New Delhi - Around Town

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We were last in Delhi in 2005. Then we saw India Gate, Parliament, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and the Qutab Minar. So this time we were determined to see a couple more sites. One site which we really wanted to see was Lal Qila, the Red Fort. (Pic 1). Made of red sandstone, this fort was erected in 1683 by Emperor Shah Jahan. The style shows Islamic influence. A wee bit neglected-looking but it seems that some restoration projects are underway.

Another stop for us was the National Railway Museum. (Pic 2). The trains in the collection were a bit sad-looking. As is typical of Indian museums, objects are pretty much left to their own demises over time. The concept of preventive conservation of museum artifacts is not evident here. But that is a different topic altogether...

Outside the Rail Museum was a row of snack and drink vendors. Thought it was a colorful scene, hence pic 3.

The Jawaharlal Nehru memorial museum got a little boring toward the end with its endless parade of photos, captions and news clippings.

Near to Connaught Place, is the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. This Sikh temple had a trough of flowing water at the base of the stairway entry so that everyone can rinse their feet before entering. The ceiling over the main altar was plated with gold. No cameras are allowed inside so you will just have to take our word for it.

We tried to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple but the security line for the men was 10x the length of the ladies line. Anant did not have the patience to wait so long so we left.

We drove past several other monuments more than once but we ran out of time to actually see them.

Of course, the shopping bazaars in Delhi are famous. Along Janpath is a string of govnment-run state emporiums. Then there is Delhi Haat, while a shopping paradise, unfortunately, is not friendly to American credit cards. No international ATM was nearby either, to solve the problem.

One needs at least a week to really take in all that this bustling metropolis has to offer.

A one-day side trip was taken south to the town of Mathura, where one of Anant's classmates lives. Getting here was by means of the Yamuna tollway which was wide, well-paved and with little traffic. Along the way we passed the sports complexes which were erected for the 2010 Olympic Games. These are pretty much ghost towns now.

Mathura is right next to Vrindavan, Lord Krishna's birthplace. The large Krishna temple here also houses the jail cell in which the Lord was supposedly born. We had to snake down a narrow stone corridor to the tiny room that was once the jail. As with most places of worship, cameras are not allowed inside so the pic here shows the temple entrance gate From outside. (pic 4).

Soon we will board an overnight train to take us west to Udaipur.

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