Sunday, December 16, 2007

Delhi Thrills - A Photo Blog

I am not a historian nor someone who fared very well in history in school, but over the years I have begun to love places and monuments that will outlive me ands many others and speak of a civilization we call, Indian. And in that respect, I am a proud Indian.

So, let us take a tour around Delhi, through my eyes.

The star attraction of the Qutb complex is, of course, the Qutb Minar (1200-1210) itself, started by Aibak but finished by Iltutmish. The decreasing in size as the tower moves up and so if you look up it looks really high. The two topmost storeys, were added later by Feroze Shah Tughlaq. It is an excellent example of Afgan architecture. The Minar is 72.5 metres high.


Design on the inside of the many domes at the Kutub Minar...


Crowd at The Baha'i House - Lotus Temple

Baha’I House of Worship is also known as The Lotus Temple. It was built in 1987 and signifies the purity and equality of all religions.


Lotus Temple


The Main tomb at Lodi Garden....


Lodi Gardens With the Lodi dynasty and most Mughal kings sthe capital had shifted to Agra. Delhi wasn't really abondoned but its importance played down.
Yet the buildings that stand in Lodi Gardens today are a joy forever and a remembrance of the austerity and impressiveness of Tughlaq times.


A glace of the same from a different angle

Lodi Gardens, was landscaped in 1968 by the famous Joseph Allen Stein. It has the mid-15th century Bada Gumbad and the Shish Gumbad. And the Tomb of Sikandar Lodi (1517), near a bridge called Athpula, the latter built in Akbar's time. Lodi Garden continues to remain the joggers and walkers paradise.

Isha Khan's tomb

Humayun's Tomb It is a place of silence, the Tomb as well as its surrounding garden. You can sit there for hours, just lost in thoughts. Such a quiet dignity surrounds it. Babur's son Humayun and daughter-in-law Haji Begum had spent a good five years in Persia in exile. When they returned they came with a retinue of Persian architects and artisans. And thus began the formal interface of Persian trends with Indian architecture, which you find in the Taj Mahal as well.

Humayun's Tomb (1565-66) was built by Haji Begam. It is a prototype of The Taj and replicates the garden tombs of that era.is thus the first of the famous garden tombs of the Mughals, the first tomb in . We are grateful that this building has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1993).


Inside Isha Khan's tomb Tomb


Humayun's Tomb

Without mention of the silence of Humayun’s tomb and the surrounding areas, it is in fact a sin to leave this short account. Blissfully, silent, one which everyone must experience.

Red Fort This was built by Shah Jahan who also built The Taj Mahal. The historic Red Fort at Chandni Chowk (Shahjahanabad) is a perfect example of Persian urban-planning precepts, which believed in expressing the relation between human beings and the world when designing cities.

Shahjahanabad (1648) was established when Shah Jahan desired a formally planned capital as opposed to the sporadic collection of buildings that was Agra. It's a travesty to speak of 'Shahjahanabad', since the city was systematically destroyed by the British after the Revolt of 1857, cut through by a railway line, turned over to the Army in independent India.

Inside The Red Fort - Deewan'i Khaas, Dewan'i aam...
Entrance of The Red Fort

The Red Fort houses the Diwan-i-Aam with its painted marble canopy; Khaas Mahal (the king's quarters) with its incredibly intricate marble jaali; the adjacent Diwan-i-Khaas ('Hall of Private Audience'); the Shah Burj in a secluded corner, built for no other known purpose except the emperor's luxury of whiling away time... 'marble tents' all of them. The construction of Red Fort started in 1639 and ended in 1648.





Outside Red Fort

Opposite the Red Fort you have the Jama Masjid which is the largest mosque in India and stands across the road from Red Fort. It was built in 1656 by Shahjahan. Also opposite are the Jain temples.




At Raj Ghat - The Father Of The Nation - Hey Ram

















11 comments:

Durgasankar Mandal said...

Such wonderful photographs. These monuments did not look as beautiful in May, 1999 when I last visited them as they are in the photographs. The photographer's eyes filtered out all that is mundane and presented them which are surreal.

Julia Dutta said...

Durga,
Thanks again. I am terribly sorry Durga, I just went to your posts and got all lost and could not comment. Please send me how to simply go to your blogs and comment. I loved you with your baby, btw.
Julia

Saija said...

your lovely country is so different from Canada, my home ... and even Finland - the land of my birth ...

beautiful photo's! :o)

Durgasankar Mandal said...

"Please send me how to simply go to your blogs and comment. I loved you with your baby, btw."

I could not understand the above two sentences, Julia.

Julia Dutta said...

Saija,
So is your country so beautiful dressed in a white Christmas robe!

Durga,
Things have changed in your blog....I came across some yahoo stuff which I had to sign into to comment. Oh I was so confused.
Julia

Durgasankar Mandal said...

oh you tried to visit my blog? No, I haven't changed anything there!
http://wayofsadhana.blogspot.com
did you try to leave a comment?

Julia Dutta said...

Yes Durga I tried anyway I am trying again thru' your URL
Julia

Amrita said...

Julia I have noted down Pishimar 's recepi and will try it. your photos are really good.

Julia Dutta said...

Hi Amrita,
Thanks for visiting. Your Mom and Aunt will love Pishima's Chechki.
Julia

Amrita said...

I made the chechki today and it was so good.Thanks for the recipe. Now I 'm looking for a good Bangladeshi chicken tikka masala recipe which they have popularized in the UK

Julia Dutta said...

Hi Amrita,
Chicken tikka is not a true bengali dish. More of a north Indian/Punjabi dish. However, you can look up my blog later to find the mutton dish that we Bengali's make. You could do it with Chicken.
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
Julia