Majnu Ka Tilla

Posted on July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 by indtr

Off track and off the radar but definitely worth a visit!!!

Majnu ka tilla – A very odd name for a place! That was my first reaction when I heard about this place. It evoked a different kind of feeling and imagination in my mind. The name Majnu is generally associated with the lover of the Laila Majnu fame. So, I kind of googled around to see how the name came to be associated with this place.

I got to find out that this name came from an Iranian Sufi bhakt who used to stay at this mound near the Yamuna river. He was called Majnu because of his intense love for God. He was a seeker and wanted to find the true meaning of God. In that quest, he met with Guru Nanak at this bank.

Guru Nanak also stayed at this place for a few months. He was very fond of this Sufi sant and this place came to be called as Majnu Ka Tilla from that time onwards. A Gurudwara was later constructed to commemorate Guru Nanak s visit.

However, what this place is famous for today is neither the Sufi Sant or the Gurudwara but a small settlement of Tibetan community from 1960s. There are some monasteries and a thriving market that belongs to this community.

The place is small and the lanes narrow, but it has a feel of Tibet when you walk into those alleys. There are shops selling Tibetan handicrafts, paintings, books, jewellery items, beads for prayer, clothes and fabrics that is very very Tibetan in nature and form. It is a little Tibet in all its colours and art forms.

Eating joints of all kinds – street food to restaurants serving authentic Tibetan food is available and you can have your pick. Sha Phaley, Momos and all the other varieties that you might want to try is available at these junctions and joints.

We could also see a lot of monks wandering around, some visiting the monastery here and others who are probably staying in these.!!

Tibetan Prayer Wheels with mantras written on it was visible around the monastery area.

Qutub Minar

Posted on July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 by indtr

It was my third visit but I am still quite awed by the magnificence of this edifice along with all the other ruins and architectural marvels spread around it. I wanted to go slow and cover each and every curve and the angle of the place but we were in a hurry. I felt a tinge of disappointment when we had to finally turn back as the sun was setting upon it.

Qutub Minar, Mehrauli, Delhi

The Minar was built by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak in 1193 and is considered one of the tallest brick minaret standing today in the world. Muhammed Ghori had defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Qutub-ud-din-Aibak was the slave of Muhammed Ghori and he was left to take care of all the Indian possessions when Ghori went back to Afghan. He became the ruler of Hindustan when Ghori died. I kept wondering what would have inspired him to build such a tall building in the first place. Was it pride or security or to show the world his power and dominance. One would never be able to find the true answer.

This tower is so tall that if one goes up to the top floor and looks around, he/she would be able to see the entire stretch of Delhi from all the sides. So this could have been used like a watch tower to monitor activities of enemies or attacks planned on the city. However, some believe that it was built to celebrate his victory over the Hindu rulers. It is also said that it was built along with the Mosque to be used for the call for prayer.

Qutub Minar, Mehrauli, Delhi

We decided to go in from the south side this time. On the southern side is the tomb of Imam Zamin or Imam Muhammed Ali who came from Turkistan and was in some way connected with the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque. The tomb stands on 12 pillars with perforated carvings of red sandstone with a dome standing on marble and red sandstone terrace. It has a marble door on one side. From there, we entered the Alai Durwaza.

I fell in love with Alai Durwaza!

The tall arched gateway looked stunning. The intricate carvings and engravings on the walls of this tall square domed building look splendid and superb. I couldn’t just take my eyes and hands off and move on. These looked liked blocks of ornamental artworks placed one upon the other going up to the roof. It was a marvel how these constructions were carried out. The masonry work, the building architecture and designs had influences of various cultures. Some of the designs seem to be from Central Asia – probably done by artisans who had taken refuge in India due to Mongol attacks.

From the Alai Durwaza, we came into the Mosque area. The courtyard was surrounded by pillars of cloisters ornately designed with Indian art motifs. There are various stories surrounding the construction of these places. Some say that many Hindu temples were destroyed and this building came up in place of that and the other concept is that Indian artisans were used to construct the building in the beginning and therefore there is influence of indian designs while in the additional structures added on by other rules have more Islamic designs incorporated.

