Day 1: October 15, 2013
After staying overnight in Sharjah, I took an early morning flight to New Delhi via Air Arabia.
After the three hour flight, I have finally arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport only to end up in a long wait for the issuance of my visa. Philippines is one of the eight countries that India grants a visa-on-arrival privilege. Unfortunately, the system is so slow that I ended up losing about 2 hours just waiting for this visa to be issued.
By the time I got out of the airport and checked in to the hotel in downtown New Delhi, it was almost evening so time for me to have dinner and watched a good movie. I decided to take a taxi all the way to DLF Place (a luxurious mall) in Saket outside Delhi to visit both the local Hard Rock Cafe (for my pin) and the cinema to watch "Gravity".
The nice thing with the Indian theater experience is that they have an intermission in the middle of the movie where they will try to clean the aisle while the patrons are going to the restrooms. By the way, you don't even need to go out for the concessions; attendants are around the cinema ready to take your order. After the movies, it time to try New Delhi's subway system as I try to get back home to my hotel. It cost 100 rupees to buy this travel card and hopefully, this would be enough for my travels around the city.
The New Delhi's transit system to be honest is clean and efficient. I got home and went directly to sleep. A long day awaits me tomorrow.
Day 2: October 16, 2013
I decided that the best way to go around the city is to hire a tuk-tuk to drive me around. I found a driver who is willing to drive me to three locations that I planned that day for 2000 rupees so I am off on my first tuk-tuk ride.
My first destination was the Lotus Temple. Known to be the Baha'i's House of Worship, it is a magnificent temple in the shape of a lotus. It is located near Nehru's Place, outside Delhi so it took a full hour to reach the place. Unfortunately, the temple grounds was still close when I arrived to I decided to have breakfast first at a small cafeteria just outside the temple grounds. They were only serving Chole Bhature so even though I am craving for a burger, I have to settle for a vegetarian dish which was quite a delightful meal for me.
First thing I found out when they let us start coming in is that we need to take of our shoes as soon as we reach the base of the temple. The temple itself is a sight to behold. Silence is golden in this place; the Baha-i religion requires absolute silence while in prayer. One can also enjoy the serenity that the temple's magnificent garden provides.
My next destination was the Qutub complex, an archaeological site near Mehrauli outside New Delhi. The complex itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site containing ruins of Hindu and Jain temples. The cost of getting inside the complex: 250 rupees (unless you are an Indian in which case you only pay 50 rupees)
The most spectacular feature of the Qutub Complex is the Qutub Minar. At 73 meters, it is the tallest minaret in all of India. Made of red sandstone and marble, it has a base radius of 14.3 meters and 2.7 meters at the very top which can be reached via a 379-step staircase.
Another interesting feature of the Qutub Complex is the so called "Iron Pillar of Delhi" located in front of the entrance of the ruined Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. It is said to be the world's foremost metallurgical curiosity because of its high resistance to corrosion.
Before I tackle the next destination on my list, its about time to try New Delhi's sidewalk treat....carbonated drink prepared the traditional way.
After the refreshing drink costing 20 rupees, me and my trusted tuk-tuk driver are off to the northern part of New Delhi to visit the Akshardham Temple, a Hindu temple complex that sits besides the banks of the mighty Yamuna river. After waiting in long lines to get inside (its free), I found out that I need to leave my camera behind since it is forbidden to take pictures of images of the Hindu gods and goddesses. The place is amazing with its intricate design and statues adorned with semi precious stones. I was able to get a picture of the main temple for 120 rupees and buy my souvenir from India: a silver handcrafted box.
It was time to say goodbye to the tuk-tuk as I decided to take the Metro Transit for my last leg of my day's journey. But not before taking this shot of the Akshardham from the top of the metro station.
Using the travel card that I bought the night before, I was able to take the train to Chandni Chowk station where its a short walk to The Red Fort. It is a 17th century fort complex built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (the same guy who ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal).
Since I never got the chance to get inside because the line was outrageously long, I decided to walk to my final destination for the day: Jama Masjid. With a capacity of 25,000 worshippers, Jama Masjid is said to be the largest mosque in India. Its construction back in 1650 was commissioned by Shah Jahan. I was shocked to see two girls pushed out of the mosque grounds for dressing inappropriately but then I remember that Muslims are strict when it comes to dress code inside mosque grounds. Some tourists need to learn to respect cultural sensitivities. Again its time to remove my shoes as I am entering holy ground.
After my visit to Jama Masjid, I was already so tired that it was time to go back to my hotel and call it a day.
Day 3: October 17, 2013
My trip to India is almost coming to its conclusion but I still have a couple of places to visit before I take that flight later. To start the third day of my trip, I decided to attend an early morning mass at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the headquarter of the New Delhi Catholic diocese. The sight of only a few people inside a big church brings back memories of empty masses back in the US.
After the mass, it was a short walk for me to get to my next destination: the Birla Mandir temple (also known as Laxminarayan temple). Again, off with the shoes and the camera so I can't show you any pictures of the interior of the temple. But I got a chance to take a photo just outside the temple.
The temple is adorned with carvings depicting stories from the Hindu mythology. The statues of the Hindu gods are again encrusted with semiprecious stones and another thing that stirs my interest is the fact that the Swastika (the Nazi symbol) is frequently displayed on the walls of the temple. I learned something in my visit to this temple: that the swastika symbol originates from the Hindu religion.
After visiting the Birla Mandir temple, its time to hire a tuk-tuk again to drive me to the center of the city to view India's national monument: the India Gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is dedicated to the Indian soldiers who died fighting alongside the British army during WWI.
Another tuk-tuk ride and I am off to my last destination here in New Delhi: Jantar Mantar. It is one of the five ancient astronomical observatory built by the Maharaja Jai Singh II. It is one of the best places in the center of the city but is need of a huge makeover. It cost 100 rupees to get into the site.
From Jantar Mantar, I took a short walk to the transit station that services the express train to the airport. It was a pricey ride (130 rupees) but with only two stops in between that station and the airport, it was worth every rupee. I'm back in the airport again as my travel comes to a close. But before I go, I still have time for one last Indian veggie dish...this time its an onion paratha with three dips.
I intended not to visit the Taj Mahal during this trip so that I have a reason to return to this wonderful country. Next time, it will be a visit to Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur.
No comments:
Post a Comment