Delhi (So Far)

Carli and I have spent the last two weekends making trips into the city to explore what it has to offer.Last weekend, we started off early and went to the Red Fort. The drive into Delhi was beautiful. The city is incredibly green, the roads are well-maintained, and there was definitely a plan for the city as a whole. A grid system would have been too easy so Delhi is laid out in a circular pattern of traffic circles, many of which have walking gardens in the middle. We couldn't exactly call it peaceful as there are nearly ten million people within the city limits but the morning was calmer than expected.

The Red Fort was the home to the Mughlai (MUG-lie) empire for the majority of their reign in India. After conquering Delhi, they moved to Agra and proclaimed that as the capital for a few hundred years before moving back to Delhi and building the fort. This was home to the Maharajah, his court, and any visiting foreign dignitary. The fort was situated with the Yamuna River at one side - the river has since altered course - and had canals built into the fortress to allow water to flow throughout. It was a beautiful trip and we only were stopped a few times for pictures with strangers.

 










After lunch, we went to Swaminarayan Akshardam. Akshardam is a Hindu temple whose name literally translates to "abode of God". After visiting, I understand why. The temple grounds are completely spotless and it felt almost dream-like inside. The perimeter walls are sandstone and there are carvings surrounding the main temple. Inside the temple, my jaw dropped and remained that way for the duration. The statues were covered in the brightest gold leaf I have ever seen and the walls, ceilings, and columns were a beautiful white marble. There is a water show at night which I'll attend on a later visit. I would include pictures of this beauty but they did not allow any photography inside the temple grounds. We even had to leave our phones in the car. I recommend going to their website and looking through a few pictures to get an idea of what we saw. They don't do the temple justice but it's better than me muttering on like a crazy person. http://akshardham.com/explore/Mandir/


Carli and I also went to Kingdom of Dreams, a theme park of sorts in Gurgaon that puts on theatrical performances and has food and crafts from all over India. It was a fun experience but we were both a little overwhelmed by the end of the day.

This weekend, we left early in the morning and went to a street market near the center of Delhi. It was closed. We found our way to the next site on our list, Jantar Mantar. This is an ancient sun dial and astrological observation site built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. It is one of five such sites constructed by Singh in India and was completed in 1724. It was interesting to see but it has deteriorated over the years and the owners have not kept up with maintenance.

We spent some time here before going to find lunch in Connaught Place. This is a main center of Delhi and there is a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The large circle is surrounded by a variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, and Western stores. As we walked around to find something that looked good, we were approached by several people who wanted to help us. At first we thought they wanted money but it turns out that they were actually just being helpful. We came to learn that if you asked them a question, they would give you directions and then tell you other things to see in the area and if you didn't ask them a question they would give you directions and then tell you other things to see in the area. They all had great intentions but they wouldn't let you leave and wanted to know your whole story. It got very old, very fast so lunch was more stressful than planned.

After lunch, we took a cab to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This is one of the most prominent Sikh temples in Delhi and it was a sight to see. Walking in was a challenge as there seemed to always be a flurry of people pushing past us. Carli spotted an office for foreigners and we were happy to escape the crowd. Inside, a man greeted us and helped us store our shoes and don a head covering. He then gave us a personal tour of the entire facility. The complex was beautiful but the story behind the religion was the real treat. Almost all of the workers at the temple are volunteers,they can stay and help for five minutes or all day, whatever they want. The temple is a place for prayer but it also serves as a shelter and food pantry. They feed 50,000 meals a day on average to people of every denomination, gender, race, and caste. Their belief system is based on equality of all; no one is better or worse than the others around them. Carli and I had a wonderful time and learned a lot in our short visit.

Lastly, we went to a step well and relaxed with the crowd for a short time. It was a beautiful piece of architecture and we both found it amazing that this huge well was hidden in the middle of the city.

Surajkund Mela

Carli arrived early Saturday morning. On my way to the airport, the traffic slowed to a crawl. I was shocked as it was well after midnight. We were moving enough that I knew it wasn't an accident but I could not for the life of me understand why it was so slow. I saw some flashlights ahead of me that were in the hands of two police officers. They turned the beams towards the truck driver next to us. He cracked his door open, slid a hand out and gave the officer a 100 Rupee note, closed his door, and continued on his way. I had witnessed my first unofficial official toll. This is so commonplace that my coworkers laughed at me when I enthusiastically repeated this story on Monday. One of my coworkers said he once saw a police officer on a motorcycle pull alongside a truck and a similar exchange happened at 50 mph. Just another day.

We took Saturday fairly easy and planned our excursion for Sunday. I called a cab and we went to Surajkund Mela, a giant craft market, in Faridabad (another suburb of Delhi). The drive took an hour and I had the pleasure of seeing Indian driving through Carli's eyes. The haphazard style of commuting that I have become accustomed to was all new for her. The cows, people, and sheep crossing the road, tractors, trucks, cars, and bikes sharing the same lanes, and the erratic lane changes and turns caught her by surprise. I now understand why my coworkers laughed at me my first week of going to the plant.

The market itself takes up a huge swath of land outside of the metro area of Faridabad. It takes place the first two weeks of February every year and features goods from every state in India as well as 20 countries from around the world. A different state "hosts" the event every year and representative monuments are erected in their honor. There are almost 1,000 vendor selling scarves, rugs, sculptures, earthenware, wood carvings, handmade clothing, beaded tapestries, jewelry, and metalwork. The event brought in over 1.2 million visitors last year and I'm sure this year will surpass that. It was very busy on Sunday and we definitely felt the crush of people. The vendors were friendly and were willing to bargain on price. I knew I was overcharged but I did not realize by how much until my coworkers heard what I paid for some items. I learned my lesson and will start much, much, much lower next time.

Carli and I turned into an attraction of our own. We were two of the three white people there on Sunday. The stares were abundant. As soon as we walked in, someone wanted our picture. I was warned this would happen but it still surprised us. At one point, we took a break from walking and I felt a presence near my hip. I looked down to find a young boy standing there and looking towards his father. He was ten feet away and had his phone out. He motioned for us to get closer, snapped a few pictures, and they were on their way. A few minutes later, another man came up and got a picture with the two of us. Carli and I are now minor celebrities on Facebook here. We are a local tourist attraction that requires photographic evidence or else no one will believe that you saw two white giants. This will be a recurring theme no doubt.