Delhiwale: Discover an enchanting world inside Lodhi Garden after dark

You may be familiar with this place but at night it is a different world with its mystical panorama of shadows

The leaves are black, the grass is orange, the ducks are wide awake, and there are very, very few people.

A walk in Lodhi Garden at night takes you to another world. The park is closed a few hours after sundown and re-opens only in the morning. The small window between sunset and the closing of gates offers one of the most marvellous experiences in one of the world’s most polluted cities.

Enter the park when the last traces of twilight are fading. Stand on the Mughal-era Athpula stone bridge and gaze at the nearest lamppost. The light trapped within the glass cover softly, almost grudgingly, throws itself on the darkness around.

The way to the pond passes takes you through a short track. If you are careful not to make a noise, you will spot a colony of quiet ducks clustered beside the water — all still.

Another path runs along a series of gentle slopes. The uneven spread of lamp lights turns the surroundings into a mystical panorama of shadows.

The trees look papery, their black shapes on the grass feel almost solid. The bushes are like exhibits at the National Museum of Modern Art.

Walking beside the pond can be terrifying, for the water is on fire thanks to the reflected lights. It is also possible to suddenly stumble upon one of the grand Lodhi Garden tombs.

They, too, look fantastical at this hour, when Lodhi Garden is part of a different land altogether.