New Delhi

As one approaches Connaught Place,the popular shopping hub of the arcade city,one is blinded by the coat of white blanketing the market in contrast to the once-familiar grey-pillared streets. It’s amazing how the market,which was once a motley collection of shops of all shapes and sizes,has transformed itself into a bazaar of uniform facade. These days it is hard to guess how the market might have looked like when it was originally built over 80 years ago.

The monotony of white is only broken by the little patches of green. Central Park,the green centre of the Connaught Circus is as green as ever,the blend of green and white giving a much needed relief in the heart of the city. Surrounding Central Park along the newly-laid sidewalks are what is called the TMC dwarf shrubs. Even the parking lots in CP,with the exception of A block,are decorated with a variety of ‘fonex palms’ arranged in corners in red-marbled blocks.

Ahead,a drive through the Mother Teresa Crescent Marg,just behind the President’s Estate,reveals a smooth 2-km stretch flanked by mud pillars which transform into lanterns by night. All this in the midst of manicured gardens on either sides. Vast expanses along Humayun Road,Tughlaq Road and Sardar Patel Marg have been transformed into parking spaces,a much-needed respite from the overcrowded areas in Delhi. So while there is a lot to crib about,thanks to the Commonwealth Games we also have a ‘New’ Delhi.