Of course it is Delhi…we are discussing India! Our group, all architects except me,
anticipated visiting the capital city and after several days of touring , we were near. The first indication was these GIANT apartment buildings as we approached the suburbs. There was not just one , they went on and on alone the horizon. Everyone sat quietly looking out the windows of the bus trying to take it all in. 
They are villages, no cities ..new cities of expats, government works and affluent Indian families.
Why so many pictures? To try to give you the feelings we had as we arrived.
The skyline continued into the center of the city. It is not New York…but it isn’t to be ignored. In our stay, I will take you to the two sites that I enjoyed in Delhi.
The first is the monumental arch, India Gate. It is a war memorial built in 1931 to commentate the 90,000 Indian Soldiers killed in WWI. I guess that I was ignorant of this because of the emphasis of western civilization history I learned in school! The Brits were afraid if India joined the war ,it would be against them. But in India, the prevailing thought was to help Britain and ultimately speed their desire for independence, which didn’t come for 30 more years. There is another gate in Mumbai, and much of the world has such gates of commemoration architecture such as Rome, Paris and Berlin.
Does this look familiar? It is often called “Little Taj Mahal.” Do you see why? It is the first of many garden ( Garden of Eden influenced?) tombs constructed in India. The great mogul leader Humayun was buried here in the year of 1570. This was my favorite place in Delhi with the peace and quiet of the garden setting. Our guide, who was provided by the hotel, told us about the birds….the green parrots and the Black Kites.
He was a certified bird guide of India, thus very knowledgeable. There are people who come to India for 3 weeks and have a bird safari!
Back to the tomb. . . . The Taj Mahal, which of course is world famous,was built about 50 years later and designed by a Persian architect. I think he had seen this tomb, don’t you ? The Taj was 20 years in the building from 1628 and finished in 1648. The Taj, in its perfection, is the culmination of tomb/garden architecture in India.
Well back out into the city for a ride on the subway. . . .
Taking public transportation in a group of 13 is in itself a challenge. David put his IPhone in his back pocket and got his wallet from his front pocket. He remembers being pushed and jostled ( routine in India) by some young Indians, and immediately knew that the IPhone was done. It was and he was furious! Approaching some policemen, telling his tale, they just shrugged and walked away. We ran back to the hotel and within a half an hour , had things worked out. He was angry and embarrassed….the world traveler. These things just happen and this was the only time anyone was robbed in our group so it is pretty good odds. That was a damper on the rest of our time in Delhi. I would say, “But no one was hurt!”
“Oh stop being such a Pollyanna!”
Delhi is a monumental city with many more historical sites to see, but if we are fortunate to do this trip again, we will not go back. Unless you are interested in the rapid suburban growth in the last decade or riding on a very crowded subway, I would recommend that you bypass Delhi, the second most populated city in India with 16+ million souls. . . and visit say…Pondecherry instead!
I leave you waving bye-bye to the Delhi traffic.
Oh, we did see a restaurant called “Delhi Belly” near our hotel. No we didn’t eat there as we already knew about “Delhi Belly.” But we did appreciate their self deprecating humor!
Namaste. . . . .This Is Dehli
TalesAlongTheWay 
I never knew about the India Gate or the story behind it… so sad. 😦 The last picture makes me queasy just looking at it! We don’t have traffic like that in my little area of Colorado. 😉
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Even seeing the pictures, it is hard to imagine, right? The thing we noticed it straight lines and order In Ahmedabad traffic came in all directions and in and out..pure chaos. I think they have outlawed the rickshaws in Delhi and that has helped! Namaste. . ..
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I guess I never imagined skyscrapers–that’s kind of lame of me. Thanks for the lesson and pics!
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Well, we had never experienced anything like that either!
Thanks for the comment! Namaste. . ..
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Wanted you to know I have started your book, but am also reading my book club selection for the month. What the Dead Know by Sarah Lippman….and I am a rather slow reader. And I seem to spend hours on the blog!
