Desh Hamara, Nagar Hamare
WRITTEN BY- HARSHIKA JAIN
Me: Hello everyone! Today our channel ‘Love to Travel’ is going to cover the cultural hub of all cities! Any guesses? (Pause) Yes it’s DELHI! Every city has a unique quotient that sets it apart. Delhi’s spirit is not to be trifled with. It is a unique amalgamation of 7 cities. (Pause)
SCENE1:
Me: we will begin with the Imperial Architecture of Delhi.
ACT 1:
( Rashtrapati Bhavan in February)
Me: Built by Lutyens during British Raj the building derives the shape of its dome from the Sanchi Stupa. The Mughal Gardens are open in February for the general public. Do you know the specialty of the gardens? (Pause) They house thousands of varieties of plants from all over India and many species from other countries as well! Be sure to visit them the next time you come to Delhi. I came with my family 4-5 years ago and it was a memorable experience. (I smell a flower, look at bonsai)
ACT 2:
(India Gate)
Me: So here we are at India Gate. I can almost imagine the Republic day Parade marching past me... The ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’( I point at it) keeps on burning forever in the memory of soldiers who died in world war 2. A walk in the lush green gardens will surely lift your spirits. Having Ice cream here at night is a must.
ACT 3:
(Parliament House)
(I gape at it) Me: Oh my! All major decisions regarding the country are taken here. Yeah! What you see is the Parliament and it was built by Herbert Baker. I came here on the 60th anniversary of the first session of Parliament with my parents and sat in the viewing balcony. After the session watching the netas zoom past in super cars was fascinating.
SCENE 2:
Me: Now we will take you to the Old Delhi/ Chandni Chowk area.This area is very important because this was the actual Delhi. The rest of Delhi developed afterwards.
(In Chandni Chowk I have ‘daulat ki chaat’) Me: mmm.. A must try. This daulat ki chaat is famous all over the world.
(I have lunch in ‘parathe waali gali’) Me: Jealous ha? This heavenly food will totally make you experience seventh heaven
(I have lassi from outside the paratha shop)Me: This lassi is perfect with hot, steamy parathas.
(I stand in the middle of the market) Me: From here you can see a Jain temple, a mosque, a masjid and a gurudwara. (I bow down and salute in Namaste).
Note: Camera does 360 degrees and shows all four places.
Me: Chandni Chowk was the seventh city of Delhi that is Shahjanabad. (I walk around on the street and refer to the whole place by hand gestures) Earlier waterways existed all over and it was a self sufficient marketplace. But the British came and laid railway lines over the waterways thus altering the whole geography of the place.
My mother’s family is one of the oldest families of Delhi. The haveli in which the family used to live is still standing. (Camera shows the haveli and the temple with shivling in front of it)
Me: What you see is the Red Fort and Jama Masjid built by Shahjahan(while walking I point at these two buildings)
Interview with a local:
Me: What dress was worn by people 40 years back?
Local: Achkan was worn by men and women wore salwar kameez.
Now we have even more exciting things coming up. Milte hain break ke baad.
SCENE 3: Break:
Song: Ye dille hai mere yaar, bas ishq mohabbat pyaar
Basti hai mastano ki dilli dilli
Gali hai deewano ki delhi6 (from the movie Delhi 6)
Commercial 1: Khadi gram -herbal products.
Commercial 2: Delhi tourism - HoHo Bus tours.
SCENE 4:
Welcome back for a taste of Delhi. We are going to Rajiv Chowk right now!
ACT 1: Delhi Tourism Office
Me: Guided bus tours of the city leave every morning at 9. Lotus temple, Birla Temple, Qutub Minar is covered. Be sure to get on the bus.
ACT 2: Cottage Emporium
Me: The Central Cottage Industries Emporium which you see here, is the leading source of Indian Handicrafts. As a child, I used to come here with my mother to buy Kantha Sarees and jewellery. (I try out different fabrics and earrings).
ACT 3: Janpath
Me: Guys this is Janpath; another bazaar from where traditional trinkets can be picked up.Turbaned Sikhs, colourfully dressed Rajasthani and Gujarati women, Muslim shopkeepers in Chandni Chowk, Kashmiris in the cottage emporium, Ladakhis in Janpath all add up to the cultural amalgamation of the city.
We will meet after a short break. Till then keep on watching LTT!
