The god of small things.
[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]
A few flowers stand erect, full of life, with not a speck of dust. Others, half-drowned in water, look like broken promises.
This lotus-covered pond occupies a small corner in the popular Lodhi Gardens. A cloud of stillness, it remains as silent as a grave. There is no sound except of birds. Not many people come here.
The pond is instead crowded with lotus leaves. Most lie drenched in the dark-green water; a few float above. While the stems and vines have spun octopus traps underneath.
The Delhi Walla notices a honey-brown bee sitting on a flower; it can’t bear to part. Atop another lotus, who knows from where, a peepal leaf.
Bordered by a grove of flower shrubs, the landscaped pool looks to the ruins of an unused mosque. A ‘butterfly garden’ is a few steps away. The park’s jogging track is hidden behind a row of trees.
Come here with a poetry book, and (preferably) come alone.
While leaving, I imagine plucking off a petal from a white lotus. I keep it carefully inside my notepad — a memento from a floating world.
Where Lodhi Gardens (close to Muhammad Shah Sayyid’s mausoleum) Time 6 am to 8 pm Nearest Metro stops Jorbagh and Khan Market
The god of small things
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beautiful
Beautiful
Are some lotus flowers white also ?
Beautiful lines.