I can’t begin to keep up with the day to day sorts of events, sights, and moments we are experiencing. And I also know that a basic “cataloguing” of historical sights is beginning to sound (and look) repetitive. But there is SO MUCH history here, especially in Delhi! It’s hard to wrap our heads around it all, and it never gets boring for us!
We also want to capture the “ordinary” moments, and we have pictures and videos we want to share that we have not yet had time to. For example, the gardens blooming on our campuses; our additional reading time with the children at Deepalaya (see a previous entry about the school); my (Anita’s) speaking events; the girls’ video they made about their schooling; and even just day to day life, replete with moments that are moving, interesting, funny, spiritual, or just the way life is. We will try to get more of our “life details” here soon. (It also takes FOREVER to load pictures and videos with our somewhat-spotty internet service!)
As for this entry… I won’t bog it down with all the historical details, but I did want to share a few photos and mention the day we had yesterday with friends.
One of the most well-known places to visit is the Red Fort, part of Old Delhi, and connected with Chandni Chowk — the market and street I mentioned in a previous post. The Red Fort was constructed in 1648 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who also built the Taj Mahal). It was originally part of an entire walled city, with canals of water running through pavilions, expansive gardens, and — as we have found in so many places — architecture built of red sandstone, marble and limestone. Much of it was destroyed by the British who built military barracks and plundered many of the valuables. However, what remains is splendid.
My colleague Smriti and her charming 11-year-old son Utkash met up with us, and Smriti also asked a “4th year” LSR student,Bhumika, to join us as our “tour guide.” Utkash gets along great with my girls, and he happened to have a pink water balloon with him that he filled with water and carried around for quite some time — attempting without success to throw it at Malvika. (In this photo, he and his mother have put on scarves at the temple we were visiting — see info below. Yes, he carried that balloon through the temple!)
Here are a few shots of the Red Fort… (Click on set to scroll through.)
Old Delhi is an insanely chaotic and overwhelming place, and it’s hard to capture in images and videos. You need to experience the madness of it in person to appreciate how surreal it is. It’s a mishmash of wall-to-wall people, sounds, market shops, smells, vehicles — all mixed in with temples, forts, and other buildings, some as old as the 16th century.
I love this first picture I captured spontaneously of a woman and a boy selling spices of the road side.
And this guy is a cobbler, making and repairing shoes, even as he wears none himself. Again, just out on the street…
There was a big Sikh event happening while we were there. There is ALWAYS “a big event” happening wherever we go! So this was par for the course. There were sword fighting demonstrations, a parade with horses, and loud confetti-guns being shot off (scared the living daylights out of me at one point when I’d parted the crowds to get close, only to have the gun go off in my ear! Thought for sure I was being shot as the “white lady who pushed her way to the front.”)
Scenes at dusk (later in the day)…
… annnnddd… a guy in a rickshaw carrying several fish in a whiskey bottle. Of course. Because, India.
Anyway, after the Red Fort, we ate a small lunch… The girls and I love the “kathi rolls” in the last picture. Don’t ask me what the other items are. All I know is that they are delicious. And yes, that’s a hot green chili pepper in the first picture.)
…and then went on to a famous Gurudwara, a Sikh temple, built in honor of a guru who was beheaded at that very spot in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam. Sikhs believe in one God and preach social justice for all. It is a very interesting faith, and the temple was amazing. We first took off our shoes and walked through water to wash our feet. We then covered our heads (male and female) and purchased a small “offering.” With this dish of a sweet food, one of the Sikhs took a portion of it and the rest was given back to us. The portion taken was added to a large bowl that was then transferred to the exit, thus allowing the offering to be given back communally to everyone who passes through. We each got a serving in our hands on our way out. This temple has free meals every day for anyone who wants or needs it, and also free water in cups set up outside all day long.
At that point, the student Bhumika left us to get back to her studies, and the rest of us walked around a bit more and then took a rickshaw (yes, 5 of us piled into one!) to Purana Qila, an “old fort” in a different section of Delhi, where we watched a light and sound show in English. It was very buggy (mosquitoes), but they provided little incense-type sticks to hold onto to ward off the bugs.
And that’s that for yesterday’s adventure! Signing off and heading to bed now.
Charles-Gelder India Adventures 
ELHS Student Questions: Do you have to ask people before you take their picture? How come the cobbler doesn’t wear shoes even though he makes them? What are the bandanas on your heads supposed to be for? What does the red fort symbolize?
LikeLike
Hi — This response is from all three of us. We have discussed your questions together. We sometimes ask people about taking their picture, but sometimes (usually) we don’t. It doesn’t seem to be a typical protocol or expectation here. I (Anita) have asked colleagues and administrators if I can post certain photos of others to the blog, and they always say “yes, it’s fine.” We have thought about why the cobbler doesn’t have shoes on, and we think it’s because he uses his feet as “tools” — as you see in the photo a bit. It’s not unusual to see barefoot people here, and most people wear only flipflops or sandals. The bandanas are a way to show respect in some of the places of worship . In this case at the Sikh temple, both men and women cover their heads as a sign of modesty in the presence of God. The Red Fort was the residence of the Mughal Emperor from the 1600s to the 1800s. It was the “seat” of government (sort of like the Capitol in DC, but more expansive with residences and other buildings). It now symbolizes, in part, India’s independence from Britain, and every year on Independence Day (in August) the Prime Minister hoists the Indian flag there. (When the British governed India, they flew the British flag there, so the Indian flag now has great significance in this particular spot.) Great questions! Thanks!
LikeLike