A visit to one of the many precious heritage sites of Delhi. If this city was an alphabet, it would only be written in the uppercase. Anyway, it is the capital city. Delhi, where life is amplified right from its slim streets, swollen with their scrumptious food, to a great many places of heritage, the souvenirs of a diverse history. Much like the sound of an approaching train, the city at dawn is a blanket of stillness with its endless empty roads and smog ridden skies. However as the sun ascends, the roads throb with the honking from cars and then the sky goes unnoticed. In early 2022, not long after everyone had concluded their celebrations in welcoming the new year, February brought an exciting journey for me. I visited Delhi NCR for the first time and got engulfed in all its beauty and chaos. I stayed in Noida at a friend’s home. She was determined to introduce me to the finest and most irresistible food through out my stay and she did not fall short. The first place she took me to was the Brahmaputra Market not quite far from her house. The place was packed to its brim which in itself was testimonial to the delicious street food. We spent a generous amount of our time in trying all kinds of chaat, momos and lassi pushing our appetites to their limits. Although our exceedingly satisfied bellies were convincing enough to call it a day after a good while of talking and catching up on each other’s life, we decided otherwise. At around 4 am, my friend and I left from home, headed towards Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. At that hour of the day, the sky is still dark, yet it shows hints of dawn. The roads are long and lonely glowing under different coloured lights, with only a few scattered vehicles, some slower than the others. Located near the busiest neighbourhood - Connaught Place- in the city, this house of worship is splendid structure built entirely of white marble, topped with a central golden dome. The very sight of the gurudwara reflects tranquility and the chanting of hymns draws a sense of safety and composure in the devotees’ minds. The complex’s enormous water tank, known as the Sarovar, adds to the overall architectural appeal of the edifice. The past that this gurudwara descends from, makes it all the more religiously significant. Originally, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was built as a bungalow called Jaisinghpura Palace and was owned by Mirza Raja Jai Singh, ruler of the Amber kingdom (now called Jaipur) in the 17th century. Guru Har Krishan, the youngest Sikh Guru, visited Delhi in 1664 and resided at this bungalow. At the time of his stay, Delhi was suffering a cholera and small pox epidemic. The Guru, extended his hand in aid for the suffering people by offering water from the well in the bungalow’s complex. However, in that same bungalow, the Guru eventually passed away after contracting the illness himself. Raja Jai Singh dedicated his home to the beloved Guru after his passing. As a result, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was established and became a significant Sikh temple. Irrespective of the religious significance of the temple, the very magnificence of it attracts admirers from several places to simply soak in its beauty. The sleepless, early morning trip to this tranquil work of architecture, was truly the highlight of many beautiful moments during my visit to the national capital.
20 Apr 2022
Nandini Tupe
