New Delhi

New Delhi was built to the south of the old city during the 1920's after the British East India Company gained control of much of India. Much of it was planned by Edwin Lutyens. When India gained independence in 1947 New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such it houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, and is known for its impressive wide, tree-lined boulevards, numerous national institutions and landmarks.
India Gate (above) is one of the largest war memorials in India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi it is a prominent landmark and commemorates the members of the former British Indian Army who lost their lives fighting for the Indian Empire in WW1 and the Afghan wars. Originally a statue of King George V had stood under the now vacant canopy but was removed to Coronation Park with other statues. Following India's independence India Gate became the site of the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, known as the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Driving in India is not for the faint hearted, more a case of "Who Dares Wins". Traffic navigates around cows, goats, dogs and the occasional elephant. Tuk-Tuks and rickshaws compete with much larger vehicles for a space on the road. Cyclists and motor bikes squeeze into the tiniest spaces. Everyone wants to inch forward just a little more. Motor bikes and scooters are very popular. It's commonplace to see a family of 5 or 6 on a scooter. I saw a man taking his little girl to school, she was standing on the footplate between him and the handle bars!
On one of our journeys we saw two cows in the middle of the road, our driver slowed down as he approached them, but the oncoming bus driver didn't, he almost deliberately drove into them, one moved away but the other one wasn't quick enough, the corner of the bus caught it, thankfully it wasn't injured and strolled away, but it had broken one of the bus's headlights - we all cheered.
Many vehicles had notices on the back saying "Please use horn" which everyone does, with great enthusiasm!

Humayun's Tomb Delhi

Considered to be one of the most important examples of Mughal architecture in India, Humayun's Tomb dates back to the 16th century. Humayun'e Persian wife, Hamida Begum supervised the construction of the tomb from 1562 to 1572.

It is set in a geometrically arranged garden crisscrossed by numerous water channels and probably representing, symbolically a paradise setting. Such typical Persian gardens had been introduced into India by Babur. Later they would be found in the Red Fort and at the Taj Mahal in Agra.
The walkway leading up to the temple is magnificent. It was the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent.

The Red Fort was built out of red sandstone by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan between 1638 and 1648. It housed halls of public and private audiences, domed and arched marble palaces, plush private apartments, a mosque and elaborately designed gardens. The Emeror would sit in a marbled panelled alcove, studded with gems, to hear complaints from the common people. At one point more than 3,000 people lived within the fort complex. It was attacked by the Persian Emeror Nadir Shah in 1730 and by the British during the war of independence in 1857. The residential palaces were destroyed and it was made the headquarters of the British Indian Army. After India gained independence in 1947 the Indian army took control of the fort. In December 2003 it was handed over to the Indian tourist authorities. There was still an army presence with strict control at the point of entry at the time of my visit.

India Old & New Delhi

In April 2009 I fulfilled one of my ambitions and visited India. It was a train journey visiting Delhi, Shimla and Rajasthan. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how excellent it was.

 

Claridges was stunning, advertised as graciously Indian, and it was. We were treated like VIP’s, which of course we were! After the welcome and introductions we were free to do as we pleased. I spent the afternoon by the pool.

Located in the heart of the city, Claridges has been a landmark in Lutyen’s Delhi since the 1950’s. Set in 3 acres of land, the hotel is a low rise building within close proximity to the business district, ministries, diplomatic missions, shopping, cultural centres and historic landmarks. The excellent Ghandi museum is just around the corner.

17/4/09

Busy day sightseeing. Started in Old Delhi. What an amazing place, a world away from the tranquility of Claridges. The Walled city was founded by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of their dynasty. It was once filled with the mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. Despite having become extremely crowded and dilapidated it's still seen as the symbolic heart of Delhi. Narrow, crowded streets, chaotic and messy. Food stalls and hotels vie with a plethora of vendors selling everything from spare car parts to knitting needles. Then in the midst of all this we arrived at a haven of tranquility, the Jama Masjib mosque.

It was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 at a cost of one million rupees,

and was inaugurated by Imam Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari from Bukhara

We women had to wear one of these sarongs to go into the mosque.

If the men were wearing shorts they had to wear a sarong too

Street Scene

When you look up you see a network of tangled twisted cabling. I think it's a mixture of electricity and phone lines, and tucked away in the midst of all this chaos we saw a small shop selling fireworks!! Chaotic and messy it may be but it's home to thousands, it's vibrant and alive with people making a living and going about their daily lives.