New Delhi, a new capital for me.
As in many countries, the capital often represents a country’s best and worst. I will say this is also the case in New Delhi. As I said in my previous post, I almost regretted visiting India during my first days there. I knew New Delhi would be enormous, crowded, smoggy, and dirty. However, on my guided tour on day two and my days alone, I saw some nice spots in the city.
Day one, The Red Fort
I arrived in India very early in the morning, but I had paid for the night before to check in to the hotel and then rest before entering the city. While booking accommodation, I had the railway station in mind because I was going to leave for Agra at six o’clock in the morning. So it was convenient to stay close to the station. The downside is that the areas near railway stations can often be rough.
After being “helped” by several guys, I found a bank that took Visa cards so I could withdraw some cash. Then, I took a rickshaw, popularly called a Tuk-Tuk, to the Red Fort, the historic Mughal fort in Delhi. It was constructed in the 1640s when the Mughals relocated the capital from Agra to Delhi. It is a waste area where the fort’s defensive walls are in red sandstone. However, inside, you find several Marble constructions and buildings. Like the Diwan-i-Khas, a chamber built for receptions. It was the location where the Mughals received courtiers and state guests. There were fantastic details in the marble; I walked around for hours.
Guided tour of Delhi
There are several excellent and interesting places to visit in New and Old Delhi. I hired a local guide and driver for a few hours to see the most important spots. They picked me up, and the first place was the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, one of the most prominent Sikh houses of worship in Delhi. The holy pond is inside its complex, known as the “Sarovar.” It was only possible to take a picture from outside the gate. Both men and women have to cover their hair, and you walk without shoes and socks since you have to walk through water to rinse your feet before entering the holy room. I was also shown their canteen, where they prepared and served thousands of free daily meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Lotus Temple
The second stop was the Lotus Temple, completed in December 1986. It is notable for its lotus-like shape. Like all Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or other qualifications. In the middle of a big calming park, you find the Temple, this award-winning architectural sculpture. There was a queue to get in, but when you entered, you were told to be quiet, sit down and pray to whichever god or creature you would turn to. There were no religious symbols inside the hall.
Stepwell
There are several step wells in India. The Ugrasen ki Baoli is one of the remarkably well-preserved ones from the 15th century. Water temples and temple step wells were built in ancient India, a well-protected area. Here, you can see niches for the guards. These days, they are just for tourism and film sets for Bollywood films.
UNESCO Heritage Sites in queue
India has quite a few UNESCO heritage sites. During my time in India, I visited 8 Sites, and here in Delhi, I was in three places. Like the Humayun’s Tomb, This red and white grave monument was constructed in the 1560s for one of the Mughals and represents the first example of a garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent. The monument is an architectural predecessor of the Taj Mahal. The complex includes several smaller tombs from the period. So, this was like a preparation for the Taj Mahal for me. You can not stop wondering about all the work that went into these monuments.
Old Delhi
On the guided tour, we also visited Old Delhi. We visited marked and got to buy some Saffran at the spice market. The old streets are so narrow, so the only way to ride around is on a motorbike or a manual rickshaw.
It had been a very versatile and exciting day. I had learned a lot and had several new experiences. Afterwards, we had lunch together, and I tasted my first creamy butter chicken in India. Things were picking up as I saw behind the smog and overpopulated streets—the day after, I was going to take the train to Agra.
The Qutb Minar
The last paragraph of this post is from my last day in India. After travelling around Rajhastan for two weeks, I returned to New Delhi to spend the last night close to the airport, from which I would depart the following day. I did not want to miss seeing the last UNESCO site on this trip—the Qutb Minar. The Minar is surrounded by several historically significant monuments of the Qutb complex. The mosque complex is one of the earliest that survives in the Indian subcontinent. It was worth my effort to get here on the last day. Look at the details on the tower, 40-50 meters up in the air. The Minar is 72,5 metres high in total.
