Although November was relatively quiet in terms of getting out and about, December is looking to be more travel-heavy. The start of the month sent Nikki and me back to Delhi for a few days of work, which meant a few days of exploring.
This time around, we elected to use the metro system in Delhi. It is fairly new (about a decade old) and is reminiscent of the Parisian metro system. It is surprisingly clean and easy to navigate. Like many public places in India (i.e. malls, visitor attractions, large hotels, etc), women and men are divided into separate lines to go through security and bags are sent through x-ray machines. Little metro tokens get you in and out of the different platforms.
I don't know that I will ever get used to being in a massive metropolitan area only to suddenly find myself in a building that is older than the United States. Living in India is a testament to just how young my native country is!
One of our stops was at Jama Masjid, the principal mosque in Old Delhi, constructed between 1650-1656. It is yet another structure built by Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) using red sandstone and marble.
Outside of the gates, visitors must remove their shoes and women are required to wear burkas (without the head/face coverings) and men that had on shorts were required to wear lungis (sarong). I never thought I'd find myself in a burka, let alone a floral one!
.jpg)
We were lucky because it was election day in Delhi, meaning that few people were out and about. Fridays (holy day in Islam) and large Muslim holidays like EID can attract up to 25,000 people at the mosque! It was very peaceful during our visit and many were there to pray and worship.
Another stop was Akshardham, which is now officially my favorite site in Delhi. As much as I don't care for the city, I fell in love with the temple complex. Akshardham Temple is a sprawling complex (opened in 2005) devoted to the modern sect of Hinduism known as Swaminarayan Hinduism. Consider this similar to doctrinal differences we may find in denominations of Christianity.
The complex boasts large gardens, a boat ride (India meets It's a Small World at Disney), 2 films, and a musical fountain.
Upon walking into the complex, we had to surrender all our earthly possessions.. I hated having to part with my camera, but Google images has once again come to my rescue. I commented to Nikki about its similarity in intricacy to Angkor Wot in Cambodia. My research revealed that the craftsmen modeled the design after several temples including Angkor Wot (even though it is a Buddhist temple).
The main temple is incredibly beautiful, with 148 carved elephants at the base. The lake that surrounds the temple has 108 gaumukhs (water spouts), symbolizing the 108 names of God in the Hindu faith.
Under the central dome inside, you will find a murti (statue) of Swaminarayan and other gurus of the sect cast in gold. The architecture is amazingly intricate, both interior and exterior.
This time around, we elected to use the metro system in Delhi. It is fairly new (about a decade old) and is reminiscent of the Parisian metro system. It is surprisingly clean and easy to navigate. Like many public places in India (i.e. malls, visitor attractions, large hotels, etc), women and men are divided into separate lines to go through security and bags are sent through x-ray machines. Little metro tokens get you in and out of the different platforms.
I don't know that I will ever get used to being in a massive metropolitan area only to suddenly find myself in a building that is older than the United States. Living in India is a testament to just how young my native country is!
One of our stops was at Jama Masjid, the principal mosque in Old Delhi, constructed between 1650-1656. It is yet another structure built by Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) using red sandstone and marble.
Outside of the gates, visitors must remove their shoes and women are required to wear burkas (without the head/face coverings) and men that had on shorts were required to wear lungis (sarong). I never thought I'd find myself in a burka, let alone a floral one!
We were lucky because it was election day in Delhi, meaning that few people were out and about. Fridays (holy day in Islam) and large Muslim holidays like EID can attract up to 25,000 people at the mosque! It was very peaceful during our visit and many were there to pray and worship.
Another stop was Akshardham, which is now officially my favorite site in Delhi. As much as I don't care for the city, I fell in love with the temple complex. Akshardham Temple is a sprawling complex (opened in 2005) devoted to the modern sect of Hinduism known as Swaminarayan Hinduism. Consider this similar to doctrinal differences we may find in denominations of Christianity.
The complex boasts large gardens, a boat ride (India meets It's a Small World at Disney), 2 films, and a musical fountain.
The main temple is incredibly beautiful, with 148 carved elephants at the base. The lake that surrounds the temple has 108 gaumukhs (water spouts), symbolizing the 108 names of God in the Hindu faith.
Under the central dome inside, you will find a murti (statue) of Swaminarayan and other gurus of the sect cast in gold. The architecture is amazingly intricate, both interior and exterior.
I know this is far from my last visit to the big city. Luckily, there are plenty of places to explore next time I'm in Delhi!
No comments:
Post a Comment