Dan's Adventure

My final stop in India was Delhi where I was treated by my aunt and uncle to a day of sightseeing with a car and driver, a very welcome change to the world of rickshaws that I have become accustomed. In an air conditioned car the traffic, pollution and heat are no longer an issue, as my aunt said its like being in your own little bubble. The main tourist sights in Delhi are very spread out so I left it to the driver to choose the optimal route for the day. We started south at the Qutb complex where amongst temple ruins stands the Qutb Minar, which at 22.5 metres tall is the world’s tallest brick minaret.

Next up was the Lotus Temple, a shiny white marble structure that reminded me of the Sydney Opera House. The Lotus Temple is a Bahá’í house of worship which is open to everyone for worship regardless of their religion.

A final stop before lunch took us to Humayun’s Tomb. It was the first garden tomb in India and the architecture set a precedent for future tombs, with the Taj Mahal following on. The buildings are currently undergoing extensive renovation work so there is a lot of scaffold all over the place at the moment.

Following lunch we drove past the Red Fort, a huge fort slap bang in the middle of Delhi. I went back the following morning to explore it further and was a bit disappointed that only the exterior wall was red.

The final stop of the day was at India Gate in New Delhi. India Gate is the national monument of India, commemorating the 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the Indian Empire in World War I and the Afghan Wars.