Delhi Sightseeing Tour - Day 1

Waking up on Thursday morning was a pleasant experience.  We went downstairs for a lavish breakfast featuring European, Chinese and Indian breakfast specialties.  I told Roj that this may be my favourite meal we’ve had during our trip so far:  freshly made masala dosa, uppamav, Chinese mixed veg, fresh fruit and freshly made cappachino… heaven!

We walked outside the hotel lobby and met Subash, our driver and tourguide.  We had arranged for a full day of Delhi sightseeing and were on our way to our first stop: the Qutab Minar complex. 

Qutab Minar Complex:

The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and hosts over 40 different monuments.  It’s actually the most visited complex in India, even ahead of the Taj Mahal.  The most famous monument there is the Qutab Minar, a minaret that is 73 metres high with a spiral staircase going up it.  The first storey was constructed in 1192 and was founded by Qutab-Ud-Din-Aibak and then later successors took over.  In 1369 a lightning strike destroyed the top storey and it had to be replaced. 

The oldest monument in the complex is the Iron Pillar of Delhi.  It’s a 23ft pillar that was erected and dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the third century.  Mom explained that if men could wrap their arms around the circumference of the pillar, then they could be admitted into the army. 

The complex houses various tombs for different rulers and sultans in Delhi during that time.  Various chambers connect to the tomb areas and large blocks are in the centre, although apparently people were cremated, so the large tombs likely only hold very small remains.

There was so much history and culture concentrated within this complex, it would be difficult to absorb it all, but I was also so impressed with the architecture.  Knowing that each piece of stone was specifically crafted and carved with intention brings a deeper appreciation to the amount of labour involved in these creations, especially when considering how they have withstood the test of time.

India Gate:

Next up was India Gate.  We parked nearby and walked into the war memorial area.  This war memorial was created to honour the 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in WWI in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere. 

The area was clearly a tourist attraction and upon entering we were bombarded with people selling various items:  bracelets, souvenirs, tea, snacks, toys and even a snake charmer.  Normally the constant pressuring of sales would be a nuisance and would cause me to become irritated.  This experience was different because there was a young boy around 4-5 years old who was asking me to buy his bracelets.  He had no shoes, his body was dirty and his face was so sweet.  All I could think about is how this little boy should be in school and how similar he is to my little nephew Eli back home (young, sweet and full of innocence).  Our tour guide explained that these children almost always work for a boss who takes all of their earnings and that by giving money to them, tourists are actually perpetuating the problem because they are more and more profitable.  Knowing that children so young are so exploited just made me so angry… how could someone exploit these precious and innocent children.  This little boy is used because tourists will pay attention to small children (it worked for me… I was ready to give him everything in my pockets).   

I stood there with tears coming down my face at the realization that there are hundreds of thousands of children like this little boy and I just felt so helpless about the issue.  Of course, we see these images on TV about poverty overseas and the severe injustices inflicted on children, but when a child is running after you begging you to buy his products and you know it will just make it worse for both him and other children like him, it’s a horrible and helpless feeling. 

After this experience, I plan to carry around fruit and food, and distribute it out where possible in the hopes that it helps these poor children but doesn’t encourage their exploitation.   I had a difficult time living the upbeat tourist role after this. 

Raj Ghat

Next we piled into the vehicle and drove a short ways to Raj Ghat, a memorial and garden dedicated to Mahatami Gandhi.   There were beautiful quotes by Gandhi, trees planted by different presidents and dignitaries, stunning flowers and an overall sense of peace. 

For lunch, we stopped by a local restaurant recommended by our guide.  The menu was quite diverse but we decided to settle on a giant Thalli for the four of us.  I was astounded when it was brought out to the table (it took up most of the table!) as there was far more on the thalli than I expected.  We ended up eating less than half because it was simply too much food (Roj had a headache and I was battling some form of tummy upset) but it was a yummy meal. 

 Chandni Chowk

Our tour guide recommended a rickshaw tour of the Chandni Chowk (aka Moonlight Square), which is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi.  It was built in the 17^th century by Mughal Emperor of India Shah Jahan.   The streets are unbelievably busy and difficult to navigate.  I was thankful for our rickshaw drivers until we were in the midst of traffic jams, literally pressed up against other vehicles.  I was told to be very careful of our belongings and watch out for pick pockets.   Oh and the cows roam freely here so they're often in the roads and sidewalks. 

The market had everything you could want: food, clothing, souvenirs, motor parts, electronics, live animals etc… but we didn’t want to get out of the rickshaws for fear of being hit by the speeding scooters and pressured to purchase things we don’t actually want or need.

Jama Masjid

During our rickshaw tour we did stop in at the Jama Masjid (World-Reflecting) Mosque which is one of the largest mosques in India.  It was completed in 1656 and can accommodate more than 25 000 people. 

I was wearing leggings that day that were deemed inappropriate and was asked to put on one of the floor length robes for modesty.  We walked around and saw many Muslims praying in the prayer areas and having picnics in the central courtyards.  In the midst of the busy marketplace, this was a relatively calm and peaceful oasis that we enjoyed for a short while.

Then it was back to the marketplace to meet up with Subash for the remainder of our tour.

Our last stop of the evening was to meet up with Roj’s cousin Sojan and his wife Siby who both live here in Delhi.  Roj’s father was very close to Sojan when he was a little boy and was really looking forward to reconnecting.   Our driver took us to a nearby restaurant where we met for some coffee and appetizers to chat.  Unfortunately neither Sojan or his wife were comfortable speaking much English so the conversations were mainly held in Malayalam, but Roj would act as my translator.

By the time we were ready to head back to the hotel it was around 7pm and the rush hour traffic was in full force again.  We spent the next couple hours dashing through traffic jams navigating questionable tactics in order to speed up the process.  I’m gaining more and more trust in Subash for all of his risky driving… I thought we’d die multiple times in the last two days, but not even a scratch so far, so clearly he knows what he’s doing.  I’m just very thankful I don’t have to drive here.