India, Jan. 14 -- Here you see something otherworldly: Variations of light transposing through pools of shades. Entering this garden is almost like walking inside a painting by Rembrandt, the artist known for his deft manipulation of light and shade.

Winter days in central Delhi's Nehru Park are full of diffused luminescence, that makes the silence and solitude of the garden feel even more solemn than they do the rest of the year. This weekday afternoon, a man is lying sprawled on a bench, another man is resting under a cluster of palms. One solitary figure is perched atop a rock.

The remarkable thing of the park is its soundtrack, which of course is not exclusive to the cold season. The place is full of bird chatter, something you expe...