Sen? Kappa from Japan travels in India with a backpack, watching while walking, eating and drinking, and drawing while remembering. From the panoramic view of the Taj Mahal to Gandhi's sandals and lunch boxes at roadside stalls, he deserves to be a senior "old playboy" and stage designer. His travels are light and interesting, full of jokes. His sketches are so detailed that they are "outrageous"!
The following abstract selects the content of "capital Delhi" in Sen? Kappa's Spying on India, which is divided into three parts: 1. Impression of New Delhi; 2. Gandhi Memorial Hall; 3. Gandhi's sandals and lunch. Finally, 22 photos of Sen? Kappa's trip to India are attached.
-the joy and freedom from the other side of the mainland, dear, do you feel it?
1 Impression of New Delhi
Everyone should know that Delhi, the capital of India, is composed of two contrasting urban areas, New Delhi and Old Delhi.
I thought I knew.
However, the contrast between the two is really strong beyond imagination. "Delhi is really like a microcosm of India. This is a city that clearly shows chaos and contradictions. "
The Delhi station where I got off is located in old Delhi, and my hotel is in New Delhi. After riding a tricycle and crossing a street full of garbage, I suddenly entered a quiet area-the scene in front of me was very surprising. "Is this India?" A well-paved wide road, surrounded by neatly arranged mercury street lamps and dense street trees, with people on both sides and a wide lawn.
There is no lingering poverty in the streets of old Delhi.
These luxury houses in New Delhi are surrounded by high walls and have doors for private cars to enter and exit. Living in it are members of Congress, senior officials, financial professionals, entrepreneurs and other wealthy elites.
This orderly urban area built in the British colonial era was occupied by Indians belonging to the ruling class after the British left.
2 Gandhi Memorial Hall
When I came to Delhi, the first place I wanted to visit was the Gandhi Memorial Hall.
The name "Gandhi" is really loud. Turning to the encyclopedia, more than one page describes his life. Moreover, there are many works about him, and I have no intention to write his deeds in detail here, not to mention that I am not a "Gandhi expert". I just want to visit his memorial hall and see if I can feel Gandhi's public image. It should be interesting to learn about the other side of India through Gandhi.
Gandhi's cremation site near the Yamna River is called "Rajgat". After the ashes were transported to varanasi, they were scattered in the "sacred Ganges", so he didn't have a mausoleum.
However, there is a large piece of black square marble on the ground of the crematorium, which feels like "the tomb of Gandhi", so it has become a scenic spot, and sightseeing bus is constantly carrying tourists to visit.
Cross the road from there, diagonally across the street is the two-story Gandhi Memorial Hall, which is smaller than I expected.
Compared with the scenic spot opposite, it is much quieter here.
Probably because most of the photos and articles displayed in it make people feel quite simple and deserted. It might be better if the display method was more careful ... no one asked me, but I was just thinking about how to change the display method-especially the cabinets for displaying relics. Coming to India is really nosy.
Sure enough, the daily necessities he uses have a strong sense of existence.
Among them, what impressed me most about Gandhi was the pair of sandals he wore. He traveled all over India, leaving a very clear and deep footprint.
-I started painting those sandals, and I gradually felt that I could stand this Zheng Zhi family.
…………
I only care about his sandals. I know very well that I may not be objective because of my feelings, but from the sandals he wears on his feet every day, running around and integrating into people's lives, I can't see his hypocritical behavior or his ideal of winning people's hearts.
Even at the age of seventy-three, he remained in prison for one year and nine months. Prior to this, he was arrested and imprisoned several times for the anti-British and anti-racial discrimination movement. This ordinary person can't do it.
It is also a well-known historical fact that he risked his life in order to liberate the "dirty man", an untouchable who was discriminated against.
He constantly appealed to the world that "everyone must be treated equally", and he has always adhered to this initial intention.
Since 192 1 took off his suit, he has been wearing the same cotton-padded clothes as farmers and eating the same food as the poor for 27 years.
There are too many such stories. But what moved me most was Gandhi's perseverance, never giving up his goal, and his endless energy. I think he is very good at this. In contrast, many Japanese, including me, have only a short and superficial understanding of Zheng Zhi.
Gandhi's sandals and bento.
There is a stall selling coke and light meals in the yard next to the memorial hall. There are some folding chairs in the shade, and some guests are sitting and chatting loudly.
As soon as I approached, the old man Gu Tan smiled and said, "You went in for a long time and didn't come out. What are you looking at? "
He seems to have noticed my visit.
I opened the sketch book and showed him my Gandhi sandals. As a result, all the guests next to him gathered around curiously.
"Why are you interested in Gandhi's sandals? Everyone feels incredible. " Dad helps translate.
"Because I think these sandals seem to symbolize Gandhi himself." I don't know if the other party understands this. When I was so worried, as usual, it was another reaction that made people fall.
"My sandals are the same model. In this case, I will take you back to Japan. " When someone said this, everyone laughed.
It's hard to say whether this is a joke or a serious one. Until the other person really took off his sandals and began to wrap them in newspapers. I quickly politely refused each other.
It's time for lunch I ordered milk and jiaozi and things like that. Dad asked me, "How about giving you half of my lunch?" Just like Gandhi! "Invited me in a thoughtful and joking tone.
The lunch box that dad took out is quite special. That is a three-layer barrel lunch box made of brass. While I was enjoying my lunch rudely, I wanted this lunch box more and more. I have been planning how to get it.
"Can you sell this to me?" Try asking.
"Go to the market to buy it. One is about 35 rupees (875 yen), which is better than mine. The new one is with a spoon! "
"No, no, no, I don't want a new one, I want this one! How about you give me fifty rupees? You can buy a new one. "
"Thank you very much! However, I have used this for more than ten years and it is old. " It was awkward, but I finally agreed.
"Even if you are interested in this kind of thing, then go to the market and have a look. There are more and more kinds of things there. " Word by word, everyone's advice.
Don't bother to remind everyone about this. I wandered around the old downtown area of old Delhi for several days, from Chandni Chowk to garbage-littered alleys, from old locks to small pots, and bought a lot of secondhand goods. I just go shopping like an ordinary tourist, but it's just ...
"Sure enough, it's still the taste of old Delhi."