamation announced the shifting of the capital were displaced to other areas; some received new of British India from Calcutta to Delhi. Almost lands while others moved away. immediately, the ground beneath Delhi began Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker’s plan shifting as the plans, the site and the personnel was an imperial Garden City, based on an ideal for the construction of Imperial Delhi were ac- city form first consolidated in 1898 in Britain tivated by colonial authorities. One source tells by Ebenezer Howard with the aim of envisag- us that approximately 60,000 cubic feet of stone ing urbanization as one in which structures in- were accumulated in the process of demolishing cluding workspaces and homes were integrated many of the pre-Mughal and Mughal structures into extensive green zones which were either and occupied villages that were standing in var- parks or agriculture (Bowe 2009: 68). Lutyens ious degrees of life and ruination (Liddle 2018: and Baker’s plan integrated their commitment 36-47). In the logic of planners, the terrain was to Classical architecture as well as to the aes- first understood partly as a wasteland even if it thetic ideal of the picturesque.
    [Show full text]
  • Programme Booklet Small Res-1.Pdf
    RESOLVING GRIDLOCKS Managing Conflicts on Sovereignty, Economy, Ecology, Technology & Demography 10-19 NOVEMBER 2013 PROGRAMME BOOKLET Asian Forum on Global Governance, 2013 RESOLVING GRIDLOCKS Managing Conflicts on Sovereignty, Economy, Ecology, Technology & Demography 10 -19 NOVEMBER 2013 AFGG 2013 1 INTRODUCTION 2 AFGG 2013 RESOLVING GRIDLOCKS As the 21st century world evolves in complex ways, there is an urgent need to develop a new paradigm of global governance. Here is the paradox that confronts us. Nations, communities and people are more connected than ever before. A century of globalisation, immense progress in transportation, the advent of the digital age and growing interdependence has negated many assumptions of previous ages. Cyberspace and communication networks have brought us to the very threshold of the promised global village. Across distant lands and disparate contexts, people’s ambitions are increasingly similar. Yet, the world remains sharply divided and these cleavages are deepening. We witness multiple disagreements on a wide range of issues. Today, we are unable to agree on what to consume and how to consume it; there are contests over resources – how they are priced and how they are controlled; there is competition for access to these resources; there are differences over erstwhile models of development and growth; there is little international consensus on security, trade, climate change, finance, and on new uncharted territories such as cyber space, outer space and the oceans. The causes of these gridlocks are many, including rising multi-polarity, emerging AFGG 2013 3 polycentricism, lack of institutional capacities and inertia, proliferation of new voices and demands and a global inter-connectedness that challenges the role of the state.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of History, 4Th Sem. Sec-B 2 the Sultanate
    Subject: History (H) Semester: 4 th Paper: SEC-B (2): Art Appreciation: an Introduction to Indian Art Topic: Architecture under the Sultanate Prepared by: Nafisa Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Department of History. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unit: IV. Indian art and architecture (c.1200 CE-1800 CE) 4.1: Architecture under the Sultanate CONTENT 4.1.1 Introduction 4.1.2 The first phase (c.1206-1320 A.D.) 4.1.3 The second phase (c.1320-1414) 4.1.4 The third phase (c.1451-1526) 4.1.5 Suggested readings and documentaries ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1.1 Introduction The medieval period of Indian history was a period of synthesis amongst various cultures. The traditions brought by the Turks and Mughals assimilated with Indian traditions and enriched the Indian culture. The assimilation of Turkish elements with Indian ones began almost immediately. The Turks coming from Central and West Asia, required places for living and worshipping. Hence they converted some existing temples into houses and mosques. In later years, when new constructions were made, indigenous craftsmen were employed. Hence the monuments of the Sultanate came to reflect a happy mingling of Indian and Turkish elements. The architectural developments under the Delhi Sultanate can be divided into –the first phase till the end of the Khalji dynasty. The second phase was of the Tughlaqs. The third was under the Lodis. 4.1.2 The First Phase (c.1206-1320 A.D.) The first phase of the architectural developments under the Delhi Sultanate extended till the end of the Khalji dynasty. The most significant aspect of this period was the development of an Indo- Islamic style.
