Delhi-day2

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Tomorrow I have to be in the lobby of the hotel at 5 a.m. so this will have to be brief...I'll write about the highlight of the day and just briefly mention other places/impressions.

The highlight of the day was a visit to the largest Sikh mosque in India. Prior to our visit, our tour guide gave us a very derailed history of the Sikh religion and various practices and philosophies of the Sikhs. At the mosque, the women and men were both required to wear head coverings and we all had to remove our shoes and social. We had some time to sit and experience the inside of the temple where there is ongoing prayer with music and song before going to the soup kitchen. Part of the Sikh religion is that people must care for one another and they run a soup kitchen that feeds 25,000 people every day! On Sunday's and certain holidays they feed many more than that. All the money to orovide the meals come from donations and volunteers prepare and serve the meals. It was truly amazing to watch this process! I was very impressed by a lot of what I saw and read about the Sikhs--- they are a very small minority in India....I think the Unitarians and Sikhs should get together....they have a lot in common.

Another highlight of the day was a visit to Qutab Minat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which was begun in the 12th century. It's a spectacular example of Indo-Islamic architecture topped by a 234 foot high tower.

From the very old, we headed to the relatively new...the former "Imperial City" which was laid out by the British and now houses the Parliament buildings as well as the resident of India's president. The wide tree lined avenues and opulent architecture sure contrast with the nearby narrow, crowded streets with abject poverty evident all around.

Photo download still not working. Sorry!

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