India - New Delhi, Old Delhi (Part 2)

TRIP REPORT

From this point forward, writing the report would become a little difficult if I did a moment by moment instant replay. Instead, I'm going to address each of the locations we visited and give you some pictures and information on what we saw and did at each. Everything we saw in Delhi was done over the course of 4 days at the beginning of our trip. For the first 3 days me and my traveling partner explored the city independently, hiring a car and driver (for the total price of ~$40 USD for 2 days) to get us across the vast chaotic expanse of Delhi. The 4th day was when we met up with a small tour group we had booked before coming over. This is my first experience with a "package" tour company while on vacation. All my other trips have been arranged and organized solely by me. It was an interesting experience, that had its pluses and minuses, but overall I was very pleased with the tour company and would consider doing another one.

Photographs for this trip report were taken both my me and my traveling partner using a mix of point and shoot digital cameras and DSLR. Again, this trip was planned without the intent of providing some of the finer details of airline travel/hotels, so I'll do the best I can with what photos were taken in our hotels. I've linked each location to a website or Wikipedia article to provide more in depth background information for those who are curious.


The Imperial, Delhi:

Arriving in Delhi was a bit of a whirlwind. Hoping to "ease" into what we rightfully assumed would be a completely chaotic city different then anything we'd experienced previously, I had done a little research and decided to book what was considered a luxury accommodation for our first few days in India. While Delhi seems to have quite a few luxurious options, we opted to stay at the Imperial due to its British Raj inspired historical charm and its proximity to Connaught Place, which is one of the main shopping locations in Delhi.

We arranged for the hotel to transport us from the airport to the hotel. Exiting the immigration/baggage claim area we were met with a wall of Indian drivers holding placards with an endless stream of names. We quickly exchanged glances and split up, walking the length of signs in the hopes of seeing the one that was for us. No luck at first. Another round, and still no luck. Had the hotel forgotten us? For the unreasonable price we'd paid for the transport, I was getting a little steamed. Luckily my friend decided to make one last round of the signs and came traipsing back a few minutes later with a short, turbaned man with a giant mustache and a look of pride and success beaming from his eyes.

Stepping outside we experienced the first blast of India's monsoon heat and humidity. "Feels like Bangkok..." I think to myself. We hop into our car and zoom off toward Delhi. Our first experience with Indian driving scares us a bit. Why do the traffic lines disappear randomly? Why does no one follow the lines when they are present? Is it really safe to have 2 adults and 4 children without helmets on a motorbike? How do you honk while on a donkey? How can 50 cars fit in a 10 square foot area? Ahhhhh the wonders of travel!

We arrive without incident at the hotel and are pleased immediately. The door attendants help us out of the car, greeting us with their hands clasped together and a smiling "Namaskr", and then immediately tag our bags and whisk them off to an undisclosed location. We are given a valet slip and are simply told that the bags will be brought to our room after we check in. Hotel security in India is very tight, which is no wonder after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last year. Upon entering the hotel grounds our car was searched with mirrors and men crawling through the trunk. We are taken through a metal detector and our backpacks are searched. Check in is friendly and efficient. A young woman in a very beautiful sari takes our information and then personally escorts us to our digs for the evening:

When I had booked the hotel I was under the impression that we were going to have two beds, but low and behold on massive king sized bed was all that sat in this room. It didn't matter to us either way at this point, and we thanked her for her hospitality and immediately started to settle in. As promised, our bags were delivered to our door not more then 2 minutes later.

The room itself was very nice. Parquet flooring throughout with heavy wood furniture. The television seemed to have a sensor so that no matter where you were standing in the room, when you used the remote it would rotate to face you. The bathroom was well stocked and had a separate tub and shower. The only thing I didn't like about the room was that wifi for a day would cost me more then my entire monthly internet bill. Despite having slept so much on the flight over we were still exhausted, and within the hour we had both fallen back asleep.