    [Show full text]
  • India International Centre India International Centre Main IIC Complex, Circa 1962
    India International Centre India International Centre Main IIC complex, circa 1962. Facing page: {A} Rose beds along main driveway. {B} The Reading Room, IIC Library. The India International Centre was founded with a vision of India as an ideal meeting point between the East and West. Since it serves as a ‘bridge’ for cultures and communities from all over the world, it has always been seen as the natural venue to initiate dialogues in a climate of amity, understanding and the sharing of human values. In the words of its Founder-President, Dr. C.D. Deshmukh, this institution was designed to be a meeting of minds, a place where ‘various currents of intellectual, political and economic thought could meet freely’. Statesmen, diplomats, intellectuals, scientists, jurists, writers and activists convene here for discussions. Lectures and conferences initiate the exchange of new ideas and knowledge in the spirit of international cooperation. The IIC is a non-governmental institution that has remained financially self-reliant over five decades. The basic purpose of its existence is clearly stated in its objectives that declare the Centre as a society ‘to promote understanding and amity between the different communities of the world by undertaking or supporting the study of their past and present cultures, by disseminating or exchanging knowledge thereof, and by providing such other facilities as would lead to their universal appreciation.’ IntroduCtIon Following these objectives, international and national conferences, seminars and round tables are initiated on topics of universal as well as national concern. These intellectual activities are complemented by a variety of cultural programmes that include excellent classical and folk music of different genres from all parts of the world, films and documentaries, plays and literary events, as well as art and photographic exhibitions.
    [Show full text]
  • New Delhi Travel Guide Brochure
    New Delhi Travel Guide Brochure Rajpath National Museum The Lotus Temple Red Fort The Garden of 5 Senses Qutub Minar This 7-day holiday will take you on a jam-packed tour of New Delhi. You will see Day 4 – Start the day with a visit to the Lotus Temple. It resembles a half open lots of tourist attractions including, The Lotus Temple, The Garden of 5 senses and Lotus flower. Then visit Humayans Tomb and the Lodi Gardens. Take a break and Qutub Minar. get lunch at the Khan MarketThen head towards the Safdarjungs Tomb by autobus or taxi. From there you can go to the Hauz Khas Village. Then you can eat The first day of your New Delhi tour consists of approximately 12-hour flight and a dinner at the Defence Colony where there is a lot of food options to choose from. Tuk Tuk ride to your hotel. The rest of the day will be reserved for unpacking and You could also enjoy an Indian Cuisine at Dilli Hat. settling in to your new environment. Day 5 – Start the day with a trip to the Raj Ghat then go to Shankars International Day 2 – The second day of your New Delhi adventure starts with time to explore Dolls Museum and then the Akshardham Temple. You can either eat within the the sights of Rajpath which has over 330 acres of land to explore. Then take an Temple or head to the Sector 18 Market. Then go to the Old Fort National auto bus to visit the National Museum, the largest museum in India.
    [Show full text]
  • Delhi% 011 / POP 25.7 MILLION / ELEV 293M
    ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd #_ Delhi% 011 / POP 25.7 MILLION / ELEV 293M Includes ¨ Why Go? History ..............57 Delhi is a city where time travel is feasible. Step aboard your Sights ...............57 time machine (the sleek and efficient metro) and you can Activities ............79 go from Old Delhi, where labourers haul sacks of spices and Tours ................79 jewellers weigh gold on dusty scales, to modern New Delhi, with its colonial-era parliament buildings and penchant for Courses ............ 80 high tea. Then on to the future: Gurgaon, a satellite city of Sleeping ............ 80 skyscraping offices and glitzy malls. Eating ...............85 This pulsating metropolis has a bigger population than Drinking & Nightlife ...91 Australia, and is one of the world’s most polluted cities. But Entertainment. .93 woven into its rich fabric are moments of pure beauty: an elderly man threading temple marigolds; Sufi devotional Shopping ............93 songs; a boy flying a kite from a rooftop. Greater Delhi ........101 So don’t be put off. Delhi is a city that has been repeatedly Gurgaon (Gurugram) .102 ravaged and reborn, with vestiges of lost empires in almost every neighbourhood. There’s so much to experience here, it’s like a country in itself. Best Places to Eat ¨ Bukhara (p89) ¨ Indian Accent (p90) When to Go Delhi ¨ Masala Library (p88) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm ¨ Cafe Lota (p89) 40/104 32/800 ¨ Andhra Pradesh Bhawan 30/86 24/600 Canteen (p88) 20/68 16/400 10/50 8/200 Best Places 0/32 0 to Sleep J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Lodhi (p84) Delhi at The Mon- ¨ Manor (p85) Oct–Mar May–Aug Jun–Sep its best: it’s warm months to avoid soon season sees ¨ Madpackers Hostel (p84) with clear skies.
    [Show full text]