The morning started with our hotel breakfast – a mix of Indian and western treats… Toast, spicy pasta, chapati and curd, and vegetables in pastry. We’re up to try everything, but Alex’s face when she realised that the pastry ‘bean’ she’d just shoved in her mouth was a green chili was priceless!
For our last day in Delhi we headed out to more of the key sites – Humayan’s tomb, India Gate, the Ghandi Museum, and Rajiv Chowk.
Humayan’s tomb was built in the 16th century for the second Monghul leader. It’s a massive site near the centre of Delhi, that houses a number of tombs for Humayan and his family and close network – including his hairdresser!?!
It’s believed that a magnificent mausoleum and garden brings a magnificent after life, so they were built with the finest architecture and marble, and surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains. Isa Khan’s tomb at the edge of the site was a peaceful spot, made even more beautiful by the morning light.
Humayan’s tomb was significantly more grand, and is said to welcome more visitors each year than the Taj Mahal. To give some perspective, the golden spire on the top is over 7 metres tall. It took thousands of people 7 years to build, and also houses Humayan’s close family in a number of rooms surrounding the central tomb.
The building is an Islamic style, so the stars and moon feature at the top of every arch. The towers along the top are reflective of the minaret found in Islamic temples, which were originally the site of the call to prayer. In this case they are only used to represent Islamic religion.
Next stop… India Gate. This is the only monument to Indian soldiers lost at war, commemorating the 13 500 killed between 1914 to 1919. As a British Colony the Indians fought alongside the Brits in the same battles as the Australians, so their losses at Gallipoli and the Western Front are recognised here.
Like many cities, the major war monument sits at the end of a long road to the Parliament House. All government bodies are located on the same site, and the British influence in the architecture is clear. Apparently, government jobs are the most prestigious so you sit a very difficult exam to get in, but they will never sack you.
Mahatma Ghandi is one of the most respected leaders in India’s history, renowned for creating change through non-violent protest. We visited the site of his final days and assassination, and then the Ghandi Museum to learn more about his, and his wife Kasturba’s life.
Final stop for the day was Rajiv Chowk or Connaught Place – the shopping area at the centre of Delhi. The whole site is a set of massive concentric circles of similar buildings (literally the layers of an onion), so it can get really confusing. Again, western brands sit alongside local markets in a crazy mix described by our guide as ‘British built, Indian maintained’. Not sure who he was having a go at!
Despite being the centre of town, the ATM battle continues. Most are out of cash, and the way to identify the handful that are still operating is by the tightly packed 50m line outside. They’re plagued by network errors and ‘server down’, but it seems like this is the norm as the Indians are so calm and patient about it all. I have no doubt that there would have been violent outbreaks given the same situation in Australia. This shift to the ‘less-cash’ economy is awful to watch and be a part of, but it’s also shown us the true nature of the Indian people.
We successfully navigated the metro for the last time, and made our way back to our hotel in Karol Bagh. Sunday might be the day off, but there was no let up in the crowds. At dinner we agreed that our senses had reached their limit – the constant noise, bustle, traffic, smells, and keeping a tight watch on everyone and everything has definitely challenged us all.
I’ll sum up Delhi in Alex’s words…
“The massive flag above describes Delhi perfectly – fast, yet slow, Chaos at a standstill, intricate and twisted. There are so many ways to describe this amazing city.”
Love theBunch x
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