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Published: November 9th 2013
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Accommodation - Taj Mahal Hotel
Weather - Warm, misty/hazy/smoggy - 24C
After a short midday flight from Newcastle to London Heathrow we then spent the next six hours wandering around Terminal 5. Having never previously been to Terminal 5 we were impressed by the scale of the Terminal, lots of seating, numerous shops, restaurants and bars. We eventually boarded our BA flight to Delhi and left Heathrow, on time, for our overnight flight.
Arriving in Delhi on time, tired and somewhat jet-lagged, we found the airport formalities to be relatively smooth and organised and we were soon stepping on Indian soil for the first time looking forward to a fantastic tour around Rajasthan.
After arriving at our hotel and having a brief rest, we met up with the rest of our tour group to start our trip with an afternoon tour of Old Delhi. We were introduced to the real India very soon - chaotic traffic, noise with constantly blaring horns and people everywhere!! Our first stop was the massive Jama Masjid Mosque - the largest mosque in India - built in 1656 by the emperor Shah Jahan. The immense courtyard area, which can accommodate up to
20,000 people at prayer times is dominated by the mosque itself with large marble domes above the prayer hall. A fitting place to start our tour of this deeply spiritual religious country.
Next the bazaars of Old Delhi - India as we had always imagined - perfectly described by the actor Sanjeev Bhaskar in his book entitled India - "this is more like it - at least the India of the imagination - teeming markets and traditional dress, a million exotic smells and vivid colours".
What a fantastic spectacle, all of life being played out in front of us - everything and anything for sale or repair - in little shops or on the side of, or even on, the street. Food stalls were everywhere with intriguing smells drifting in the air - but at this early stage of the trip, to avoid the 'Delhi belly' - WanderingPeter had to forego the undoubted pleasure of sampling these culinary delights!!
Onwards through seemingly impassable congested roads to the Red Fort of Delhi. Massive bright red sandstone battlements, unfortunately looking slightly dull in the photographs due to the haze and misty smog, dominate the fort from the outside. Built
by Shah Jahan in 1639 the fort became the seat of the Mughal power for the next two centuries. As it was a public holiday following the Diwali festival the whole fort was thronged with locals, resulting in a colourful scene.
Next morning, still feeling the effects of jet-lag, we set off on a bus tour around New Delhi. Wide tree-lined streets and boulevards, roundabouts, colonial houses and Parliment buildings all designed by the British architects, Lutyens and Baker. What a contrast to the narrow streets and alleys of Old Delhi.
Short visits to other monuments, the Qutb Complex and Humayun's Tomb, the second Mughal emperor, revealed imposing buildings, ancient Mosques and towers with intricate carving in stone. This concluded our short stay in Delhi.
The rest of the afternoon and early evening involved a 200km approximately 4 hour drive, mainly along the relatively new National Highway to Agra.
Scroll further down the page to see more photos.
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Helen and Bob
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India
It sounds fantastic, and very well written too. You have made it come alive. Xx