Friday 2/23
I had Shannon back with me and today we are going into Delhi and explore some of the tourist places. Little did we realize that this was going to be a full day of awesome sightseeing and ending with some wonderful street food.
India Gate
Our first stop was the India Gate.
This is a war memorial dedicated to 70,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the various wars.
More than 13,300 servicemen's names, including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom, are inscribed on the gate.
In 1971, following the Bangladesh Liberation war, a small simple structure, consisting of a black marble base, with a reversed rifle, capped by a war helmet, bounded by four eternal flames, was built beneath the archway.
This structure is called Amar Jawan Jyoti, or the Flame of the Immortal Soldier and has served as India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
India Gate is counted among the largest war memorials in India
The Canopy behind the India Gate .
Just east of the India Gate War Memorial, is a 73-foot cupola with four Delhi Order columns supporting the domed canopy.
The canopy was constructed in 1936 as part of a tribute to the recently deceased Emperor of India, King George V, and originally covered a 70-foot-tall marble statue of George V in his coronation robes and Imperial State Crown, bearing the British globus cruciger (an orb surmounted by a cross )and scepter.
 India Gate with me and 5,000 others! |  Canopy behind gate |
|---|---|
 Guarding the Flame of the Immortal Soldier |
Even after India's independence from Britain in 1947, the statue remained standing at its original location for another two decades, but increasingly became a target of opposition from some Indian politicians, particularly after the tenth anniversary of Independence and the centennial of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Two days before Independence Day in 1965, members of the Samyukta Socialist Party overpowered two constables guarding the site, covered the statue in tar and defaced its imperial crown, nose and one ear, also leaving a photo of Subhas Chandra Bose (an Indian nationalist whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in India, but whose attempt during World War II to rid India of British rule with the help of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan left a troubled legacy).
Subsequently, the Indian government decided to relocate the statue, but faced considerable difficulties.
A proposal to give the monument to the UK was rejected by the British government, which cited the lack of an appropriate site and sufficient funds, and the British High Commission in New Delhi declined to have the statue relocated to their compound, due to limited space.
Finally, in late 1968, the statue was removed from under the canopy and briefly placed in storage before being moved to Coronation Park shortly after, to join other British Raj-era statues. The canopy sits empty to this day.
Funny story – by this time I was on to these Indian entrepreneurs trying to get as much money out of us tourists. While leaving the India Gate area, we were thirsty, so we stopped at a street cart to get a bottle of water.
All Indian food has MRP (manufacture retail price) listed on the packages. Apparently, it is illegal to try to get more for the product than listed.
Shannon took a bottle of water and asked the price. He told us 200 rupees. Shannon looked at the bottle and said – "this bottle says 50 rupees."
He smirked and then thought about it and then was going to change the price, but now I was miffed and by this time I had already turned to another cart vendor and bought the water from him for 50 rupees. Smart guy - he heard the encounter and wasn't going to lose the sale.
Shannon gave the bottle back to him: too bad, so sad for you that you tried to rip us off!
I turned back to the other vendor and bought another bottle from him!
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar was built in 1724, as an stronomical observatory with masonry instruments.
The site is one of five built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, starting in 1723. Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah gave him the task of revising the calendar and astronomical tables.
The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.
Jantar Mantar, Delhi, has 13 instruments that can graph the path of the astronomical universe.
The name of this noteworthy astronomical observatory, Jantar Mantar means ‘instrument for calculation.’
All these instruments can be used for various astronomical calculations.
Unfortunately the structures are in disrepair, but it seems that renovations are starting to be made.
The instruments at Jantar Mantar are fascinating for their ingenuity, but
accurate observations can no longer be made from here because of the tall buildings around the site.
The cost to enter was 15 rupees for Indian natives (Shannon got this price) and 200 rupees for me as a tourist.
Once inside, we thought we had to use the bathroom until Shannon saw that it was going to cost us 5 rupees but the men could go for 3. That fired her up and we decided that we could wait!
