This morning we were met by the Audley Agent who went through our itinerary for the whole holiday before handing us over to Umesh, our guide for our Delhi tour which we were only expecting to be half a day but we were quickly informed that we had a full day and wouldn't be back until about 5.30pm
Alum our driver was ready in the car park and we set off towards Old Delhi, very near the Red Fort we left Alum and the comfort of our car for the noise, smells and general chaos of the Delhi streets. The Red Fort is closed on a Monday but Umesh explained about the history of the Red Fort and how it was here that Independence was handed over by The British in 1948 and is celebrated every year by an address from the President from the same spot. We then experienced the fun of the Rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of Old Delhi where we went from fruit sellers, stunning Sahri's to the public latrines!!
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We then visited the very tranquil Ghandi's memorial ghat, a welcome relief after the heat of the Mosque. It is a very simple garden with a black marble plynth standing at the place his. Relation took place. There is an eternal flame burning and he gardens are being constantly cared for.
We then drove through the British Area which is a complete contrast to the narrow streets of Old Delhi. Wide, tree lined streets with large bungalows and Embassy buildings give a grander feel to the area. We then drop past India Gate which was built to commemorate over 700,0000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. We drove up the long straight road from India Gate to the Presidential Palace where the British Viceroys lived before Independence and is now home to the countries President. A stunning sight at the top of the hill with the finance and defence ministry buildings on either side.
We quickly jumped out the car to take some pictures while Alum did a quick circuit of India Gate.
Alum our driver was ready in the car park and we set off towards Old Delhi, very near the Red Fort we left Alum and the comfort of our car for the noise, smells and general chaos of the Delhi streets. The Red Fort is closed on a Monday but Umesh explained about the history of the Red Fort and how it was here that Independence was handed over by The British in 1948 and is celebrated every year by an address from the President from the same spot. We then experienced the fun of the Rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of Old Delhi where we went from fruit sellers, stunning Sahri's to the public latrines!!
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It is definitely not the most comfortable way to travel and I felt sorry for our driver who was probably hoping for a young, slim English lady, although during the day it was amazing to see what they can fit into a small cart behind a bike! We certainly felt very safe and were glad we didn't have to walk through the streets. We were dropped near Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) which is the largest mosque in India with over 20,000 men praying 5 times on their holy day. We also learnt that in India they pray to the West as they are on the opposite side to Mecca than we are in the UK. As we entered the mosque we removed our shoes,paid the 300 rupees to be able to use the camera and then put on some very attractive gowns (Tracy) and skirts (Graham) before heading into the mosque. It was here that Umesh explained about three important dates in India 1193 when the first Hinddus came to India, 1526 the first Mogul ruler and 1857 the start of British rule. He also explained how you can determine the age of the buildings by the presence of arches and domes which the Moguls are famous for.
By now the heat of the day had made the red sandstone incredibly hot and the feet were definitely grateful to go back into the sandals at the end, we were also delighted to be met by Alum with iced towels and bottles of water...and the cars air conditioning running at full speed.We then visited the very tranquil Ghandi's memorial ghat, a welcome relief after the heat of the Mosque. It is a very simple garden with a black marble plynth standing at the place his. Relation took place. There is an eternal flame burning and he gardens are being constantly cared for.
We then drove through the British Area which is a complete contrast to the narrow streets of Old Delhi. Wide, tree lined streets with large bungalows and Embassy buildings give a grander feel to the area. We then drop past India Gate which was built to commemorate over 700,0000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. We drove up the long straight road from India Gate to the Presidential Palace where the British Viceroys lived before Independence and is now home to the countries President. A stunning sight at the top of the hill with the finance and defence ministry buildings on either side.
We quickly jumped out the car to take some pictures while Alum did a quick circuit of India Gate.
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