India 2012

Wednesday21November

Here we are finally in New Delhi. We have already passed through the capital twice, but this time it's the right one, we have two days to enjoy and visit the city.

It is also here that we say goodbye to our guide Pritam Kumar, who was much more than that for three weeks. Attentive and discreet, he was indispensable to us  . And we recommend him without hesitation! Here is his website, if you wish to contact him: www.seeindiabymyeyes.com

We begin our visits with Old Delhi and the great Jama Masjid mosque, also known as Shahjahânabâd.

The square is immense, surrounded by arcaded corridors.

The minarets striped with red and white sandstone.

View of Old Delhi from one of the three great gates.

What luck! While I've been able to climb to the top of French churches several times, I'm now going to be able to climb all the way to the top of a minaret!

This is the South minaret, and for a few rupees, you can wind up the tiny staircase to the top, under the small dome. 

View from the foot of the minaret over the great mosque square.

A few turns in the narrow tower and you arrive at the very top on a few slabs where you can place your feet (without your shoes, as you obviously left them outside the mosque  ).

Panoramic view of the central basin.

Through the grilles of the minaret, the white marble domes covering the prayer hall.

And the few colors of the houses of Old Delhi

A walk through Old Delhi. Essential! Here, I really felt like I had gone back decades, even centuries, in time. Despite the few electrical wires sticking out, the narrow streets, the struggling sunbeams, and the atmosphere that reigns there, it seems that the modern world has not taken hold of this neighborhood.  

Around a street corner, it's not impossible to find yourself face to face with an improvised mini-temple featuring a small makeshift Ganesh.

How can one not think of Gandhi when speaking of India? An essential figure in the country's independence from the British Empire, here we are before the place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated on a pyre on January 31, 1948.

Inscribed on the black marble, Gandhi's last words during his assassination: हे राम, "Oh God".

The eternal flame of the memorial.

At the exit, a poster of Gandhi dressed in his inseparable khādī (white cotton) clothes.

The Indian Arch of Triumph, the Indian Gate, a war memorial for the Indian homeland.

Behind the guards, the flame of the unknown soldier burns continuously.

On the walls, the names of soldiers who died during the First World War and the subsequent Afghan wars.

The typical and nevertheless old car from Tata Motors, the famous car brand.

This one, with its flashing light, is an official state vehicle.

Behind a gate and far behind the reddish earth, the Indian Elysée, the President's residence.

In the distance, the Indian Gate. Also an opportunity for the Buddhist monk to take souvenir photos!

Qutb Minar! We end the day in apotheosis. The monument is an incredible tower; it simply touches the sky!

As soon as we entered the site, our usual admirers demanded photos and handshakes.  

It is only the 14 meters in diameter at the base of the tower that support the 72 meters of the minaret. It tapers to only 2.5 meters in diameter at the top.

The first floors are made of red sandstone and the last two of white marble. The minaret is superbly sculpted over its entire surface.

The calligraphy features texts from the Quran.

It is the third tallest minaret in the world.

There was a time when the public could climb all the way up... This has not been possible since an accident in 1981. 

The ruins of the old mosque surrounding the minaret can also be visited.

Not far from the large column, a very small column of 6 tons of iron and almost perfect purity dates from the 4th century. Incredibly, it has not yet rusted! Scientific analyses have revealed a thin natural layer of "misawite" that protects the pillar from the elements...

Detail of the texts engraved on the iron pillar.

Just like the Egyptian temples, color was essential in the mosque.

A rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri).

The remains of a tomb

Alai Minar, the other minaret whose construction was intended to surpass Qutb Minar. The project was abandoned following the death of its architect Alauld-Din Khalji...

The tomb of Shams ud-Dîn Îltutmish, a sultan who reigned over Delhi during the 13th century.

Superb Qutb Minar, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993.

Of course, a palm squirrel (Funambulus pennanti) comes to taunt my camera...

The tomb of Imam Zamin, in a kiosk with entirely and finely perforated walls.

A sundial in the gardens adjacent to the mausoleum of Imam Zamin.

Back to modernity with the Lotus Temple built by the Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba.

Sunset and Lotus Temple

The temple is linked to the monotheistic Baha'i religion. The latter is a mix of all religious beliefs, for example, venerating Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, or Krishna; the Lotus Temple is thus open to all other religions.

After a short wait, we were seated inside the temple, which resembles a large conference hall. We were told to stay there without making any noise. Then we were told to leave.  

Penultimate night of the trip. Our hotel is well guarded by the large statue of Hanuman, so we can sleep soundly!

Small restaurant, with aperitif, onion sauce!