India 1991

India was the first stop on a Round the World ticket. I had organised with the Missionaries of Charity to work at the Mother Teresa homes in Delhi. The idea was to do some voluntary work and then go travelling round India, but ended up staying in Delhi for the whole time. The top row of photos show the Nirmal Hriday home from the road, the Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi.

Every day was spent at Nirmal Hriday, home for the destitute and Dying, but I also spent some time at the leper colony run by the Missionaries of charity where I helped translate drug labels and held the torch at some of the amputations and other operations. There is also a photo of me at the orphanage. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet Mother Teresa as she was ill the week she was supposed to come to Delhi, but I made some great friends with the sisters and residents.

In the photos you can see the young mothers as they wait for the powdered milk delivery, me in my casual Indian dress, drinking Chai at a street stall and some of the daily routine at the home.

Nirmal Hriday was located in Majnu-Ka-Tilla where there was a large Tibetan refugee colony. I rented a room in House No 22 and got to make some fantastic Tibetan friends there, Wang Mo, Ashok, Kunga the monk and Finnsuk. The food was fantastic, especially the momos and the chilli beef. The photos at the bottom show the demonstration I joined with the Tibetans protesting at the arrival on the Chinese premier. The Indian army cracked down pretty severely using tear gas and batons. There is also a photo of the visit the Dalai Lama made to the refugee camp where I was living.