Lutyen's Delhi

The Presidential Palace

Walking in Historic Footsteps
Last week, thanks to a wonderful friend, I had the privilege of touring the Rashtrapati Bhavan or Presidential Palace. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and is the largest presidential residence in the world. It was originally called the Viceroy's Palace and Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last Viceroy to live in it.
I am off to England and a course at Oxford, followed by a week in London. I will have lots to share when I return from the land of the original Raj. See you in 2 weeks!

Mango Madness

A Cart Laden with Mangoes
A Truck, Delhi Style

Gimme Shelter

Arushi Girl's Shelter Entrance Plaque

Today Naomi and I visited the Arushi Shelter to make the donation from the sale of our "Keep Calm and Carry On" t-shirts. These were designed for The Fading Ladies by Annechovie. Her design has been a big success for us. We have sold so many shirts and they just keep selling. You can visit our website: fadingladies.blogspot.com I thought that it was wonderful to see that The Gap and Espirit had contributed to the building that houses the girls.

TTwo Lovely Arushi Residents
These are two of the young ladies living at Arushi. The girl on the left was abandoned in Delhi and took to work at the Railway Station disguised as a boy. She had to do this to survive on the street. As a young child she would carry heavy suitcases and packages on her head through the station. Eventually maturity caught up with her, and it was apparent that she was not a boy. This is when she came to Arushi. The other young lady was taken out of a destructive family situation. They are both doing well.
Some of the Younger Residents
These sweet little girls were just full of smiles and giggles. As soon as I took the photo, they wanted to see it on the camera. This was taken in the room where they sleep. Most of these girls have never slept in a bed, used a bathroom, had their own clothing or gone to school. They survived on the streets of Delhi. It takes 6-12 months for the Arushi shelter staff to prepare most of the girls to go school. As they were abandoned, they need to learn basic hygiene, how to sit for periods of time, follow instructions, etc. This is quite a task but the staff is passionate about helping these girls succeed.

Naomi and the Girls

The View from the Top

This was taken from the top floor. You can see the girls studying with the in-house teachers. Once they have completed this 6-12 month preparation, they will go onto formal school. Arushi provides them with a safe, loving environment, life skills, an education and the ability to move onto a life of their own. When they leave they are educated and skilled. The Salaam Balaak Trust makes all of this possible. It was thrilling to be a small part of this process and to have had Annechovie help us. The problems in India are overwhelming, but Arushi is working to change that and to make life better for girls!

Happy Fourth of July from Delhi

"May Freedom Ring!"

As Seen from the Street

As I mentioned yesterday, the dye shop was surrounded by a neighborhood. This is the scene directly alongside the shop. Notice the little child playing outside the house(tent) and the ladies public toilet at the left.
More from the Street
Here you can see a sweet little girl on the motorbike. She was talking and singing and just enjoying herself. Nearby are two charpoys, one with a man sitting, and the other empty. Eventually an old woman arrived to take her place on the other one.


Talking Trash
This guy was chatting on his cell between the two dumpsters! A few minutes after I snapped this shot, two other fellows arrived and the three of them conducted a meeting of sorts and then left.

Sew What!!!

I love this shot. The tailor is working away on the second floor in an extremely small space. There was only room for him, the machine and the fan.

Looking Smart

Don't you love the name? Only in Incredible India!!!

Fringe Benefits to Dye For

The Friendly Dye Shop

Wednesday was one of the best days I have ever spent in Delhi and it included this "to dye for" experience! One of my friends here is quite adept at getting everything just perfect and I learned some of her secrets on this outing. The three of us had fabric, trim and fringe that needed to match exactly for sewing/design projects. In India that means you buy what you need--silk, cotton, trim, fringe, etc. in white and then take it to the dye shop. These shops or sometimes street stalls are located in most markets. This one was directly behind the one we were in and was easy to get to.

Color Selection
The first step is to get out your "telephone" book or color chart. You can buy those at notion shops. The expert dyer then discusses what you are aiming for. Quite often the color is between two that are on the chart, but he understands, and begins to mix the dye. This is done in a pan that is on a gas burner.
Test Run
He will then test a small bit of your fabric or trim to see if the color is right. Since everything dries to a lighter shade, he heats the back of a spoon over the flame and then places it directly onto your fabric to dry a small area. If all is correct, the pot is filled with the final dye and in everything goes.

The Final Mix

The Finished Product
Once the items are dyed they are hung on the line to drip a bit and then placed in a plastic bag for take away. The talent of the dyer is amazing. He has no fancy degree or years of study. He is educated by observing and doing. He instinctively understands fabrics, trims, buttons, etc. and how they will take the dye. Delhi is bursting at the seams with people like this who make a living, raise their kids and are part of their communities by working out these street stalls. I am always overwhelmed by the extraordinary talent I find in the most ordinary places. FYI--behind the fringe is a family home. Tomorrow I will post the photos I took from the dye stall of the "neighborhood." I hope that you are dying to see them!!!!

The Farmer in the Del(hi) Highway

Yes, It is a Tractor
And Here's the Wagon

Wagon's End

You see the MOST fascinating vehicles on the highways here in India. These photos are of a tractor laden with sacks plodding along as the cars and trucks whizzed by. What I especially like about it is the painted design on the wagon. It is so colorful and decorative, even though it is only a farm wagon. They still take time here to do those things and that is why I always say,"Incredible India."