Delhi
Our tour guide says:
“…we proceed on a guided tour of New Delhi, Visiting such sights as Bahai Temple, Humayun’s Tomb (1586), the Qutab Minar 72 meters high and one of the most perfect towers in the Persian world. The Iron Pillar which has survived the vagaries of weather for over 1500 years. Continue with a drive through Embassy area, the Government buildings (1921-1930) and Connaught Place, the heart and main shopping district of the capital.
Afternoon we cross the city and into the walled gates of the Old city with visits to the Jamma Mosque (1650) and drive through the fabled area of Chandni Chowk (aptly translates to Moonlight Square) where the throngs of shoppers and vendors meet in the oldest area of Delhi. Visit the Red Fort (1639-1648 built by Shah Jehan the builder of the Taj Mahal in Agra) to view the inlaid and carved Royal Chambers, on to Raj Ghat and nearby ghats where the founder of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi and thereafter Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were cremated.
The highlight of this tour would be a ride on cycle rickshaws. Now these are 3-wheel cycles with a sofa seat at the back. The Rickshawalla (Rickshaw driver) sits on a small cushion in the front and two passengers on the sofa seat behind. This is a remarkable way to explore and picture the hustle and bustle as well as the colour of the narrow winding streets bursting with people and pavement shops selling wares of all description – including a laughing set of dentures. The ride would be accompanied by peals of laughter both from the passengers as well as the onlookers.“
Lonely Planet says:
“ Delhi hasn’t always been India’s capital, but it has played a pivotal part in Indian history as it has always been a gateway city, built on the plains initially near a fording point on the Yamuna River and on the route between western and central Asia and Southeast Asia. It’s also believed to be the site of the fabled city of Indraprastha, which featured in the Mahabharata over 3000 years ago, but historical evidence suggests that
the area has been settled for around 2500 years. At least eight known cities have been
founded around modern Delhi, the last of which was the British Raj’s New Delhi. The first four cities of Delhi were to the south, around the area where the Qutb Minar now stands. The fifth Delhi, Firozabad, was at Firoz Shah Kotla in present-day New Delhi, while Emperor Sher Shah created the sixth at Purana Qila, also in New Delhi. The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, constructed the seventh Delhi in the 17th century, thus shifting the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi; his Shahjahanabad roughly corresponds to Old Delhi today and is largely preserved. The Chauhans seized control in the 12th century and made Delhi the significant Hindu centre in northern India. But when Qutb-ud-din occupied the city in 1193, he ushered in more than six centuries of Islamic
rule. In 1803, the British captured Delhi and promptly installed a British administrator. Delhi wasn’t the capital of India at the time, but it was a critical commercial centre. In 1911, the British announced the shifting of their capital from Kolkata (Calcutta; Bengal was ardently championing independence) and proceeded to build New Delhi as though the sun would never set on the Raj. Construction wasn’t completed, and the city officially inaugurated, until 1931. However, only 16 years after the grand inauguration, the British were booted out of India and Delhi became the capital of an independent India. Since Independence, Delhi has prospered as the capital of modern India, with its population spiraling upwards due to rapid economic expansion and increased job opportunities. The downside of the boom – apart from growing pressure on the city’s groaning infrastructure – is chronic over-crowding, traffic congestion, ballooning child labor, housing shortages and pollution.“
We say:
I didn’t snap a picture of them, but when you eat Indian fast-food on the street, the food many times comes to you in bowls made out of leaves. Our tour guide in Delhi, told me that the leaves are from the people tree. Sadly, more and more of the disposable leaf bowls are being replaced with Styrofoam and plastic. I also didn’t snap pictures of the disposable clay pots used for tea.
Monkeys!!!! This one was sitting directly over a banana stand and the stand owner would occasionally throw a banana up to the monkey. |
He’s making sure a monkey above him isn’t going to strike. |
This guy was directly across from the first monkey. |
Lina wanted to include a picture of the electrical distribution. |
This is the Sikh Temple in Delhi |
The 11th prophet of the Sikh religion is the actual holy book itself and they treat the book as a human. The book is brought out every morning with a new color scheme of tapestries and covers and it put to bed every night. |
Lakshmi Temple in Delhi |
We believe this guy is dressed up as Hanuman the Monkey God. |
After lunch our funny tour guide Sonny told us we had to have our picture taken with the snake charmer. Here we have our snake necklace with a python. “No cobras, we promise.” Lina is happy. |
No problem, we’re having fun. |
Lina: ” Hey, what’s going on down there?” |
Lina: ” NO COBRAS!!!” |
Lina: “Get that thing away from me!!!” |
Lina: “Don’t throw the cobra away…Don’t throw the cobra away…Don’t throw the cobra away…” |