Finally, we were standing in front of the grand minar. As we looked up from where we were at the base, we could see the beautiful edifice touching the sky. It had bands of intricate carvings of Arabic calligraphy. The architectural style is typically afghan from where Qutub-un-din-Aibak came. It is built in a red and buff coloured sandstone.

Qutub Minar is considered one of the monuments in Delhi that you should not miss if you are in Delhi.

Red Fort or Lal Quila

Posted on July 26, 2018July 27, 2018 by indtr

Lal Quila or the Red Fort was the official residence of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built about 200 years ago in 1628.

For me, the whole experience of visiting Red Fort was like peeling off an onion. The more you move into the inner realms of the fort, the more beautiful and whiter the buildings and structures would get. Finally, it came to the one building that I admired the most in the whole complex and Amir Khusraw had most aptly described it as the paradise on earth. His inscription is written on the walls of this white marble structure- If there be a paradise on the earth, it is this, it is this, it is this – Diwan-e-khas! I am still wondering what resplendent, what exciting and what colourful life it would have been then.

The boundary of the Fort and some of its buildings are built with red sandstone and the name Lal Quila or Red Fort comes from there. It is a well built, massive structure that encircles and secures the entire surrounding of the complex – the official palaces, mahals, gardens and the many other small and little buildings it ensconces. There were trenches and channels of water all around to give the added security to the fort. The gates are massive and built to protect the citizens inside the walled city. The walls are built with holes in it for firing arms and ammunitions. The four posts at the four corners were used for keeping a vigil.

The front façade is used right now during the Independence Day celebrations by the Prime Minister to address the nation. However, the fort is just much much more than the front façade! There is another huge and massive gate as soon as you enter from the front with a metal door called Lahori Gate. This leads to a long covered path with arches and arched bays on both sides – more like a market place where you have shops on both the sides of the road. It is called the chatta chowk which means covered bazaar. Even today there are shops where people are selling all kinds of wares – jewellery, clothes, handicraft items. It was said that this used to be the case even during Shah Jahan’s time. He started this concept after he saw something like this in Peshawar. During his times, the market would be engaged in luxury trade of the imperial household and used to sell silks, brocades, gold, velvet and other expensive stuff.

After the Chatta Bazaar, there is yet another gate which takes you to a red building – the Diwan-e-Aam which means the ‘Place of Public Audience’. There is a long rectangular lawn with a water body in the middle that runs across to the Diwan-Aam and paths cutout on both the sides. This is a place was used by Shah Jahan to meet the common public and hear their grievances. The structure was made in red sandstone and in the centre is a raised platform with the Emperor’s throne with a canopy all made in Marble with exquisite handiwork of floral designs inlaid with semi precious stones.

After the Diwan-e-aam lies the little gems of beauty – domains where Shah Jahan and other successive emperors used to actually live and spend time. You would be greeted with an expanse of garden and green lawns and water canals with white marble structures spread across the expanse. The water bodies at that time was an important part as they provided the needed water and air cooling for the entire place.

Three white marbled palaces are placed in close proximity to each other at the other end of the garden – The Rang Mahal (also called Shish Mahal), Khas Mahal and Shah Mahal (or Diwan-e-Khas).

These were like 3 little pieces of jewels in that whole area. Built completely in marble, they are a sight to behold!

Rang Mahal was the place where Shah Jahan used to entertain and be entertained. It was painted in different colours from the inside and therefore derives its name from there. It also had mirrors fitted on the top and therefore it was called the sheesh mahal though right now there is neither colour nor the mirrors. This one actually looks faded and is the drabbest one out of the three.

The next one is the Khas Mahal where Shah Jahan had his bed chambers and the dressing room.

Diwan-e-Khas next to it was the place where he would meet people close to him. This palace was truly amazing in its architecture and the structure. Though faded and greyish and yellow in colour, the structure speaks of the glorious past. The peacock throne was removed from this place by Nadir Shah who attacked Delhi and it is said that this throne is somewhere in Iran right now.