The next morning we woke to explore the hotel a little more. Breakfast was included with our room and was served in a beautiful area of the hotel in buffet style:

There were western and Indian breakfast options, as well as a made-to-order egg area. We gorged ourselves on hash brown patties, potato curry, masala omelettes, mango juice, and fresh pastries. It is, to date, the best hotel breakfast spread I've encountered.

After breakfast we took a quick peak around the hotel. The swimming pool area in back was not very large but seemed fairly elegant. Surrounded by manicured lawns and Indian style pavilions.

The hotel itself almost feels like a museum. The rooms and decor all echo back to something not of this time period. The chandeliers and lush carpeting, the marble and the fountains. Adding to the museum-like effect are all the flowers and decorations throughout the hallways. Paintings of Indian princes, British viceroys, and Hindu gods.

Overall I was very pleased with our hotel choice in Delhi. When I return to India (and I will be returning!) I think I might enjoy staying here again, despite what I hear are some first rate luxury properties elsewhere in the city. I like atmosphere more then service personally.


India Gate:

India's monument to its fallen soldiers from World War I. A giant arch in the vain of some European monuments, it towers above this area of Delhi. It stands out not only because of its stoic beauty, but also because nothing in Delhi seems to be very tall. Overall, I seem to see it as a very flat city, similar to Washington DC. I'm not sure if that's by design or by accident.

India Gate proved to be an interesting experience because it was our first tourist stop on the entire trip. Up to this point we had been through the airport and essentially coddled while at the Imperial hotel. Our driver for the next few days, Ajay, had suggested that we stop at this location first since it was so close to the hotel and we agreed. The heat today was massively oppressive. It had rained earlier that morning, and lingering threads of fog, mist, and rain were still wafting about. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were targeted by the touts standing just on the periphery of the monument.

I'd expected to be asked for money at every turn in India, as its commonly the imagine people seem to paint for you. I was surprised to discovered that very few people actually asked me straight out for money. Most people want to sell you something. Necklaces. Maps. Toys. Pens. 32 gig zip drives. While still annoying in terms of how persistent they are, it made me more comfortable that I wasn't being dogged primarily for a handout.

We wandered around the monument for awhile, taking in the grandeur of the stone structure. Indian military guards were stationed in strategic places, but most seemed absorbed in their cell phones or reading books. We were the only western tourists there that morning, but there were quite a few native tourists. They posed with confidence in front of the arch for photos, usually on their cell phones. It was here we also fell prey to what seemed like a popular Indian past time: "Photographing foreigners with your cellphone while pretending you're texting". I enjoyed it. Made me feel famous.

After awhile the humidity and heat became a little oppressive and we decided we had seen enough and it was time to head back to the comfort of the shade provided by our rental car. Similar to this dog we saw sleeping under India Gate, we just wanted a little bit of respite.

Red Fort:

The Red Fort in old Delhi is one of the more iconic tourist destinations you can go to in the Indian capital. Named for the red sandstone it is constructed out of, this fortress served as a military building and a residential palace for previous Mughal (Muslim Mongolian) emperors.

I was excited to be going to the Red Fort because it finally started to feel like India. Sure, up to this point we'd seen lots of Indians, lots of brightly colored saris, and a few cows scattered in the road, but for the most part the architecture was distinctly European. Arriving in front of the Red Fort finally solidified in my mind that I was in India. The intricate lattice work, the towering domed pavilions. Excitement filled me.

Entrance to the Fort was fairly inexpensive by Western standards, but much more then the locals pay. India has adopted a pricing scheme that acknowledges the vast difference in salary between the average foreigner and the average Indian. While most Indians paid between 10 and 20 rupees for admittance into the historic locales we visited on the trip, our average price of admittance was between 200 and 700 rupees. A lot of people seem put off by this, but at the end of the day it didn't really bother me all too much. I gladly forked over the 200 rupees to get into this site.