 Rama Yantra - Pinpoints stars. |  Inside the RamaYantra |
|---|---|
 Steps on the Samrat Yantra - Sundial |  Samrat Yantra - Sundial with Rama Yantra in background. |
 View of Jantar Mantar |  Back wall of the Samrat Yantra. |
 Misra Yantra - Determines the shortest and longest days of the year. |
Funny Story – Shannon and I had paid for our entrance and we were just waiting for our change and ticket. There was about 15 people behind us.
A young Indian man came right up to the window and tried to butt in front of us to ask the guy behind the window something – (this has happened before and this time I wasn’t allowing it!) I said – “Excuse me – we are here.”
He mumbled something and I said “stop being rude, go to the back of the line and wait your turn.” He gave us a look but turned and walked away.
As we were leaving the window, we could see the relieved faces of the other people in line.
Apparently no one calls these rude people out but, hey – we are foreigners and not only was he rude to us but to the other people in line also!
Shannon and I in our tuk-tuk going to Raj Ghat
Raj Ghat - Memorial to a Great Man.
I was really looking forward to seeing this memorial that was dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. I didn’t realize that there were other leaders buried here. It was an impressive and spiritual area.
Raj Ghat, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial is a black marble platform that marks the spot of his cremation, on January 30, 1948, a day after his assassination.
It is left open to the sky while an eternal flame burns at one end. A stone footpath flanked by beautiful lawns leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial. All guests must remove their footwear before entering the Raj Ghat walls.
An epitaph 'Hey Ram' is also seen inscribed on the Memorial which means 'O Ram' or 'O God' which were the last words uttered by Gandhi, as he lay dying in the arms of his followers, after he was shot by Nathuram Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism.
Gandhi had just walked up the low steps to the raised lawn behind Birla House where he conducted his multi-faith prayer meetings every evening, when Godse stepped out from the crowd and into Gandhi's path, firing three bullets at point-blank range.
Gandhi instantly fell to the ground and was carried back to his room in Birla House from where a representative emerged some time later to announce that he had died.
Mahatma Gandhi Ji was probably one of the greatest and undisputed leaders and well respected by everyone. He led the way of 'non-violence' and 'righteous path' in order to force the British to Quit India.
Several other samādhis or cremation spots and memorials of other famous leaders, mostly Prime Ministers, can be found in the vicinity of Raj Ghat including Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi, both of whom were murdered.
 Gandhi Memorial |  Inside Raj Ghat |
|---|---|
 Gandhi Memorial |  Pathway leading to memorial |
 Walkway in Raj Ghat |  Memorial |
 Indira Gandhi Memorial |  Rajiv Gandhi Memorial |
 Rajiv Gandhi Memorial |  Raj Ghat |
 Walkway in the park |  Shannon |
 Unique tree |
History lesson of the day about Indira and her son Rajiv Gandhi
Indira Gandhi, was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. She was the 3rd Prime Minister of India and was assassinated at 9:20 a.m. on 31 October 1984, at her New Delhi residence by two of her bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army's June 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar which left the Sikh temple heavily damaged.
She was on her way to be interviewed by British actor Peter Ustinov, who was filming a documentary for Irish television. She was walking through the garden of the Prime Minister's Residence in New Delhi towards the neighboring Akbar Road office.
As she passed a wicket gate guarded by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the two opened fire. Beant fired three rounds into her abdomen from his .38 revolver, and Satwant then fired 30 rounds from his Sterling submachine gun into her after she had fallen to the ground.
After the shooting, both threw their weapons down and Beant Singh said "I have done what I had to do. You do what you want to do." In the next six minutes 2 soldiers in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, captured and killed Beant Singh in a separate room.
Satwant Singh was arrested by Gandhi's other bodyguards along with an accomplice trying to escape, and was seriously wounded in the attack and was hanged in 1989 with his accomplice Kehar Singh.
The assassination sparked four days of riots that left more than 8,000 Indian Sikhs dead in revenge attacks.
Beant Singh was one of Gandhi's favorite guards, whom she had known for ten years. The other assassin, Satwant Singh, was 22 years old when the assassination occurred and had been assigned to Gandhi's guard just five months before the assassination.
