Delhi

03.10.2012

Alex, Melina, Svana and I visit Old Delhi today.

We take the Metro again from New Delhi to Old Delhi.



At Delhi Main station we get out.






Chiming the bells for service.



We walk to the Red Fort.



Gurudwana Sisganj Sahib









The Red Fort in Delhi

Shah Jahan (1628 - 1658), the Mughal Emperor shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi in 1638 and established Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. He commenced the construction of his citadel, "Lal Qila" or the Red Fort on 12th May 1639 and took 9 years and 3 months to complete it under the supervision of master builders Hamid and Ahmed. Originally it was known as "Qila-i-Mubarak".
The fort is built using red sandstone and is octagonal on plan with the rampart surrounded by a moat originally connected with river Yamuna. This highly fortified citadel has two main gateways, the Lahori Gate on the west and the Delhi Gate or "Hathi Gate" on the south.
Nadir Shah the Persian invader plundered the city of Delhi in 1739 and took away the prized booty including the Takht-t-Taus (Peacock Throne) with the Kohinoor (Worlds largest diamond). In 1857 Bahadur Shah II was proclaimed Emperor by the freedom fighters. INA officers Shah Nawaz Khan, P. K. Sehgal and G.S. Dhillon were trailed in 1945 - 1946. These are some of the imprints of history left on the Red Fort.

Diwan-i-Am






Alex, Svana and Melina





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Fig Tree
Ficus



There is a fine about 200 Rs for spitting.



In the left building, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Peacock Throne was located.
The right building is the Khas Mahal.



The pedestal of Takht-t-Taus (Peacock Throne).



All buildings are adorned in painstakingly.















Still EVERYBODY is taking pictures of us white, blonde Germans.



Moti Masjid (Mosque)



Svana and I in front of the nice door of the Moti Masjid.












Zafar Mahal












This is the widespread symbol of luck in India.



We are visiting the biggest mosque of India, the Jama Masjid.






All women have to be totally covered.






View to the Red Fort.



The mosque





















Chwari Bazar, the main shopping promenade in Old Delhi

Svana and I climb on one of the minarets. Jama Masjid is also known as Masjid-i-Jahanuma, "the mosque with the view at the world".

Red Fort

































We leave Jama Masjid



and go by Metro to the Swaminarayan Akshardham in Noida Mor.









It is not allowed to take pictures at the Swaminarayan Akshardham.



But from the Metro station we take pictures of the biggest Hindu temple.
Thank you Svana for your amazing pictures!

All tired we go back to our Hotel. After a short break with refreshing by showers and a papaya snack, Svana and I meet Rishu and Bikram again. We are going for dinner and have our first indian beer. Later we experience an indian bar with nice dancing music.

This is a Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) bum.
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