It has been a couple of years now that I have been able to go to Delhi, India for work. Our layovers are usually 48 hours so it's a fair amount of time to explore this fascinating, massive city. Of course, Delhi is infamous for its pollution and traffic chaos. However, like the rest of India, it has so many contradictions, so much history, with its mix of religions and peoples from all over the sub-continent. It's an assault on the senses... you've never seen so many colours, smelt so many smells, heard so many sounds in a single day than you do here.
We stay at a posh hotel in the southern part of New Delhi, with its wide tree lined boulevards, government buildings, monuments and embassies. It's about a half hour drive away to Old Delhi which, in many respects, is a world away. It's incredibly densely populated with its narrow lanes resembling a medieval city, crammed with shops, signs and electrical wires hanging above. It's a chaotic beehive of people, bicycle rickshaws, trucks and tuk-tuks all carrying goods, vying for space to navigate its congested streets and narrow alleys.
Delhi is an old city. There are many ancient sites. The majority of monuments and historic sites are from the Mogul Empire (1500s-1800s), an Islamic period rich in architecture. Forts, mosques and tombs are mostly built from red sandstone and white marble, which is often inlaid with semi-precious stones. The most famous of course is the Taj Mahal, a three hour drive away in the city of Agra. There are many other important buildings of worship for Hindu, Sikh, Baha'i. and Christian faiths.
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| The Red Fort, Old Delhi |
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| Humayun's Tomb, (built in the 1570s) |
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| The lotus shaped Baha'i temple, (which somewhat reminds me of the Sydney Opera house). |
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| The Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, a holy temple for Sikhs. |
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| Of course the food is always so good! |
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Like most mega-cities in the developing world, the traffic is totally chaotic and in India,
honking your horn is encouraged. |
