In the Haze, Delhi Reclaims Its Winter Charm

WHILE the air in Delhi grows heavier by the week and the drifting ash from the Ethiopian volcanic bursts inches ever closer to the city, the people of the capital seem to have reached their limit.

- VERNIKA AWAL

The patience has thinned like the winter light. They have spilled out onto the streets, not only to protest the worsening quality of life but also to reclaim their public spaces and the fragile joys of winter. The avenues are crowded with mufflers, shawls and handmade placards. The mist stirs around them like a restless veil, rising and folding into the yellow glow of streetlamps, as citizens refuse to surrender the season to a haze of neglect.

“Our life cannot stop just because the authorities higher up are not mindful of our health,” said an exasperated Anindita Chaudhary, a 24-year-old resident of Greater Kailash.

A city that comes alive most vividly in winter, Delhi is scented with chatim blossoms and wrapped in a soft, rising fog that mingles uneasily with the ever present smog. Roasted peanut and gajak carts line the streets, their warm aromas threading through the chill, while tea sellers become the most beloved figures in markets and pavements, their kettles whistling into the dusk. There is an undeniable romance to the winters of Delhi, a season that feels both intimate and expansive.