The only ruins in the city aren't the ones that are centuries-old. Today we visited the Ravindra Rangshala and did some urban exploring.
In the thee decades after its construction in the early 1960s, the Ravidra Rangshala was the place for Dilliwallas to go for cultural programs, movies, theatre performances and more. Up to 8000 people could gather in the open-air amphitheater, nestled into Delhi's Ridge.
Today, it lies in ruins, abandoned and forgotten.
The final curtain dropped on the stage in the early 1990s, when the Supreme Court declared the Ridge a protected area. Incursions into the Delhi Ridge are frequent and always controversial. This one is no different. The organization that oversees it, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, wants to reopen the theatre and restore it to its former glory. If done correctly, could this project achieve the balance of conservation and education? The site is stunning, but the environmental impact could be severe if mismanaged.
My suggestion? Visit it while its still there. Stories abound about it being one of Delhi's haunted places. YouTube videos and blogs show adventurous souls poking around. Here is my contribution.
In the thee decades after its construction in the early 1960s, the Ravidra Rangshala was the place for Dilliwallas to go for cultural programs, movies, theatre performances and more. Up to 8000 people could gather in the open-air amphitheater, nestled into Delhi's Ridge.
Today, it lies in ruins, abandoned and forgotten.
The final curtain dropped on the stage in the early 1990s, when the Supreme Court declared the Ridge a protected area. Incursions into the Delhi Ridge are frequent and always controversial. This one is no different. The organization that oversees it, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, wants to reopen the theatre and restore it to its former glory. If done correctly, could this project achieve the balance of conservation and education? The site is stunning, but the environmental impact could be severe if mismanaged.
My suggestion? Visit it while its still there. Stories abound about it being one of Delhi's haunted places. YouTube videos and blogs show adventurous souls poking around. Here is my contribution.
The way home took us to the Buddha Jayanti Park. We were planning on a quick buzz of the Buddha, maybe some snaps to send off our friend Marc as he prepares to leave Delhi and head back to Israel. That plan changed quickly, when the jovial caretaker started asking questions. He quickly invited us into the pond and onto the artificial island to see the geese and the eggs that they've laid. He especially wanted to show us his favorite part of the island, a tree planted by the Karmapa Lama. Except, as he told us. "I enjoy this tree. There are pictures all over the world of this tree. I planted it." He told the story of how the original tree never made it, and so he tried three more times with three more trees until he got one to thrive!
And that air! What a great day for a run. We did again AESRunners! Thanks to all for entrusting me with your lives as I continue to come up with crazy ideas. That barbed wire wasn't that sharp, was it Veronika?
RUN STATS:
Distance - 8.72 miles (promised to be about 7.5mi)
Time - 1:20:34
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