Delhi

Appropriately, our tour of Delhi began at India Gate, a huge sandstone arch built to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died in WWI and the Third Afghan War. Facing India Gate is the sandstone canopy where a statue of King George V was installed in 1936. The canopy now stands empty, the statue having been moved to Coronation Park.

From there, we went to Raisina Hill, the site selected by the British for the new capital. Vijay Chowk or "Victory Square", at the base of Raisina Hill is flanked by 2 large Secretariat buildings which house the Prime Minister's Office and the Defence Ministry. At the crest of Raisina Hill is Rashtrapai Bhavan. Built as the British Viceroy's Place, it is now the residence of the President of India.

Our next stop was Humayun's Tomb. Built in 1565, it was the first great Mughal garden tomb and served to inspire the design of the beautiful Taj Mahal. Also in this complex is the tomb and mosque of Isa Khan, a 16th century nobleman.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park was our next destination. Located within the Park is the Qutb Minar, India's highest single tower. The tower was built in 1193 to mark the site of the first Muslin kingdom in North India.

After a short break for lunch, we went to the Baha'i House of Worship. Constructed in 1986, the white marble structure forms 27 petaled tiers giving it a lotus appearance. The Baha'i sect originated in Persia and is based on a view of humanity as one single race. People from all faiths are invited to meditate and attend daily services in the auditorium.

Jami Masjid, India's largest mosque. Constructed in 1656 by the Emperor Shah Jahan, it took 6 years and 5,000 workers to build. Upon entering the mosque, we had to remove our shoes and cover our exposed skin with cloth. From Jami Masjid, we rode through Old Delhi via bicycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. Constuction of the fort began in 1639 and took 9 years. The fort was the seat of Mughal power until 1857 when the last Mughal emperor was dethroned and exiled. When India became an independent nation in 1947, it was here that the national flag was raised for the first time.

After seeing the Red Fort, we headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next day, we continued our tour of the Golden Triangle and Shimla. Upon returning to Delhi at the end of our 2 week journey, we went to Raijghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation. On Gandhi's birthday (Oct. 2) and the anniversary of his death (Jan. 30), the nation's leaders gather here for prayer meetings. Across the street is the Gandhi National Museum where we viewed pictures and memorabilia from his life.

Posted by Amy, signed in under Grace