Delhi
Our visit included the
three
cities of India's Golden Triangle Delhi,
Agra,
and Jaipur.
In
Nepal we enjoyed the city of Kathmandu,
the
village of Khokana, and a flight
over Mount Everest.
and throughout the trip we
enjoyed seeing
the bright colors of saris the ladies
wore.
The pictures on these pages are the
result of the combined efforts of the
photographers who agreed to share their pictures.
Their
contributions are very much appreciated since we each captured our own
unique view of the trip.
My sincere thanks to Don Fischer,
Dorota Kotowska, Patricia
McCleaf, and Don Sledz.
On
our flight into Delhi we crossed Turkmenistan and
Afghanistan close enough to the border with Iran that all three
countries may well be in this picture.
We began our tour driving past the
Red Fort.
This tomb was built in the mid 16'th
century to honor the Emperor Humayun.
The architecture of the gate and
mausoleum influenced the design of the Taj Mahal.
It is set in a Char Bagh, the
earliest example of a Mughul tomb garden.
The name means four-fold garden and
is inspired by the Persian concept of Quranic paradise.
You can find Char Bagh's other places
in the world where the Persian influence is strong.
The tomb also holds 100 graves
so it is sometimes called the "Dormitory of the Mughals".
The carved stonework lattice is about
one inch thick and intended to let in light and air while keeping the
inside cool.
Also on the same site is the tomb of
Ali Isa Khan Niazi.
Here are some of what you see as you
drive through Delhi.
Fruits and vegitables looked good but
we had been warned that if we ate them we were at high risk of
digestive disorder.
The TV picture tubes were being sold
from a cart on the street. We saw several buyers carrying off
their purchases.
You know your chicken is fresh when
you get it here.
Kids in their uniforms on their way
to school and in a playground.
A bicycle powered "cab" and a "truck"
we saw from the bus.
Ready for a wedding.
Handmade rugs were available in every
city we visited.
The description of how they are made
and why they are the best available were exactly the same everywhere.
Here is the Lakshmi Narayan Temple.
It was inagurated by Ghandi with the stipulation that it welcome
everyone, all castes, and all faiths.
I wish pictures were allowed inside it was fascinating.
We happened to be there for the
evening service where the gods are honored with flowers, candles,
water, and song.
We visited the memorial to Gandhi at
the site where he was assassinated.
The inscription here reads in part
"India of My Dreams"
"I shall work for and India in which
the poorest feel that it is their
country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in
which there shall be no high class and low class of people, an India in
which all communities live in perfect harmony."
The circle of symbols on the gong are from many of the worlds religions.
Another plaque read "I have nothing
new to teach
the world. Truth and non-violence are
as old as the hills."
He taught that everyone should
contribute to society by the work of their hands.
Here is the portable "spinning wheel"
he used to do his part.
Here are others carrying on that
tradition.
We drove past the parliament building
and stopped to see the India Gate where the names of Indian
solders who lost their lives are inscribed.
Not far from the gate we saw this
dome though I must admit I don't remember what it is called.
The largest mosque in India, Jama
Masjid.
We had to leave our shoes outside.
The pigeons in the courtyard made
foot covers advisable.
Qutub Mintar, 238 feet tall, and we
were told it is built entirely without the use of mortar or cement
though I have not been able to confirm that.
Begun in 1193 and not completed until
1365.
It is well preserved but it should be
noted that the top had to be rebuilt twice following earthquakes.
Jantar Mantar, an observatory
built in 1724.
We saw that it was not far from our
hotel so three of us decided to walk to it.
We would have liked to spend more
time in the nearly empty park like setting.
But it was almost time for our bus to
leave so instead of walking back we decided to take an auto cab.
These are also called tuk-tuks for
the sound of their motors.
It was more of an adventure than we
had anticipated when our driver got lost and had to ask for directions,
twice.
Go to
our page about Delhi,
Agra,
Jaipur, Kathmandu,
Khokana, Mount
Everest, saris
Go
to our Personal
home page
Go to our Community
page
Go to our Science
Fun page
E-mail Nancy and
Alan