Her body was brought in a gun carriage through Delhi roads on the morning of November 1st to where her father stayed, and where she lay in state. She was cremated on 3 November, near Raj Ghat.
The day his mother was assassinated, Rajiv Gandhi, was appointed Prime Minister later that same day. He took office to become the youngest Indian Prime Minister at the age of 40.
His leadership was tested over the next few days as mobs rioted against the Sikh community.
For much of the 1970s, his mother Indira Gandhi was prime minister and his brother Sanjay Gandhi an MP. Despite this, Rajiv Gandhi remained apolitical. However, after Sanjay's death in a plane crash in 1980, Gandhi reluctantly entered politics at the behest of Indira.
The following year he won his brother's Parliamentary seat and became a member of the lower house of India's Parliament.
The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the ex-Prime Minister of India, occurred as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India on Tuesday, 21 May 1991. At least 14 others were also killed in the bombing.
The attack was blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant organization from Sri Lanka; at the time India had just ended its involvement, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in the Sri Lankan Civil War.
From the park, we walked – well - rode - ok, sat in - a bicycle rickshaw to Red fort. We weren’t going to but our feet hurt and he was there offering to pedal us, so, lets go!
Red Fort
The Red Fort is another historic fort and was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, until 1856.
In addition to accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political center of the Mughal state and the setting for events critically impacting the region.
Constructed in 1639, the Red Fort is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone.
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion in 1747. Most of the fort's precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the British following the Revolt of 1857.
The fort's defensive walls were largely spared and the fort was also the site where the British put the last Mughal Emperor on trial before exiling him to Rangoon in 1858.
Shannon said that this fort would make a great school campus with all the cool buildings.
 Diwan-I-Aam, Public Audience Hall |  Doors of India |
|---|---|
 Room after room |  Outside of Fort |
 Naubat Khana - drum house where music was played on special occasions. |  Columns of the Audience Hall |
 Walkway to Khas Mahal, the private residence of the emperor. |  Banyon Tree |
 Inside Red Fort |  Grounds of Diwan-I-Aan |
Funny story – This whole trip, I tried to avoid being photographed, I caught so many people trying to sneak pictures. Now, as we are walking around and I see a camera, I feel that it is pointed at us. A few times Shannon and I said to each other – “turn away, they are trying to take our picture.” It probably was just us being paranoid, or not!
As we left the Red Fort, we started walking towards Old Delhi and came upon a street food vendor making samosa and jalebi’s which are made by deep-frying maida flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. This is an addictive food!
Of course we had to indulge, twice!
 Making Jalebi's |  Jalebi's |
|---|
Saturday 2/24
Today, Shail had to go to the Delhi hospital for immunizations that he needed for a business trip.
I tagged along and I am so glad I did.
After the hospital we sought out some food. Shannon had her shoes shined by a street vendor (no pictures allowed!) and then Shail took us to this amazing restaurant. There was no menu – we just sat down and they started bringing out one dish after another. We ate until we couldn’t eat another bite.
So – what to do for the rest of the afternoon – hmmmm. Shail came up with the greatest thing – lets go to Akshardham Temple. I had no idea what it was but I’m game for anything if he suggests it!
This place turned out to be spectacular.
We had to turn all of our cameras, phones and chargers into security. No photography of any kind was allowed inside. Going through security, purses had to be searched and I had a pen that the lady took out and really inspected it. They were serious!
All the pictures are from the internet.
We took 3 “tours” of information about the place and later that night we stayed for the light and water show. It was free to enter with an admission fee for each of the shows.
'Akshardham' means the divine abode of God. It is hailed as an eternal place of devotion, purity and peace. Swaminarayan Akshardham at New Delhi is a Mandir – an abode of God, a Hindu house of worship, and a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, learning and harmony. Timeless Hindu spiritual messages, vibrant devotional traditions and ancient architecture all are echoed in its art and architecture.
