Delhi evokes a spectrum of reactions from a visitor and, in most cases, the reactions change over a period of time.

The first sights of Delhi can be pretty ugly (that's a good oxymoron, no? pretty ugly!). If you approach the city by train, you see rubble all around, mostly because of the hectic construction activity going on in all the suburbs and satellite towns. There is a green patch that's fast being eroded, despite frantic campaigns by pro-environment activists. You will see prosperous villages whose farmlands are turning into prime real estate, their menfolk defecating in the open, oblivious to the curious looks of a trainload of weary passengers.

If you reach here through the air route, the shock will not come until you have left the airport because the Delhi airports have improved substantially over the last couple of years. Its only when you see the unsmiling faces of taxi drivers and their gutkha-stained shirts that you will feel unwelcome. Then when you drive through the city, your vehicle cutting corners, jumping red-lights and narrowly avoiding public transport vehicles (known as Bluelines, for the colour they sport), you will brace yourself for the experience that's going to be yours for the rest of your stay.

You will see the stray cows squatting on busy roads, lots of beggar children at every traffic junction, filth and squalor if you happen to leave the core central area, and every other sight and sound typical to any third-world capital city.

But, Delhi is not all about negatives. This city tends to absorb you. While cities like Chennai (Madras) and Kolkata (Calcutta) are very exclusive and cities like Mumbai (Bombay) treat you as one of the crowd, Delhi will assimilate you very quickly. Over centuries, invaders have flocked to this city like moths to a flame, and they have all left their traces here, and this city has woven them into a rich tapestry.

Don't get me wrong here. This assimilation has never been painless. It has always been the survival of the fittest. Probably that's the reason why you will notice a lot of aggression in the way a typical Delhiite talks and acts. But the fact remains that practically everyone living in this city traces his/ her ancestory to an invader, a nomad or a refugee. Even today, you will find people from all states in every walk of life. A top bureaucrat or a shopkeeper in Lajpat Nagar, a high-end executive or the guy who washes your car - he could be a Punjabi, a UP-walla, a Bengali, a Bihari or a Tamilian with almost equal probability.

The city has another strength - it builds usually without destroying. You will see an ancient fort (aptly named Purana Quila) occupying vast acreage in the heart of town, the ruins of the Hauz Khas village ringed by (but not encroached upon) shops and restaurants.

to be continued....