Delhi.

Delhi.

Delhi has been an intermediate point for a really long time. After 2002 (when I was seven years old), we have never stayed in Delhi for more than a few hours. Before planning this trip, my parents had some things in mind.

Duda always wanted to travel in the Rajdhani express (and it hadn’t happened for one reason or the other). Gunja’s interest in the Mughal architecture had piqued after studying about the era (as a part of the history course).

Hence, Delhi and Agra were chosen.

The train journey was fun. There was a slight delay due to the derailment of a train near Delhi, which caused our train to stop at a station called Kulwa for some time.

Kulwa Stop
They were waiting for the signal | At Kulwa Station

Delhi is yet another metropolitan city, with wider roads and heavier traffic than Kolkata.

After a certain age, a long trip started to mean mountains to me. I wasn’t so excited about this trip. However, the thought of visiting the heritage sites of India and learning about them was fascinating.


Day One

31st October (11 of 19).jpg
The Daughter and The Mother

We reached Delhi at 1:30 PM. After checking in at Banga Bhawan, we went to the Qutub Minar complex.

31st October (12 of 19).jpg
The Qutub Minar and the Iron Pillar

This UNESCO World Heritage site is the tallest brick structure in the world. The tourists are no longer allowed inside the Minar, however, the entire complex surrounding the Minar is calm and green. Additionally, it has other structures.

31st October (14 of 19).jpg

These are nice places for taking a walk.

Imam Zamin Tomb
Imam Zamin’s Tomb

We visited an uncle’s house while returning from the Minar complex. Before going back to Banga Bhawan, we decided to stop at The India Gate.

[Here’s something my grandfather told me when we returned home: He used to ride a horse from Modern School and pass by the Gate!]

India Gate
A long exposure turned the crowd into ghost-like-figures 😀

The air was chilly, but that didn’t prevent people from visiting. The huge crowd stays there till 1 AM, after which they are dispersed. It’s somewhat similar to the Victoria Memorial area in Kolkata.

Taking photos in the cool weather was fun. After watching the guard changing ceremony, we headed towards Banga Bhawan.

indian gate names
13216 soldiers’ (fighters of the British Indian Army in WW 1) names are inscribed on the walls of the Indian Gate. These are the names which could be recovered. There were thousands more who died in the battlefield.

Day Two

Hailey Road

Duda accompanied us from the second day. The previous day, she had stayed in the car, mostly.

 

1st November (14 of 25).jpg
At Humayun’s Tomb, Duda walked with us till this point. The Tomb was visible from here.

Humayun's Tomb Entrance BW.jpg

 

Humayun's Tomb.jpg
Humayun’s Tomb | There are around 150 graves inside and around this structure

 

Humayun's Tomb People Walking.jpg
Seeing my camera, they thought I was from some organization and asked me to take a photograph of them. This turned out to be nicer.
Humayun's Tomb Inside
Humayun’s Tomb
Isa Khan Niazi's Tomb
Isa Khan Niazi’s Tomb

Probable fact: Humayun’s Tomb may have been the architectural model for the Taj Mahal.


Dilli Haat is a nice place to have a meal. There are all sorts of cuisines available and the prices are more or less reasonable. We stopped there to meet a few relatives and have lunch.

After that, we headed to the Red Fort. We asked Duda to stay in the car because of the kilometre long walk that had to be made till the Lahori Gate.

Red Fort Wide (1 of 1).jpg
From one of the many corners of the Fort
1st November (19 of 25)
The Meena Bazaar was a centre of sale for women. Both buyers and sellers were women.
1st November (21 of 25).jpg
Diwan-i-aam
1st November (20 of 25).jpg
This used to be studded with diamonds to reflect the light of a single lamp and illuminate the throne
1st November (22 of 25).jpg
A British barrack inside the Fort
1st November (24 of 25).jpg
The light and sound show at the Red Fort

 

1st November (25 of 25).jpg
The Fort and the city

 

Walking through the fort at night was something pleasant. The temperatures were low. The city, with all its traffic and noise and pollution, was at some distance.

Travelling in and around Delhi was a nice experience.


 

Note: I call my maternal grandmother ‘duda‘ 🙂