The opulence and the extravaganza was clearly visible in the luxurious setting of the entire structure. The richness of the designs and the work on the structure was truly marvelous. I was wondering if these structures look so good even today after the wear and tear of the last 200 years, then what would it have been when it was pristine white colour of the marble resplendent with all the other colours the buildings would have been painted with, the coloured drapes, the carpets and all the precious stones that were embedded in the building design. It would have been truly mesmerizing and therefore What Amir Khusraw said about this building would have been completely true at that point of time. It would have been a paradise to behold!

It is said that Taj Mahal was inspired by the Diwan-e-khas and its architectural designs.

There are other buildings too like the Mumtaz Mahal which is now converted to a museum and does not look like anything that was in the earlier days though one can see the arches and the carvings on the roof that are reminiscent of a celebrated past.

Then there are gardens and pavilions which would have been used by the Emperor, his wives and sons to relax during leisure times.

Zafar Mahal

Posted on July 26, 2018July 26, 2018 by indtr

I had never heard of Zafar Mahal till some days ago when my husband brought it up as one of the places we should be visiting. And to know that it was in Mehrauli which is about 15 minutes from where we live was even more astounding.

When we finally made the visit today we realized that people living right next to the Palace were also quite unaware of its existence and significance. We asked some people for directions in Mehrauli and they were quite clueless.

It could be probably because the area around Zafar Mahal has been encroached and people have built all kinds of buildings in and around that it is not seen properly and even the front façade does not give out the impression of the vastness that lay beyond.

The frontage is very simple. The Mahal looked deserted. The gates called the “Hathi Gate / Elephant Gate” were massive but closed and only a small enclosure which was part of the gate was open for people to pass through. We got in not knowing whether we should or not but once inside, saw some men old and young in groups sitting on the inside lanes playing cards. I was a bit scared, but since I was with my husband, we went on with our discovery mission.

I should confess, it was a revelation! The more we went in, it opened up more and more surprises. Even though the building was in a ruined condition, it was delightful to see the gorgeous formations and composition of the pillars, walls and its structure. Made in Red Sandstone with some marbles thrown in, there was hardly any roof left apart from the main building and the domes.

To think that this is a place where the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar wished to be buried was quite shocking. He used to spend the summers in this place and was called his Summer Palace.

The Palace was originally built by Akbar II and named after his son Bahadur Shah Zafar. The entrance was then modified by Bahadur Shah Zafar himself. The tombs of Akbar II, Shah Alam and Mirza Jahangir lie within this Palace. Akbar II’s tomb is inside a marble enclosure.

There is a royal mosque also built in marble adjacent to where the tombs lay.

The halls in the upper parts of the buildings are vast with columns of arched pillars. The carved pillars and arcades are beautiful to behold.

The Qutub Minar Complex – Tomb of Iltutmish

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Shamsu’d-Din Iltutmish succeeded Qutub-ud-din-Aibak on the throne of Delhi and therefore he was the second Sultan of Delhi. He was the one who took over the construction work of Qutub Minar and managed to complete 3 more floors after Aibak’s death.

The tomb of Iltutmish was constructed by himself. It has a tomb chamber with a central cenotaph. There are exquisite carvings at the entrance and the interior walls of the tomb. Kufi and Naskh character inscriptions can be found on the inside walls. There are 3 mihrabs on the west side of the tomb and the central one is made with marble with exquisite carvings and inscriptions.

Like Aibak, Iltutmish was also a slave. He was bought by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak and grew in stature and position during Aibak’s rule. He married Aibak’s daughter and became the Governor of Badaun. When Aibak died in a polo accident and Aram Shah whose relation to Aibak was shrouded in mystery tried to take over the Sultanate, Iltutmish was invited by Qutbi Amirs to take over as Sultan in Delhi.

He acquired a great nation and is credited with consolidating the power of Sultanate in India. However, he was not able to hold all of them together. Slowly one by one he kept losing parts of the country as rebellions broke out and the Hindu Maharaja’s asserted their dominion over the captured regions. Even his own people in different parts of the country left allegiance to him and started their own Sultanate!

