or, Travels through Hauz Khas Park with Camera in Hand.
Hauz Khas literally means ‘Special Tank’. It’s a neighbourhood in Delhi named after a small lake built for the Sultan of Delhi’s wife to have her bath (I’m a little hazy on the exact historical details).
There are actually three Hauz Khas neighbourhoods today. Hauz Khas, which has genteel middle class homes. Hauz Khas Enclave, which is also residential, but much richer. And Hauz Khas Village: the old village, which is now a tourist destination where rich (and perhaps gullible) tourists come to spend money on designer clothes and eat at fancy restaraunts.
Hauz Khas Village is right next to Hauz Khas Park, which is lots of parkland surrounding the old lake, and the tombs and palaces built next to it. I took an evening walk in the park today, and had my camera along.
(Photos below the cut)
Six years ago, when I finished school, the lake was entirely dry, and trees were growing out of the lake bed. The lake started filling up again about two or three years ago, and when I visited today, was just deep enough to allow boats to float. The water is now up to the branches of the trees that used to grow there.
Now that the water has filled up, the park authorities have also introduced ducks and geese to the lake. Such as this magnificent specimen:
This particular goose had left the lake and was strolling along the walkway around it with much more elegance and composure than the humans there. A group of perturbed aunties asked the security guard whose legs you can see in the background to chase the goose away. The goose treated the guard with imperious disdain for a while, but finally got the picture and went down the walls to the lake.
After that, some sardar kids noticed I was photographing birds, and pointed out these two geese which had built a nest inside an electric switchgear shed.
The ducks weren’t as adventurous about leaving the water, which is why the shot doesn’t look that great: I had to photograph them from an angle, and from three or four feet above. I think the graininess is because I had to use digital zoom.
There were some other ducks below a small bridge, but the light was so bad by then that none of the photos came out properly.
Tomorrow, I might go there for a morning walk and photograph the tombs.
who do ya think u r?? Conrad lawrence?
hey really think it’s nice u care about our delhi’s problem…..i feel very bad for all these lakes…..all our heritage it’s not worth loosing it…..keep in touch….regards…puch