a little on Delhi. India Part 3

I did not spend much time in Delhi but made sure I walked through Old Delhi’s markets, visited the banks of the Yamuna River to see people bathing and praying there, and visited the Jama Masjid Mosque. Delhi can feel a lot like a blur with busy market streets that seem to carry you along almost with a current of folks headed to work, home, prayers, school, business, and everywhere! I made this photo to remember exactly how I felt in the Old Delhi market.

I found it impossible not to bump into everyone as my white girl self roamed the busy streets armed with my camera and a smile. It was an amazing introduction to India.
Please check out more of my images of Delhi on my Hawa Images blog here.

Walking across the narrow sand bags to view more of the river. It was definitely not the cleanest part of teh Yamuna.  
This woman called me over and painted a bindi on my forehead. I made a portrait of her you can see here. Thanks Tricia Lombardi for this image!

I was not the only one taking photos! I loved that people wanted cell phones shots of us everywhere we went.

One of my favorite parts of Delhi was exploring the Jama Masjid Mosque and just sitting among the people praying.  The mosque itself is massive and I felt so small inside the walls but as I sat and prayed that all of us, all people He knows and loves, would find hope and love and peace I was comforted by knowing that God has made Himself known to us; His creation. He is no longer apart from man but came and dwelled with us or as The Message puts it “moved into the neighborhood.”  You can see pictures from the mosque here.

The night I arrived in Delhi it was raining and the streets were so busy.  I took in the smells and sights and tried to prepare myself for the next couple of weeks.  The driver that picked me up at the airport and took me to the hotel explained that the reason it was so loud on Delhi streets is because “India drivers go to 1st horn, 2nd brake, and then 3rd luck because we Indian drivers think we are very important.” I sort of love that!  Delhi was all things urban: crowded, loud, dirty, bustling, busy and busting at the seams.  Yet she is also beautiful in her own hum of activity, people, and color. I hope to return someday to explore more of the city. India is such a diverse and beautiful place!