The Fort itself was very beautiful. Entry into the monument has the visitor walk through a security check (you'll have this at every tourist location) and through a giant arched entry way. Through a bazaar selling golden trinkets, religious figures, and textiles, you'll slowly make your way toward the action in the middle of the fort.

The extravagance of the Mughal court must have been remarkable. The interior of the fort is filled with lotus ponds and mock rivers, designed to provide pleasant fragrance and natural airconditioning. Hundreds of marble columns hold up latticed windows and inlaid ceilings where court officials lounged and conducted the business of empire. Individual palaces for favored queens sit in man-made lakes. Balconies for musicians to fill the fort with music. Each building a testament to the dedicated craftsmanship each laborer must have had. The walls look painted but a closer inspection reveals that its marble inlay, someone having taken the time to chip away the original rock and filled with a perfectly sized piece of a difference color.

One sad part of touring the Red Fort was to see some of the disrepair it had fallen into. While still stunningly beautiful, many parts of the fort were stained or crumbling. The white marble was yellowing with pollution, the red sandstone graffitied by young lovers and foreign tourists. There were many signs that efforts were being made to combat this, as we saw many construction works diligently going about the business of restoring the monument.

The Baha'i Lotus Temple:

The Lotus Temple is an interesting piece of architecture. Designed to look like a lotus flower blooming, the 27 "petals" on the structure do give the viewer an impression of a flower in bloom. I admit I didn't know much about the Baha'i faith prior to arriving at the temple. We walked up the path leading to the temple and were prompted by signs indicated that we should deposit our shoes with a "shoe minder" before attempting to go any further. I'm a big fan of being barefoot, so this pleased me immediately. I kicked off my sandals without any fuss and continued on toward the temple.

Once you reach the front entrance to the temple, you're organized into a neat little row of people. A volunteer from the temple speaks to the group in English, giving you the history and background to the Baha'i faith, which seems to encompass a world view that strives to unify divided people and promote equality. After the English speech, the same speech is given in Hindi for local visitors. You are then told that you can enter the temple, but to remain silent as it is a place of prayer and reflection. We stepped inside and took a look around. The inside structure is very plain, consisting of an alter/podium toward the front and then row after row of seats. We sat in one of the last rows for a few minutes and did follow the advice of the volunteer and engage in quiet reflection.

Qutb Minar:

One of the very first Muslim structures built in India, the Qutb Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world. It also has the distinction of being the first and only (so far...) location where I was successfully scammed. Upon attemping to purchase a ticket to the complex, I handed over a 1000 rupee note to the government ticket provider. He then asked me if I had anything smaller for him. Assuming things would be fine, I digged around in my bag and found that I had a 500 rupee note and quickly handed it over to him. He then handed over a ticket for me to enter the complex and my change: 300 rupees. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the entry price was clearly listed as 200 rupees for foreigners. I'm still missing 1000 rupees. I looked back at him expectantly and he just smirked at me, his eyes daring me to demand the money back. I weighed the benefit of making a scene with the likelihood of the money being returned to me and realized I had lost the money the second I hadn't insisted he return the original bill before handing over more cash. I walked off, having learned a lesson that I implemented throughout the rest of my stay in India.

Despite the rocky start, Qutb Minar was a beautiful site. While the Red Fort was beautiful in its own right, Qutb Minar is a little older, and a little more intricate. The Arabic calligraphy carved into the walls are almost hypnotic. You end up wandering from crumbling archway to collapsed wall and just marveling at the time it must have taken to build something this gorgeous.

This location seemed more crowded then the others. There was a tour bus sitting right outside the gates to the complex and sure enough wandering around we did bump into quite a few foreign visitors. The complex is also home to an iron pillar that standings in the middle of a courtyard. Despite being exposed to the elements, the iron does not rust. The courtyard is surrounded by giant crumbling archways of Arabic script, with hundreds of little green birds flitting back and forth between the excellent perches the letters provide.