Chandni Chowk of Delhi, India

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Going through chandni chowk and it’s various little gulley’s is a favourite pastime for me and my husband. We would hop on a Delhi metro and shoot off, the moment we find we have a day to ourselves and are not needed to do some errand for the family or go the kids school or run to some other event.

We prefer taking the Delhi metro to this place because one we cannot dream of getting our car into the unmanageable little roads and get stuck in traffic for endless hours. It also gives a breather to my husband who is the only one in our family who can drive right now.

So, on a nice sunny winter day, we set off to be part of the busy streets, hawkers, vendors, chai wallahs, the street food guys. It is an interesting mix of people and buildings, old and new, all intermingled with each other that they still maintain an individuality yet look so distinct.

A person probably visiting for the first time might not find this place interesting at all. I used to be like that. I hated going there amongst the dirt and the chaos, amidst people jostling with each other to get ahead, people screaming at the top of their voices, a mayhem of cycle rikshaws, auto-rickshaws, car, scooter and hoards of people all getting into each others way and nerves.

I only had to make 2 or 3 visits with my husband to really understand the depth of these places. Once you get into a gulley or a lane, the varieties of a single aspect displayed was simply mind boggling. Now, I sometimes simply go there to open up my horizon, of my understanding of what all things are available there.

There is a lane dedicated to only gems and stones. Another lane would be selling only buttons and embellishments. On one lane, you will simply find laces, rows of shops selling different coloured, different styles of laces. There is a lane for bicycle parts, one lane for clothes, one for sarees, one for dry fruits and nuts, spices….. The list just goes on.. Everytime we go, we choose a different lane to explore.

This old Delhi used to be the only Delhi people knew some 30 to 40 years back. By now though the boundaries of Delhi has expanded to beyond Gurgaon on the south and Noida on the west, Rohini on the north, etc. But when you visit old Delhi, you would not imagine that Delhi has expanded so much. Life goes on as it used to couple of decades before. It is as if time stood still somewhere in those periods for Chandni Chowk while the others moved on!

The Royal Jama Masjid of Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Jama Masjid is the biggest mosque in Delhi. It is important as a heritage property as it was built by Shah Jahan and the coronation ceremony of later Mughal emperors were performed by the imams of this mosque. It is walking distance from Red Fort and consequently catered to the needs of the royalty of those times.

The mosque is situated in the middle of the most crowded and congested streets of old Delhi and therefore, getting to the place itself is a bit of adventure.

We took the Delhi metro and got down at the Chawri Bazaar Metro Station and walked the entire length of Chawri Bazaar to reach the West side of Jama Masjid. Crossing Gate No. 5 from where we could see the three domes from behind the structure. we walked around the border to reach Gate No. 3. The entrance gate to the mosque was on top of a flight of stairs. The wide structure looked majestic on top from where we were standing.

There is a wide worship area inside – it is supposed to be able to accommodate 25000 people to worship at the same time. There are 3 entrance gates to the inner porch and entire courtyard is lined with arched verandahs leading to the towers at the four corners.

From the verandah on the opposite side of the mosque, one could see parts of Red Fort. If you come out of the gate on the east side, you will step into the old and famous colourful Meena Bazaar of Delhi.

Humayun’s Tomb

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

The long Lodi road from Safdarjung Tomb ends rather tamely at the Sabz Burj right inside the roundabout, or what is now popularly known as the Neeli Chhatri for its spectacular blue dome. Take the second exit and you are already inside the Humayun Tomb premises. A short walk and an entrance ticket later, we entered the chirpy grounds. I was accompanying my cousin from Kerala on a tour of Delhi and were now at the famed Humayun’s Tomb.

The Humayun’s tomb is preceded by tombs of lesser known personalities, but the fun fact is that they are far better preserved. We were told that the Aga Khan Foundation along with the TATA trust had been engaged to restore the monument to its pristine past. And it was pretty evident.

The squeaky clean pathway that leads to the Humayun’s Tomb

Past the domed gate lay the Humayun Tomb.

The tomb stands on a terraced platform. You can climb up to the platform to enter the tomb. We went in October and the pleasant climate was perfect for viewing.