I have read enough of The House on Tenafly Road to love your descriptive language, absolutely wonderful and I am in wonder at the Yankee family with such ‘”southern good manners!”
😎
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Oh, you! Not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not. haha. Thanks for the update and the compliments. It’s a great way to end the week. I too have been spending far too much time blogging–but it’s fun (my excuse is that I’m waiting for my goat cheese to set 🙂
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No sarcasm at all…you are wonderful! Namaste. . . .
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You showcased the whole of Delhi so wonderfully well! Didn’t you get to see any peacocks? They are a treat to watch… especially in the monsoons. 🙂
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I don’t remember seeing peacocks. Not even in the tomb garden. Bummer, I love peacocks. There was a pair on the lane where our hostel was. Actually 4 dogs, 1 peacock, 1 peahen, numerous monkeys, squirrels, parrots. . . Loved all my animal friends! Namaste. . .
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Oh… I went to Delhi twice via train… the presence of peacocks marked the entrance to Delhi… 🙂
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Cool? Where do you live?
I was going to tell you my husband had 2 years in a PhD program in physics when he switched to architecture! Didn’t want to do math problems that were pages and pages long the rest of his life!’
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I live and study in Kolkata now… Prior to that I lived in Bhopal…
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We didn’t go to either place. We traveled a total of 4 weeks and didn’t see so many places. But the places we did see were wonderful! I would love to see the nuns of Mother Theresa ministering to the dying in Kolkata! Have you seen them? Namaste. . .
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Ya… sometimes they are seen on the streets…
Please do visit again… 4 weeks is nothing to visit India… Well I feel that even 6 months is not enough… 🙂
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Oh we didn’t visit any of these places. I would love to see Mother Theresa’s nuns ministering to the dying in Kolkata. Have you seen them? Namaste. . . ..
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Forgo. . What do they do in monsoons? Carry little blue or green umbrellas? 😎
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They dance… Yeah, they literally dance just before the rain… 🙂
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I think many Indians most dance in the rain too to celebrate the cooler wet weather! 😎 Haven’t seen that either! Namaste. . . .
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Well, the younger people do… the elders are too shy to do so 🙂
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And by the way, while it is Delhi which is more famous for peacocks, I witnessed the first dancing peacock in Ahmedabad… I did a summer internship there…
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Well we weren’t there as we went home the first week in May. Wish I had seen the peacock dance.
What degree are working on? What job so you want to do when you are finished?
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Currently I am pursuing M.S. in Physics with Maths as my minors. I am in the penultimate year… I plan to do a PhD, then Post Doc and then probably go for a research career
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Very smart guy! Most of the bloggers are engineers who have poetry in their hearts!
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Hmm… But I am no engineer… I am just a science student 🙂
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Hey, but I bet you are secretly wanting to be an engineer! 😎
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Well… I left the IIT’s to opt for science… You still stand on your belief?
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I was in Delhi in 1966 and these pictures look nothing like the city I remember ….very low rise in those days!
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Pretty different now as you see! I would not want to live in one of those apartments no matter how luxurious! I like to be grounded! Namaste!
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Very well post all history about the place India gate thanks
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I am so glad you enjoyed the post. The India Gate is a beautiful arch and an important historical monument for India’s brave soldiers! Namaste. . . .
I hope you will check out my other posts most of the ones during February – April were about India. We were in Ahmedabad at CEPT with architecture students!
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Very Thankfull to you @annetbell yeah i checked out some post u doing well thanks for being the part of hsitorical country.. if u need any assistance or help ping me anytime.. not forget to visit Punjab… A Place of 5 rivers Saints God and many more…
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We did spend several days in the Punjab and it is lovely. Stayed in Amritsar, went to the Wagha border, loved the Golden Temple and the great work the Sikhs are doing with the poor and went to Chandigarh to see the LeCorbuiser buildings and city planning. I am sure there is more to see and would love to go again! thanks for commenting!
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