Akshardham:

The biggest Hindu temple in the world. While it is a recent construction, the beauty of this temple isn't diminshed by that at all. Sadly we were not allowed to bring ANYTHING into the temple, so we had to leave our bags and cameras in the car with Ajay. I searched the web and found this photography on a free use website so you at least have some visual image of what we were seeing.

The temple grounds are massive. In addition to the main temple hall seen above, there are vegetarian food stalls sprinkled throughout, a boat ride that gives you a 10 minute overview of Hinduism and Indian history, an elephant walk that allows visitors to learn how important elephants are to Hinduism and Indian in general, as well as numerous prayer areas where people can bathe in water or kneel in thought.

The interior of the main complex is part worship center, part informative tour. While many of the Hindu visitors engaged in praying, non-Hindu visitors were able to make their way around the inner sanctuary and read informative paintings that explained the origins and practice of Hinduism. Not only was this temple stunningly beautiful and one of the highlights of Delhi for me, but it was a very informative stop where I learned a lot of India and Hindusim.


Rajpath:

We had tried to stop in this area previously but were thwarted by heavy fog and mist at the time. When the weather cleared up a bit, we headed back to this boulevard filled with government buildings.

Rajpath reminds me a lot of Washington DC. Even some of the buildings were designed in a similar vein, but there's a bit more yellow and red stone. Below is Rashtrapati Bhavan, the home of the President of India. It is the largest home of a head of state anywhere in the world. And standing before it, it sure did look massive.

Rajpath itself is pretty stunning. The wide street stretches from its end at the Presidental home all the way across Lutyen's Delhi toward India Gate. While most of Delhi's streets tend to be congested and overpopulated with tuk tuks, cars, and motorbikes, Rajpath always seemed to have a little less of the chaos. The regal government buildings also stood as an odd contrast to some of the grim and grit that seems to plague India in general. The manicured lawns and well maintained facades of these ministries and branches of government almost seem silly when the administrative failures of hygiene and civic services is considered.

Jantar Mantar:

While probably not too high on the lists of most visitors to Delhi, I was deadset on making a visit to this interesting landmark. A movie I really enjoy, The Fall, filmed some of its scenes in India, and used Jantar Mantar for some of its locations.

Though the structures themselves might seem fanciful but useless, their true design is to serve as astrological tools. Each piece serves a function. For example, the staircase below that seems to lead to nowhere is actually a giant sundial.

Similar to the Red Fort, I was a little sad to see that this amazing historical landmark wasn't being curated appropriately. Where as in other locations something as beautiful and important as this would be off limits, people were allowed into the complex and then given free reign. As we wandered around, many people were seen lounging, sleeping, eating, and even canoodling on the stairs, platforms and crevasses. Pollution stains were evident on the buildings, and trash litered the ground around a few of the structures. Small amounts of graffiti could be seen as you walked around. Hopefully some steps are taken in the future to better preserve these structures, because they really are beautiful and a wonder to behold.

Jama Masjid:

Our first venture into Muslim India. The Jama Masjid is one of the highlights of any visit to Delhi apparently. As we were visiting during the month of Ramadan, and a preacher back in our home country was stoking up controversy about Quran burning, I was a little nervous going into this location. Despite it all, I sucked up some of my fears and entered.

Like the Lotus Temple and Akshardham previous, we were required to remove our shoes before entering the mosque. Those of us who had bare shoulders or knees were given wraps to appropriately cover ourselves.

The one thing that immediately struck me about the mosque was how social it was. The previous religious sites we had visited were strictly for worship by those who were of the faith. Yet the Jama Masjid mosque seemed to be a religious and a social center for the Muslim here. While many people were actively engaged in worship, just as many were engaged in having conversations with friends, lay in the shade to escape the sun, or people watching as the tourists and worshippers alike darted back and forth through the courtyard.