The tomb has two stories. But the entrance to the upper floors are closed. I am sure there was a time when these were open to the general public, but that day it was closed. 🙁

Humayun’s Tomb, apart from Humayun’s grave, also contains graves of other royal members of the Mughal family of the time.

There are gates on all four sides of the tomb, which gives it a unique quadrilateral look, something of a uniqueness with subsequent Mughal architecture, especially that contains tombs.

We enjoyed our visit and after packing our memories in an electronic plastic card, we made our way to the next destination. More on that later.

Lotus Temple

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

As we exit Nehru Place under the Nehru Place Metro Station towards the Lotus temple, the roads begin to slightly deteriorate. This road definitely needs layering. As we bank left into the road that leads to the Lotus temple, the temple perimeter becomes visible with a lovely fencing that is both aesthetic and useful. The morning sun reflected the temple in all its splendour.

I was taking my cousin, who had come from Kerala, to see a wonderful architectural wonder in modern Delhi – the Lotus Temlpe, the worship abode of the Baha’i community in Delhi. Created in the shape of a flowering lotus, it is an architectural wonder and was opened to public in 1986. It is situated east of Nehru Place, south of East of Kailash and north of Kalkaji. While technically, the place where it stands is called Baharpur, everybody calls it Lotus Temple!! The regular flow of visitors, including a vociferous group of schoolchildren, was picking up as we made our way into the premises. The entry is designed in such a way as to let the visitors view the exterior for an extended period of time before they can enter the sanctorum. Verdant gardens envelop the surroundings and this autumn morning, they were in a colourful riot.

A flight of tastefully crafted steps lead up to the entrance. The structure itself is surrounded by pools of clear water. We came to know that these help keep the sanctorum cool. Footwear is not allowed inside the sanctorum. However, we were provided bags to keep the footwear.

There are nine gates that open into the sanctorum and we entered through one into the coolness of the great hall. Silent and majestic, it was a beautiful experience. We sat in one of the many benches that are provided inside the hall. After a few moments of meditation we explored a bit and then made our way out. The bags were returned and after the many customary photo sessions, we made our way back to our car.

Some facts about the Lotus Temple to help you make your visits more enjoyable

1. Visit towards the evening. The light show is a must-see!
2. More than 20% of the total electricity requirement of 500KW is generated through solar panels.
3. There is an elaborate arrangement for water conservation throughout the premises.
4. The pools cool the sanctorum even in the most fiercest of summers.
5. Photography inside the sanctorum is disallowed.
5. Entrance is free.

Know more about the Baha’i Temple | Wiki Entry on Baha’i Temple

Baha’i Temple on Google Maps

Nehru Place – The IT Hub of Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

If you are a computer geek, then you definitely can’t miss being in the middle of all the cacophony of Nehru Place. From a high end computer and laptop to any computer or mobile accessory, you can find solutions from company owned retail outlet to distributors to shady underhand pirated and cheap illegal stuff. In short, there is a solution to everyone.

As we approach Nehru Place from the South side of Delhi, we start seeing the high-rises of Nehru Place from the overbridge that starts from Sarovar Portico in Pamposh Enclave.

Nehru Place is a cluster of old buildings with outdated lifts and outdated structures which houses some corporates and business houses.

In the middle of these huge structures is one of the most happening central plaza where you can find shops selling computers and mobiles, stationery items, computer accessories, printouts and photocopies, banks punctuated by some food joints and other facilities for people working around this place.

In the central arcade, we can find all sorts of small vendors with their different kinds of wares from belts, purses, bags, computer and mobile accessories, clothes and fabric items.

It was a pleasant surprise to find a section of the market dedicated now to garments and fabrics. There are more varied set of consumers who would be flocking to Nehru Place. As a woman, I used to find Nehru Place quite boring with only computer stuffs, but now there is more to look forward to during a trip to Nehru Place!

Nehru Place is now beginning to be more than just an IT hub. It has multiple other options like Cafe Coffe Day, Epicuria food court and Fitness First gym giving multiple options and products for consumers to experience and shop.

There are big buildings of Microsoft with multiple hotels around Nehru Place.

A metro station with a full fledged food court has also come up at the other end which has made commuting to this hub quite an easy task for people working and shopping here.