Close of Business at Delhi

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After spending the first three days of the business week in Mumbai, I flew on Wednesday evening to Delhi where business activity resumed. Today Friday, business was concluding by 3:00 PM as three local colleagues of mine and I exited a client’s location at the close of a meeting and walked towards our waiting rides outside. I don’t typically get to finish work this early during any business trip unless I have to dash for an airport with the hope of arriving home at a decent time. From India this effort would be totally futile.

Manish Kapoor and Ashok Aggarwal had offered to take me see some of the sights in Delhi. Both of them know about my travel photography interest and Manish had suggested the day before that I should bring my camera today in case there was time after our meeting to go see a couple of monuments that we had seen the day before while we were driving from a business meeting in route to another one.

Manish drove us towards the area in Delhi that serves as the seat of the Indian federal government. Our first stop before reaching the government complex was Humayun’s Tomb. This Mughal emperor from the 16th Century was just the second emperor from his dynasty but he died in his twenties as a result of a fall. His wife stayed at the site during the tomb’s construction and in time was buried besides her husband.

The tomb’s main structure is amazingly well preserved and in addition to the emperor and his wife, it serves as the resting place for hundreds of courtesans who undoubtedly were close to the emperor.

By the time Manish, Ashok and I left the site after extensive touring inside, both of my hosts were amazed (and maybe a bit bored) by how much time and effort I take in trying to capture the “spirit” of a place in every image. Both of them also insisted on taking turns carrying my heavy photo backpack while I roamed the place with my camera. This chore sometimes gets volunteered to my wife Elizabeth who often complains about it, but nevertheless demonstrates incredible patience with my photographic activities during our vacation travel.

When we reached Humayun’s Tomb’s parking lot, Manish took his leave to join his family and Ashok volunteered to take me see one additional site at one end of the India government complex. We drove along the length of road that eventually climbs the hill where the parliament and executive branches of the government are located. We went as far as it was possible to go and then turned around towards the monument dedicated to all the Indian soldiers killed during the various wars since the establishment of India as an independent country. After capturing a couple of frames of the monument, Ashok took me where Tilak Raj, my driver awaited for me (he had been following my hosts during our tour of the sites) and then Ashok and I parted ways.

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Photos

Stone Lattice Screen
Late afternoon's sun enters Emperor Humayun's resting chamber

Tomb's Main Structure
View from gate

Monument to the Indian Soldiers
Soldiers killed during various wars since India's independence had their names carved on the stones