NZPhotographer Issue 33, July 2020

Let’s be frank, New Delhi isn’t a destination in itself
for most travellers nor photographers, but simply
an arrival point for an incredible adventure in
India. They say you haven’t travelled until you’ve
been to India, but I’d go one step further and say
you don’t know India until you’re well-acquainted
with Delhi. Most people make a beeline for
Connaught Place, the modern financial and
commercial centre, as this area gets the greatest
attention in guidebooks, but in my honest opinion,
from someone who has spent many months over
many years exploring Delhi, that would be a
mistake as there’s nowhere less interesting than
Connaught Place.
So where should you go if you’ve got a few days
stopover in New Delhi?
Firstly, there are a number of areas in the city
where you should focus your photographic
attention, most notably, Old Delhi. Here you’ll
find the likes of India’s largest mosque the Jama
Masjid, built by the Emperor Shah Jahan who
incidentally also built the Taj Mahal. The Masjid
is open to foreigners every day, but is best
photographed quite early or late in the day when
the light is low and soft. Take a wide angle lens
in order to get the whole building in the frame. A
zoom lens of around 100mm is also useful for more
detailed shots.
Insider’s Tip: Once you’ve entered the complex
there’s a very discreet ticket window to the left of
the mosque, where for a little baksheesh you can
buy a second ticket to get you part way up the 40
metre minaret and onto the left side terrace - An
excellent photographic position.
Another place not to miss in Old Delhi is Asia’s
largest spice market! Tell your taxi, rickshaw, or
tuk-tuk driver to take you to Chandni Chowk
(the street intersection) or the actual name of
the market, Khari Baoli. Visit early in the morning,
around 8am, and plan to stay a couple of hours
until the stalls start to open. First thing in the
morning, as daily wage earners are lugging heavy
sacks of spices into the market, you’ll feel as
though you’ve travelled back in time. The pungent
smell of chillies and the like will have your sinuses
pumping, so if you’re sensitive to these kinds of
things, wear a mask. Mid-way along the street,
there’s an alley entrance into Gadodia Market
(Google it!) here you’ll find a staircase leading to
a rooftop where you can get an overall view of
the market and the shanty shack homes where
many of the labourers live. Though it has become
an Instagram influencer favourite, the view over
the adjacent Fatehpuri mosque and the whole of
Gadodia is worth a few shots of your own!
Left: It’s All A Blur In The Paharganj: F5.6, 8s, ISO200
Above: Jama Masjid: F6.3, 1/320s, ISO800
Khari Baoli Spice Market: F8, 1/320s, ISO1250
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