Delhiwale: Temple on the hill

Veiled by a thicket, this Shiv Mandir in Jorbagh gives you a Himalayan feel in the heart of Delhi

How many places do you know in Delhi where you can walk up a hill, sit at the top, and enjoy the monsoon?

The temple is reached through a flight of picturesque stairs: almost every step has creepers and grass growing on it. (Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)

The Shiv Mandir in Central Delhi’s Jorbagh Colony perhaps offers the only such escape.

Unlike the cold and formidable bungalows of the affluent neighbourhood, the temple, partially hidden by a lush foliage, makes you feel welcome. You reach it through a flight of picturesque stairs: almost every step has creepers and grass growing on it. The uneven brick courtyard has two giant peepal trees, around which small birds quarrel with squirrels all day long.

A part of the courtyard is covered with a tin roof. It goes pitter-patter in the rain. You could easily believe you are in a Himalayan cottage.