Waking up early and heading out with my camera is one of my favourite things to do.
Not just in Delhi — wherever I’ve been. The Pushkar Camel Fair, the beaches of Andaman before anyone else was there, the backwaters of Munroe Island in Kerala when the mist was still sitting on the water. Morning has a quality to it that no other time of day has. A freshness that feels almost protective.
Recently I lost my job. It was unexpected and, I decided not to sit with that rather explore Delhi.
I picked up my camera and walked out the door to do things I always loved to do. Walked on the streets, notice how gradually the surroundings change, and the light when it touches the surface.
Connaught Place at 7 AM
Connaught Place was the first place that came to my mind.
There’s something about Delhi’s early morning that I can’t fully explain but I keep coming back to. The inner circle with children playing cricket reminded me of my own days doing exactly that — the kind of memory that surfaces quietly when you least expect it. People jogging and running reminded me that good health doesn’t care about age or circumstance — it just asks to be prioritised.
And the emptiness of the place — the wide roads with almost nobody on them, reminded me that things change it’s just a matter of time.
Even in the peak of May, at 7 AM, the temperature allows you to roam freely. The air still has some softness in it before the heat takes over. That feeling is something worth getting up for.
I walked slowly, sometimes stood at a place for longer time, observe, take a photo and then moved.
There’s a version of Delhi that most people who live here have never seen because you’re required to be awaken very early.
I’m glad I keep finding reasons to go out early for it.