Children played games of tag, ran up to tourists to ask for money, or chased pigeons who would congregate in the four corners of the courtyard. It was almost the end of Ramadan, so there were a few vendors set up within the mosque complex selling food and decorations to celebrate the breaking of the fast. If you walked over to one of the outlooks on the edge of the mosque, you could see the busy bazaar atmosphere that stretched from the entrance of the mosque all the way up the road toward the Red Fort.

I noticed that similar to the Japanese, Indian Muslims cleansed themselve before entering the main mosque area. A pool of water was provided so that worshippers could clean their hands and face before entering. In Japan, something similiar is done with a water fountain and the cleansing of the hands and mouth.

As we were walking through the courtyard an man locked his eyes on me as he and his companion headed in our direction. Once next to me, he gave me a nod of the head and proclaimed in a strong voice, "Islam is best." I wasn't quite sure what to make of this. Was he saying this in an assumption that I was anti-Muslim? Was he saying this as an icebreak to start a conversation? Was he saying this because he resented my presence here? I never got to find out, as he continued walking with his friend without saying anything else. I felt a bit accosted and foreign at this point, but all it took was the site of two Muslim girls engrossed in texting on a cell phone to remind me that despite all our difference, we are still the same.

Chandni Chowk:

After our time in the Jama Masjid, we exited and headed toward the major market area in Delhi: Chandni Chowk. It's a beehive of activity. A flourish of commerce. Filled with spices, food, tshirts, pants, backpacks, cds, window panes, and live birds. It seems cliche, but I honestly felt like anything and everything you could ever want to buy was available here.

We also took the time to wander into the back alleys in old Delhi. Narrow and grimy, its filled with men sitting in concrete stores selling betel nuts and tobacco. The elderly sprawled out on straw mats enjoying an afternoon nap in the nooks of the twisting streets. Dogs and cats dart between your legs as you step over discarded water bottles and food wrappers.

It seemed as good a place as any for a little break, so we nestled up to a chai walla and asked for a cup of tea. He silently fired up his gas burner and threw some spices and milk into a kettle, stirring and moving the pot with seemingly effortless ease. After a few minute he removed the pot and poured out the glasses of tea and handed them to us. We sipped and smiled. Delicious. 5 rupees? I'd have paided the equivalent of 500 rupees for something like this back home, of much less quality. I love India.

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib:

Our last major stop in Delhi was at a Sikh temple. Sikhism, from what we learned, is an off shoot of Hinduism. There is a very large focus on community service within this religion.

In the temple, we again were asked to remove our shoes and this time cover our heads. Sikhs men are known for not cutting their hair and thus wear the popular turban. We obliged and donned the offered bright orange bandanas provided. In the main prayer area, three musicians strummed away at their instruments while worshippers made their way toward a golden altar. Others quietly sat on the floor observing and listening to the music until they felt motivated to approach. We joined them on the floor and sat for awhile, listening to the rhythmic chanting and music while the slow whirl of the ceiling fans acted as a metronome.


After visiting the temple, many Sikhs engage in community service. One of the biggest methods of community service provided by the Sikh temples is free food to those who need it. Regardless of religion or background, people can come to the Sikh temple and request a free plate of food. This operation requires that many Sikhs volunteer to prepare food, cook food, and clean plates. We were allowed into the kitchen area to see some of the massive preparation that must go into feeding the needy. We were even invited to stir dal (lentils) and roll out chaapatis (bread) with some of the volunteers. They asked us where we were from and if we were enjoying India. The replies of "Chicago", and "Absolutely loving it" were crowd pleasers.

Overall:

While Delhi was not my favorite stop in India, it was definately worthwhile. From its giant temples to its garbage strewn alleys, Delhi is a real mix of what makes India.... India. It's beautiful and ugly. It's dirty and clean. It's chaos and peace. It's heartbreak and uplifting. It's modern and old fashioned. It's spiritual and commercial. It's India.

Delhi in my opinion is a good starting point for a tour. My new visit to India will probably start in Mumbai, so I'll have a better idea of which is the better gateway.

Next up: Agra and the Taj Mahal.

Safe Travels -

Leo