Beautifully hued orchids, a classic symbol of sophistication and elegance, are paired with a rich, complex fragrance.
Siddheswari Devi lies sprawled on the hard tiles under a flyover in East Delhi, one of the scores of people who keep swelling the ranks of the barricaded space that is now their home. Around her are swarming groups of other hapless people, many with children, who have left their villages to seek their fortunes in the Indian capital.
It is not a pretty sight for the tens of thousands of city commuters who pass that way daily on the busy Ring Road that skirts the capital.
This temporary refuge is convenient as it is just across the road from the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Sarai Kale Khan, where buses from outside Delhi disgorge thousands of passengers every day, many of whom have abandoned their rural homesteads with their meagre bundles of belongings in the hope of a better life in the city.
But, like Rajesh Kumar, 35, who came here more than 10 years ago, there is no going back as the city streets has become his home, although that ‘home’ is often without a roof or a proper bed and is exposed to the elements and thugs.
Indu Prakash Singh, national convener of the National Forum for Housing Rights, pegged the number of homeless in Delhi at around 150,000, with about a quarter of the houseless population in urban India living in the top five metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
According to India’s 2011 Census, there are 449,761 houseless households/families in the country, homeless or houseless defined as those who live in “the open or roadside, pavements, in hume-pipes, under flyovers and staircases, or in the open in places of worship, mandaps, railway platforms etc.” But NGOs working in this area say the figures are much higher than projected officially.
“The main reasons which drive people to urban areas are poverty and unemployment. Other reasons include recurrent droughts, floods and riots in different parts of the country fearing which they run away to save their lives,” Indu Prakash Singh told IANS.
Experts said the migrants are part of a global story of people in developing countries who are steadily moving out of their homes for survival as agricultural incomes and livelihoods shrink and land becomes economically unviable because of climate change and other environmental factors.
For Balwinder Singh, 45, home is “wherever I find space” in central Delhi’s Paharganj area. “I sold my house to someone who duped me of the money. Now, I am on the road – where I eat, sleep and earn my daily living,” Balwinder Singh told IANS.
“I don’t even remember when I came to the capital to earn a living, but the one reality I live with everyday is that I still do not have a place to call my own in this huge city,” Bishu, a cycle rickshaw driver in Dwarka, told IANS.
“I have a family, which I cannot afford to bring here. Living far away from them is a nightmare I live everyday,” he added.
According to Sanjay Kumar of Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan, an NGO that works for empowering the homeless, there are a few areas across the city like Nizamuddin, Okhla, around Connaught Place and also areas around the Kalkaji Temple and opposite railway and bus stations that have a large homeless population.
Indu Prakash Singh said that such migration is “distress migration” rather than “opportunity migration”.
“It is more of a push factor than pull factor for lack of opportunities in rural areas. Somewhere, even the government policy is responsible for this migration as they say that it is the cities which are the engines of economic growth. So, why would the rural population not flock to the urban areas for work,” he asked.
“Tell me”, he questioned, “why would anyone otherwise want to come here and die on the roads and pavements in the extreme weather?”
“We need a lot of economic opportunities in the rural areas. Additionally, we need a range of 24×7 shelters across India for all. These shelters should not only have adequate space for those living in them but should be able to retain them,” he added.
15 miles north of San Francisco is Muir Woods, a majestic grove of ancient coastal Redwood Trees. This forest is of such unparalleled peace and beauty that it was declared a national monument in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt, and named after the conservationist John Muir.
The coastal valleys in Northern California used to be blanketed in magnificent giant Redwood trees like the ones in Muir Woods National Monument. Many of these forests were lost to logging, but Muir Woods is hard to get to, and was spared as a result. Luckily, these are some of the most impressive uncut stands of old growth trees.
John Muir has made his mark on the California wilderness, hiking and documenting some of the most scenic areas in the state. You can take a 211-mile hike known as the John Muir trail, which takes you through the most scenic parts of the High Sierra from Yosemite to Mount Whitney. It is also part of the Pacific Crest trail, which is even larger, and goes through famous California State Parks like Kings Canyon National Park, the Devils Postpile National Monument, and yet another grove of impressive giant Sequoia trees at the Sequoia National Park.
You don't have to be an avid outdoorsmen or an experienced hiker to enjoy an ancient forest. While its not a rugged backcountry trail, you will feel like you're miles from anywhere when you visit the Muir Woods National Monument. The terrain is flat and easy to navigate, and there is a visitor center and a map of Muir Woods to help guide you. A short 15 minute drive from San Francisco, you will get an appreciation for the distinct ecology of Nothern California, where the biggest attractions are those that are outdoors, like the Avenue of the Giants on the Northern California Coast, which is another famous grove of coastal Redwood trees.
The next time you visit the Bay Area, rent a car and prepare yourself for an unforgettable experience. You will experience the inner peace when you visit one of the best California hiking trails, and take in the experience of being among these ancient coastal redwoods, whose moss covered trunks and deep red hue will seem all the more vivid in the quiet stillness of the forest. You can get the feeling that inspired John Muir to dedicate his life to conservation once you've enjoyed this leisurely, enriching outdoors experience at Muir Woods National Monument.