Wednesday, March 19th, Delhi, India
I am a little behind with my blog entries. Combining poor or expensive Internet service at our hotels, and jet lag still being an issue, getting some sleep won out. I will attempt to get caught up as time permits.
After some frustration due to lack of follow-through by local store and several dropped phone calls, Tim was able to set up a mobile hot-spot and I now have much better Internet service. Tim is my hero (for many reasons, but today for being my IT guru)
We have 28 people in our group. The ages range from 10 years old (we have three youngsters) up to I’m guessing mid 70’s. There are two family groups with six people. The medical field is well represented with an ER doctor, an Anesthesiologist, a Neuropsychologist, and a Hematology/Oncology RN. Our leader goes by the nickname VeeKay.
Our first day with Gate 1 was a bit of a blur. We covered a lot of ground with a city tour of both Old and New Delhi.
Mausoleum of Humayun
This is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was commissioned by his wife and is the first garden-tomb of India. It was designed by a Persian architect and built in 1569-70. Selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It has undergone extensive restoration.
There are several other impressive buildings on the site including the Barber’s Tomb, Tomb and mosque of Isa Khan, and Afsarwala Tomb and mosque.
Looking through the arches
Tomb and mosque of Isa Khan
Mosque
Architectural detail
Archway
To find out more about the this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can click here.
Another cycle (as in bicycle) rickshaw ride through Old Delhi took us down some very narrow streets.
Old Delhi narrowest street
Which brought us to the largest and best known mosque in India:
Jama Masjid (also called Friday Mosque)
With an open courtyard, it can house up to 25,000 worshippers. Emperor Shah Jahan, who also built the Taj Mahal, commissioned this mosque in 1644.
Jama Masjid or Friday Mosque
Eighty percent of the people of India are Hindu and this was our first introduction to a Hindu Temple. This is considered the holiest temple in India.
I am confused over the dates here, as one place says it is from the 17th century. Another says differently. I need to get this clarified. A more modern construction?? (built 1933-1939) it was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi with the condition that the temple would not be restricted to the Hindus and people from every caste would be allowed inside. Since no photography was allowed inside, I can only share a picture taken from across the street.
Birla Temple
Memorial of Mahatma Gandhi
We actually visited two sites; the memorial as well as the site where he was assassinated which houses a museum.
Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi
Place where Gandhi was killed
Bust of Mahatma Gandhi
I would have loved to have spent more time in this informative museum. Gandhi was a remarkable and charismatic leader with such a vision for uniting mankind into a peaceful society.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful for leaders like Gandhi who believed that differences could be resolved through peaceful means. I think the world would be a better place if we had more leaders with this vision.
A Note From Abroad 