Country #17! We finally made it to India on September 27. Thanks to our new friend Andy from New Zealand, we mapped out a good plan for Rajasthan. But we stopped in Delhi for 2 nights first.
The hotel we stayed at helped arrange a car and tour for the next 8 days. Our first tour was of Delhi where we hit all the major attractions - Red Fort (Lal Qila), Raj Ghat, Humayun's Tomb, Lotus Temple, Qutab Minar, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, and Laxmi Narayan Temple. It was a long hot day so we may or may not have just snapped pictures from afar in the comfort of an air conditioned car.
Our next stop was Raj Ghat, the memorial to the Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi and the site of his cremation.
Humayun's Tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. It took 7 years to build and was completed in 1572.
Also in the complex is the tomb of Isa Khan Niyazi - an Afghan noble who fought against the Mughals. Isa Khan's tomb was built in 1547-1548 (before Humayun's Tomb was built).
The next landmark to visit was the Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship. According to wikipedia, the Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. I don't know, when I saw the Lotus Temple, I thought it might have been related to Scientology.
We then headed for a drive by of Rashtrapati Bhavan, a 200,000 square foot palace that is the largest residence of any head of the state in the world.
India Gate is right down the street from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Our last stop for the day was Laxmi Narayan Temple. Built from 1933-1939, the temple is dedicated to Laxmi Narayan and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Laxmi Narayan usually refers to Vishnu (the Supreme God of Hinduism) who is also known as Narayan - when he is with his wife, Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and the embodiment of beauty). We weren't allowed to take photos inside so here are just a few from the outside.
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| Two lines had to be formed before boarding the plane for one last pat down |
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| Hello, country #17 |
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| Walking around by our hotel in Delhi |
The hotel we stayed at helped arrange a car and tour for the next 8 days. Our first tour was of Delhi where we hit all the major attractions - Red Fort (Lal Qila), Raj Ghat, Humayun's Tomb, Lotus Temple, Qutab Minar, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, and Laxmi Narayan Temple. It was a long hot day so we may or may not have just snapped pictures from afar in the comfort of an air conditioned car.
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| Just some normal traffic as we headed to our first stop - the Red Fort |
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| Red Fort from the side entrance - completed in 1648 |
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| Walking towards the front entrance of the Red Fort |
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| The Red Fort (Lal Qila) was built of red standstone; it took 9 years and 3 months to build |
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| Lahori Gate - main entrance to the Red Fort |
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| This is a chhatta chowk, which means covered bazzar. A chhatta chowk in 17th century India was not common and this one is especially unique because of its Mughal architecture. |
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| Hall of Public Audience (Diwan-i-'Am) |
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| Two museums are housed at the Red Fort - I found an "elevator turkey" in the Indian War Memorial Museum |
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| Eagles galore |
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| Lovely ladies - I love the bright colors |
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| Indian palm squirrel (after much debate about whether or not it is a chipmunk) hanging out in some pigeon feathers |
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| Just some perspective of how small he was |
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| This guy asked me to take a photo for him and his lady - I obliged despite the fact that the photo I took did not magically appear on his camera |
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| Nahr-i-Bihisht - the 'Canal of Paradise' provided a continuous supply of water throughout the gardens and interiors |
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| The grounds were really pretty and well kept |
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| Walking around the Hall of Public Audience |
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| Doggie looking for some food |
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| It took a few days for me to get used to seeing Paul without Capt'n |
Our next stop was Raj Ghat, the memorial to the Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi and the site of his cremation.
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| Site of cremation |
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| We walked around on the upper level |
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| There were lots of school children visiting as well |
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| They were excited to see foreigners |
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| The site is a big park with tree lined walkways |
Humayun's Tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. It took 7 years to build and was completed in 1572.
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| Walking towards the tomb |
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| I stopped to take photos of this door but I also like taking photos of Paul's impatience with me |
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| See, isn't this a cool looking door? |
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| This was the first structure to use red sandstone (construction started in 1569) |
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| Side view |
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| Humayun's Tomb |
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| More tombs - maybe Humayun's wives |
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| I liked this angle of the building |
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| I really liked these insect eaten leaves |
Also in the complex is the tomb of Isa Khan Niyazi - an Afghan noble who fought against the Mughals. Isa Khan's tomb was built in 1547-1548 (before Humayun's Tomb was built).
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| Isa Khan's tomb |
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| Isa Khan's mosque |
The next landmark to visit was the Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship. According to wikipedia, the Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. I don't know, when I saw the Lotus Temple, I thought it might have been related to Scientology.
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| This is as close as we got |
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| It was pretty enough for me from afar |
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| Qutab Minar - a stone tower 72 meters high built in 1193 |
We then headed for a drive by of Rashtrapati Bhavan, a 200,000 square foot palace that is the largest residence of any head of the state in the world.
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| I took this picture from inside the comfort of an air conditioned car |
India Gate is right down the street from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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| Another arc to put in the books |
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| Yes - from inside the car as well! |
Our last stop for the day was Laxmi Narayan Temple. Built from 1933-1939, the temple is dedicated to Laxmi Narayan and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Laxmi Narayan usually refers to Vishnu (the Supreme God of Hinduism) who is also known as Narayan - when he is with his wife, Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and the embodiment of beauty). We weren't allowed to take photos inside so here are just a few from the outside.
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| Looking up |
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| A better shot of the entire temple |
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| Monkey statue |
