India #2 Delhi

 March 9th

Our first destination today was Humayun's Tomb, the tomb of the Mughal Emporer Humayun, commissioned by his first wife in the mid 16th century.. It was the first garden tomb in India and also the first to use red sandstone on such a scale. The tomb took 8 years to build and stands at the centre of a tranquil 30 acre garden. 

Other monuments dot the complex, including Isa Khan 

Niyazi's Tomb, dating from 1547:

The complex is entered through 2 double storey gateways to the south and west:

Next stop was India Gate, a war memorial dedicated to the 82,000 British troops of India who died in wars fought between 1914-1919. Similar to the Arc de Triomphe, the rooftop contains a broad, shallow bowl, intended to be filled with flaming oil on ceremonial occasions. 4 eternal flames lie sheltered at the base of the structure, serving as India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The names of 13,000 Indian soldiers are engraved on the monument.

A statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian freedom fighter, lies behind the gate. 

Lunchtime had us heading for Connaught Place and a veggie/vegan restaurant. We had difficulty persuading our tuk tuk driver to take us here. He was intent on taking us to another 'less crowded' restaurant in the area - possibly he was on commission. We had to firmly refuse, explaining that we didn't eat meat, until he eventually agreed to take us where we wanted to go. Saravana Bhavan was indeed popular but rightly so. We waited for a table and were rewarded with wafer thin masala dosa with sambal and chutneys.

Suitably revived, we headed for The Red Fort, the largest monument in Delhi. Commissioned in 1638 when the capital shifted from Agra to Delhi, it served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. The designer was also responsible for the Taj Mahal.

The Lahori Gate entrance leads to a mall with jewelry and craft stalls. Very persistent, we found the best way to avoid the hard sell was to walk, keeping our eyes fixed on the floor directly ahead and feign deafness.

The Hammam (Baths):

The Diwan-I-Aam or public audience hall:

By this point, we were getting quite adept at spotting incoming selfie moments. Most people were polite enough to ask. Out of the corner of our eye we would spot a group of people giggling self consciously, then one would be pushed forward to brandish a camera and enquire 'Selfie?'. We were always happy to oblige, even more so after googling the phenomenon at the hotel in an attempt to understand the attraction. Apparently, 2 Dutch people were hospitalised in Agra after refusing to cooperate! Occasionally, the process involved more subterfuge. Having all sat on a wall to examine a map, we became aware of a quick turnover of people sitting on either side of us. Looking up, we had gathered quite a selfie crowd, taking turns to sit beside us whilst their friends took photos! Only at one point did I intervene, when L became swamped by a crowd of young men and was having difficulty escaping. I swept in, all smiles and apologies, and quickly escorted her away.

After dinner at the hotel, we went for a walk in the cool evening air, bought snacks and then returned for a game of India-themed hangman. Needless to say, one of the words was selfie!

Toodle pip for now. x