Special Photo Essay – New Year Do's in the New Central Park
Within a month of its re-opening, the revamped Central Park has become the social sea beach that Delhi never had.
[by Mayank Austen Soofi]
Last day of the last year forced the Delhites out into the newly revamped Central Park in Connaught Place. The air was cool and the mood warm. Holidaymakers feasted, laughed and chatted. Love birds from the humble Hansraj College joked in Hindi. Snobbish students from the uppity St. Stephen’s College conversed in English. A red-shirted man from small town Rohtak walked around with dazed eyes.
Nuclear families drove all the way from middle-class neighborhoods like Janak Puri and Punjabi Bagh to lay down on the grass – their children shrieking and running. A large family sitting in a circle cheered when the frail patriarch managed to stand up on his own (his wife remained composed). A neither-old-nor-young couple continued talking seriously to each other. In one of the circles a young girl smiled from time to time while peeling a guava.
One cheerful woman, flaunting her just-married status by displaying the red bridal bangles, tapped around in astoundingly high plastic heels. Lustful Jaat men from infamous Mahipalpur ogled at the curves of the daringly dressed women. Nearby, three young ruffians made obscene comments about saree-clad women sitting next to them.
Oh, there was also a book lover sitting quietly on a stack of second-hand books – busy clicking pictures!
A happy and prosperous 2007 to all the readers of The Delhi Walla.
Celebrating the Central Park – Fun in the Family
Celebrating the Central Park – People Watching
Celebrating the Central Park – Tap, Tap and Tap
Celebrating the Central Park – Smile, Please
Celebrating the Central Park – We are Happy
Celebrating the Central Park – Thy Way We Are
oh, the humanity!
ok, this is to first of all wish the ‘book lover who sat on the stack of old books’ a very Happy New Year too 🙂
i wonder, nobody minds you taking their pictures…do you ask for their approval or are you so discreet that people dont notice
zzz-writer:
Happy New Year to you too. Well, nobody seems to mind when I’m taking their pictures. No, I never try to be discreet while clikcing my camera. That will be dishonest. But I also do not ask for permission. That makes people concious (or uncomfortable).
wow!! i meant to ask this in context of your post on the lovers of the park. these people are not bothered about they being captured on camera???
i will share with you a recent experience : day before, i went to this park in sajadulajab- garden of five senses and the most striking thing was the no. of young lovers who sat in oddest of places and we were almost scared to step behind a stone or something. at one place a couple got so comfy that the security guard actually had to blow his whistle to stop them.
i wonder about this public display of affection which seemed at that time to cross limits of decency and decorum in a public park.
zzz-writer:
I agree. Such levels of public affection in public parks sometimes cross all limits of decorum. But please think of those poor lovers, too. Where else could they afford to be intimate with their lovers? Most of these eager lovers live in small houses surrounded by family members and consequently have no real privacy. They could only snatch few hours of afternoon from their constantly guarded lives.
As for your query about my clicking Lodhi Garden lovers: They were actually pleased. But of course no face pic please!
on another level i feel it is this psychological guard of being their nameless faceless selves that breeds mob mentality or brings out the darker sub – conscious feelings. remeber the recent gateway of india incident?
Nice One