Delhi Winters fall right in the middle of a spectrum from my perspective, with just the right amount of cold for it to actually feel like winters. Comparing it with two other places I call home currently, it definitely feels like a blessing in disguise.
The month of November comes with an extra nip in the air, almost asking you to grab your light sweatshirts. It slowly gives way to a certain significant drop in temperature, which only moves on to a rather blissful three months, which constitute the best part of the year. You know winters are here when waking up in the mornings seem like a gargantuan task. The burrito of blankets might just be home for the next coming months.
The rest of the nine months in Delhi can really prove to be testing, especially during daytime when the sun is at its peak, sucking all your energy and pushing you towards exhaustion. Getting out of an air-conditioned environment might seem equivalent to entering the seventh circle of hell. Delhi winters, therefore, are a welcome respite from the heat, and one that is looked forward to by all the Delhites.
Now from a perspective of a person who hasn’t really experienced these kinds of winters all their life, it might seem like something entirely else. I, personally, juggle between three parts of the country, all having varying degrees of cold, with Delhi right at the middle of the spectrum. The Pune winters don’t seem like winters to begin with. One hardly senses a change in the weather and can easily forget that it’s December. It is pleasantly chilly during nights, but nothing that would make you run towards your bed and wrap yourself in four layers of blankets. Another extreme side of the spectrum, for me, becomes the icy cold Ladakh winters, with the frigid winds blowing in every direction, the temperature dropping well below zero. Any part of your body that remains uncovered (including your face) is bound to get numb. You really can’t feel it. If you thought the Delhi winters were a living hell, you really might want to change your opinion by this point.
I would rather not talk about what each place is symbolic for me but if I were to talk about winters, there is no place like Delhi. The soul-thawing kulhad waali chai might become your elixir in the coming months. Exploring the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk might also be a good idea right now.
There is certainly something extremely magical about Delhi Winters that never fails to charm you into loving it.
Feature Image Credits: Veni Vidi Vici
Anoushka Singh
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