Asia

[Visited: December 2017]

When my auto-rickshaw leaves the Mehrauli-Badarpur road behind, we are finally on quieter grounds. After the seemingly inevitable hassle when it comes to paying the driver, I walk the last stretch of road to the entrance of the Garden of Five Senses. Opened in 2003, the aim of the park is to stimulate all of our senses. The sun is already getting low, and I am in a hurry. The admission ticket is quickly bought, and when I enter through the gates, there is a crowd inside, with stalls selling souvenirs on either side of the pathway.Most people seem busy to take pictures of each other though, and I will discover that the Garden of Five Senses is perfect for people watching. The seeing sense obviously is well represented here.
Unfortunately, there are no maps for the garden, so I start wandering around, just following my intuition. Since I assume the crowds will be around until after sunset, I walk into a rocky area of the garden. When I reach the top of a rocky outcrop, I see various Indian young couples sitting there, absorbed by each other. The touch sense is clearly applicable here, although that is probably not what those who designed the park had in mind. From here, I pass what looks like a small valley, and come to the solar park. Colourful mosaics make this part stand out, and then I find an old hometrainer on which you can ride to generate power. An Indian guy tries it, but it does not seem to work. I climb a hillock where the auditorium is, and on top, I find a curious sculpture of a man holding a woman above his head.
A little further, I find more sculptures, all of women, in various positions. Here, too, plenty of young couples taking selfies, cuddling, talking to each other. I pass the Jabná Arch, a replica of a Mayan arch in Mexico, which has an attractive pond at its feet. From here, I pass a stone pathway with curving wall, where more couples sit and walk, also in window openings of walls, as I descend to the gardens below. There, I find plants, flowers and trees, and when I find a jasmine tree, I grab one of the branches with white flowers and pull it towards me to inhale its rich, sweet smell. Two workers are hanging Chinese lampions at the Elephant Fountain, which I reach just before the sun sets. It is time for more people watching: Indians with fancy clothes and haircuts, enjoying food at the Momo festival, with a live band playing Indian rock. It is time to buy food for myself, sit down, and finally enjoy the last sense - taste.

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Garden of Five Senses (India)

Garden of Five Senses > India > Asia

[Visited: December 2017]

Around the World in 80 Clicks