Busiest Metro Station
Shannon with a popsicle
Akshardham
All Akshardham pictures are taken off the internet.
 Entrance |  Temple |
|---|---|
 Elephants |  Fountains |
 Temple |  Lotus |
 Swaminaraya |  Temple |
 Water and light show |
The mandir (house of god) is a humble tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781- 1830),and consists of 234 intricately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled spires and 20,000 statues of India’s Hinduism’s spiritual personalities. It reaches 141.3 feet into the sky and spans 316 feet in width, and is 356 feet long.
The complex was inaugurated on 6 November 2005. More than 300,000,000 volunteer hours went into making the complex with over 8,000 volunteers from across the world participated in building it.
It is built from intricately carved sandstone and marble and is made without the use of any ferrous metal in construction.
The complex features an Abhisheka Mandap (marble chamber on the lower floor), a light and water show, a thematic garden and three exhibitions , Hall of Values, an IMAX film on the early life of Swaminarayan as the teenage yogi, and a cultural boat ride.
Monday 2/26
Early to rise to catch the train to Agra for our day at the Taj Mahal. I am so excited to experience this wonder. You always see beautiful pictures, but to actually be standing right in front of it, and learning the story of why it was built, is enough to take your breath away.
Taj Mahal - Shah Jahan's Romantic Gesture
Shah Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-century. After the death of his father, King Jahangir, in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a bitter power struggle with his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628.
At his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), whom he married in 1612 and cherished as the favorite of his three queens.
In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to the couple’s 14th child.
The grieving Shah Jahan, known for commissioning a number of impressive structures throughout his reign, ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra.
In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex.
Taj Mahal was built in 22 years (1631-1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan and it was dedicated to his wife Mumtaz Mahal who rests inside the Mahal.
The tomb is the centerpiece of the 42-acre complex, which also includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a wall.
No pictures were allowed inside the mausoleum but it was very intricate and beautiful.
“fun” fact:
According to one gruesome story, Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind. How mean!
From the courtyard, we could see down to the river and of course we just had to figure out how to get there. It wasn’t really hard, we just walked out the front and around the wall and down the dirt road. We got down there and it wasn’t as cool as we had thought but we did get another perspective on the Taj.
 Entrance |  Taj |
|---|---|
 View from Taj Mahal looking back towards the entrance. |  Taj Mahal |
 Alcove |  Shannon |
 Outbuilding |  Tower |
 Shannon |  Selfie |
 Path down behind Taj |  View from river |
Pictures were not allowed inside the tomb. This is taken off the internet to show just how beautiful it is inside.
 Garden |  Courtyard |
|---|---|
 Beautiful Lattice |  |
 Intricate Ceiling |  Looking out at Taj Mahal |
 |  |
 |  Grave of John Russell Colvin |
In the courtyard of the fort, there is a memorial to John Russell Colvin As I was standing there wondering who he was and why he was buried here, some British ladies came up and said “oh here lies John Russell Colvin" like she knew who he was!
LOL, timing couldn't have been better.
Agra Fort
When in Agra, see the Agra Fort.
Agra Fort is another historical fort and it was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.
This time Shannon insisted that she was going to get in as a native. The guy at the booth wasn’t having any of it and sent her to the guy inside. I paid my entrance fee and waited for her to come back out. After a few minutes I went inside to find her crying to the guards. It freaked them out and they said “please don’t cry, just go in.” She was just so emotional that no one would accept her stamp that it finally got to her. However, now she was feeling bad because she didn’t pay anything. I said to just let it go, they aren't going to miss 30 rupees! (I paid 1000)
We explored this fort and got some more great pictures.
BTW...He was a British civil servant in India who died in the fort. His body couldn’t be carried out at the time, and so he was buried there.
The selection of the burial location is often criticized for the insensitivity, considering the significance of the place.
We finished the day having food at Mama Franky, Mama Chicken, street food vendor.
Next page (India 5)
Find me back in Gurgaon on local adventures.
National Science Center
Sundar Nursary
Hauz Khas Village
Qutb Minar
Final thoughts
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