SCENE 5: Break:
Song :( theme song of Delhi Daredevils)
Ek josh sa a jaye, toofan chha jaye
A munde dilli ke, a khele front foot pe
Aisa hai jo bhi ho, Ek kasam hai ab tumko
Yuh balla ghumake khel, Hosh uda de sabko pel….
Commercial 1: Fabindia
Commercial 2: Natyashastra Dance Academy- Bharatnatyam, kuchipudi, Kathak, Mohiniattam.
SCENE 6:
Me: Welcome back. Now I’m taking you to Mehrauli, where the festival, ‘Phoolwaalon ki Sair’ is being celebrated. It is an indigenous festival of Delhi. As a child I used to go there and offer a Pankha at the Yogmaya Temple. Muslims offer Chadors (blankets) at the temple.
Interview with a flower seller:
Me: Why do you celebrate this festival?
Flower seller: Me and my brethren pray for a better flower season during this three day festival.
Me: My great grandfather Shri Yogeshwar Dayal revived this festival when he was invited by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to do so. A society was formed and was registered as Anjuman Sair –E-Gul Faroshan under the Societies Registration Act and the long lost and forgotten communal harmony Festival was revived. (Hindus and Muslims celebrate this festival together)
SCENE 7:
(TV shows Lajpat Nagar, Kamla Nagar and Sarojini Nagar in succession)
Me: Going shopping in these markets is so much fun! I visit these markets regularly and coming here makes me experience the real heartbeat of the city.
SCENE 8: (Khan Market)
ACT 1:
Me: Now we are at the most’ posh ’ market of Delhi – Khan Market. But what you didn’t know is that there is a mandir and Synagogue behind the market. I visited these with the Heritage Club in my School. In my school days, I used to walk down to Khan. We often frequented Khan Chacha which sells the best Kathi rolls in Delhi.
ACT 2:
(I point to Subramania Bharti Marg outside Khan Market)
Me: Yamuna used to flow from here many years ago after flowing past Humayun’s Tomb.
SCENE 9:
ACT 1:
Me: Here we are at the National Gallery of Modern Art. The paintings here are masterpieces ( I point to the paintings). (Camera zooms into some selected paintings)
ACT 2:
Me: Now we will visit The National Museum. (I point to different galleries). You guys can see Chola Bronzes, a vast array of Mughal paintings, silverware, tools from the Stone Age, and dresses from Wars etc. In class 9 I attended a workshop here and learnt how to do Madhubani, a painting technique from Bihar. My class has also come here on trips and we used to run away from the group and explore.
SCENE 10: (In front of Sriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra- SBKK)
ACT 1:
Me: Are you guys in for a play? Yayy! Come ON! We are at SBKK where currently ‘Ram the Legend’ is being performed. It is a dance drama. Other plays such as Durga, Meera, Karna, and Shiva are also performed throughout the year. Mostly ideal characters who offer inspiration to mortals are portrayed. Today we will see a part of ‘Ram’ (Performance for 10 minutes on the screen)
ACT 2:
Interview with Ram:
Me: Do you like playing the character of Ram?
Ram: Yes! Totally. Since I have been playing the character of Ram since the past three years, I remember the role by heart.
Me: What is the trick to play the character so well?
Ram: I just imagine myself as Ram and believe that his spirit gets into me when I play the character. I feel that I am one with the Divine.
Interview with Raavan:
Me: you play the character very well but dressing up must be very time consuming. What are your views on this?
Raavan: Yeah. Since the play is aired every day the makeup for Kathakali Raavan is time consuming but it is my bread and butter. Besides I love doing the Kathakali.
Me:Will you do it in front of the camera for ‘Love to Travel’?
Sanskrit shloka: jatatavigalajjalapravahapavitasthale
Galevalambyalambitambhujangtungmalikam…
(Raavan Dances in Kathakali style)
Me:With this we conclude the show for today..
Having been long misused by rough people, Delhi has learnt to conceal its seductive charms under a mask of repulsive ugliness. It will only reveal itself to its lovers, to those who open their hearts to it.
We will bring new cities to you every day. I am Harshika Jain and see you guys tomorrow at 7pm. Till then Adios, Goodbye, sayonara.
Flash on the screen in the end:
CULTURE TRANSCENDS TIME, IT IS PERVASIVE AND IT LASTS.
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