New Delhi and Delhi (Ravi, our tour guide said the proper pronunciation is DILLI) are two different places altogether. With New Delhi serving as the capital of the country and Delhi being the more substantial city within which New Delhi is a āterritoryā designed by the British while shifting the money from Calcutta to Delhi. New Delhi is known to be a seat to the three arms of the Government of India ā Legislative, Executive and the Judiciary. The city is the second most populous in the world after Tokyo.
We landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi a few minutes after 10:00 pm; however, by the time we got out of the airport and reached our hotel (45 minutes drive) it was already 1:00 am. At least our travel agent booked us at the Le Meridien (a Marriott-Bonvoy chain). It has a very impressive modern and spacious interior!
Our tour guide, Ravi, and driver Sunil picked us up at 9:30 am and since we already lost one day (we missed the connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur) it was an abbreviated tour itinerary. Still reeling from lack of sleep and the long flight (5 hours), we boarded our private tour vehicle. Our hotel is located in the “new” part of Delhi and we noticed immediately that the traffic was heavily congested. Ravi explained that it was a holiday (last day of celebration from the independence from British rule). We went to visit Hamayun’s Tomb, built by Human’s widow in 1562 and now a World Heritage Site. Built in India-Islamic style architecture it has a diameter of 47 feet at the base and 9 feet top.
We drove past the government buildings and as expected there were traffic restrictions and plenty of uniformed men (I didn’t see any uniformed female) due to the holiday celebration. Traffic was chaotic and “beep-beeps” heard constantly!
We were lucky to have our own private tour since we could hear all the interesting facts instead of straining to listen to a group tour guide.
Jama Masjid is Delhi’s principal mosque, the place where the city’s Muslims traditionally gather for Friday communal prayer; Jama Masjid is Arabic for āFriday mosque.ā The mosque is near the Red Fort, another of Shah JahÄn’s buildings.
We had to remove our shoes to enter the mosque ground and Trini had to don a long black robe.
From the mosque we walked to the famous Chandni Chow Bazaars (once the the shopping avenue for Mughal royalty) lined along extremely narrow streets (and I really mean NARROW!) Motorcyles, rickshaws overflowing with their wares, tricycles and pedestrians all vying for the tiny square footage in the streets! WALK AT YOUR OWN RISK! I was grazed by a motorcycle while I was trying to capture these moments and the biker only mumbled something like an apology.
On our way to the bazaars we passed by a religious parade complete with their traditional music blaring from the speakers while soldier stood around to ensure safety.
By this time, we really needed to use the restroom. Ravi took us to a jewelry shop (more of a “shoppette” since it’s just a hole in the wall). I used the toilet while Trini browsed their products. It was the most expensive use of a toilet ever!
After all the traveling we did, it seemed Trini mastered the art of haggling! Or maybe the vendor just made it look that way?
We took a very uncomfortable rickshaw ride to meet our driver (there was no parking). The rickshaw driver kept pointing at tourist spots but we did not understand a word he was saying due to the traffic and pedestrian noise! The place was teeming with humanity (25 million people in the city).
Trini and I were worried that our guide would take us to a “sidewalk” eatery but were relieved to see a clean and upscale restaurant! This is the first time that we enjoyed Indian cuisine albeit a little spicy for us. I guess the food Ravi selected made a difference – we ordered the mutton tikka, buttered chicken, a vegetarian dish for Ravi, naan, rice and an assorted of pickled vegetables. I was disappointed that they did not serve any alcoholic beverages though!
We visited Mahatma Gandhi’s house and the spot where he was assassinated! Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 ā 30 January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific MahÄtmÄ (from Sanskrit, meaning great-souled, or venerable), first applied to him in South Africa in 1914, is now used throughout the world.(WIKIPEDIA)
WIFI is slow, we’re in Agra now to see the TAJ MAHAL!
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