The Kipling Delhi Connection: Eh?  Think it was just a good place to transfer off to Shimla and to from which to fly home because Kipling never visited this part of India!  Plus, Amit is based in Delhi, so it was a perfect opportunity for all of us to meet.  Except for the Marshmallow (see the posts on Delhi), it was a perfect city for transferring and sightseeing adventures.

We have no idea how we managed it, but we did manage to sleep through the night and wake up early so we can begin to get our bodies back onto US East Coast time.  We manage coffee in the room, then go down to the breakfast room, where they aren’t ready yet, but finally get things on the buffet line.  I stick with bananas and a roti, Ed actually has a sausage or something. 

Taking a bathroom break in the room, we then downstairs to meet our driver and tour guide.  We are really happy to see that Raj is our driver once again. We like him a lot, he’s very good and nice.  Our tour guide’s name is VP (we actually found out a name!) and is from Jodhpur, but living and working as a guide in Delhi because he can make a better living here. 

This was supposed to be a full day tour, but we told Amit we only wanted a half day as we want to try to sleep this afternoon in order to work on the jet lag.  Negotiating an early departure, we leave a little before 8am and are at our first stop, the Humayun Tomb just after 8.  We had visited here before on our trip in 2018, but on our own with Maggi and Richard, so we had no guide to give us the details.  Besides that, it is definitely worth visiting again – plus at this time of the morning, we have the huge garden grounds virtually all to ourselves.

VP walks all over the gardens, telling us stories and playing photographer.  Humayun was the first garden tomb built on the Indian subcontinent, built by Mughal builders commissioned by Humayun’s wife and is what inspired the design of the Taj Mahal.  Humayun in Red sandstone, the Taj in white marble.  The tomb itself is an example of “Charbagh” – 4 quadrant gardens with 4 rivers of paradise represented by channels that are joined to pools at the end.

Sending us into the huge mausoleum with the 140-foot-tall dome, VP lets us wander through the interior on our own, snapping photos everywhere.  There are so many architectural features, and so many great photo opportunities.

Inside the main octagonal tomb is the burial chamber of Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor.  The cenotaph is aligned north to south as is the Islamic tradition.  The real burial chamber though is underneath the upper centograph, and not available to the public.  In another chamber off to the side are the three burial centographs of Humayun’s wives and a child.   It is said that over 150 Mughal family members’ graves are in the tomb, giving it the name, “Dormitory of the Mughals.”

The exterior views of the tomb, from the raised square surrounding the main edifice truly remind us of the Taj Mahal – same design, different stone – otherwise?  Absolutely you can see the inspiration.  From up here too, you can view the Barber’s tomb.  Yes, the Barber’s. Although it predates Humayan’s tomb, legend has it that Humayan loved his barber so much, his tomb was built and prominently placed on the grounds in close proximity to where the main structure of Humayan’s tomb would eventually be built.

Our last visit inside the Charbagh was Isa Khan’s tomb and mosque.  These buildings also predated Humayan’s tomb by about 20 years and is the only surviving octagonal walled mausoleum left intact with walls, mosque and gates.   We first wander around the tomb, viewing all the centographs inside, then head over the mosque, where we can’t enter, but still have the opportunity for some great exterior photos.

Once again, TIE (timing is everything).  As we are leaving a couple of huge school groups are waiting to enter the complex – what a different visit this would have been with all those children milling about.  Perfect time to make our escape and head to India Gate.  Yay!

We finally made it here – we’re so excited.  In 2019, we were here on Republic Day, one of the biggest holidays of the year and all the streets around the Gate were closed down for parades and celebrations.  We couldn’t get near the place – we were barely able to snap pictures from the bus – and you really couldn’t see the gate at all, just the people in the streets. Today? A totally different story.  We park and walk through the underground tunnel to the Monument, a memorial dedicated to the more 74,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died during the first World War.    There is hardly anyone around as VP plays photographer, then walks us around the war memorial, pointing out some of the 13,300 names inscribed on the walls. 

Driving out of the Gate lot, we head over to the Presidential Palace complex, double parking on the wide promenade for a few quick photos.  The Ministry of Defense building complex is in the forefront (fitting), the Presidential Palace dome rising in the background.

Next, we head to the Ugrasen Ki Baoli, a 200 foot long stepwell hidden down a little alley (that has some great graffiti murals).  The stepwell, if we remember correctly, used to be used by royalty or the upper class here, for water and to come and relax in the heat.  It has 108 steps and is one of a very few stepwells left in Delhi.  VP also tells us it has been used for many film shoots over the years, and is now a popular place to come and take photos (which is evidence by 2 young girls who are posing for selfies in the entrance arches as we are leaving).

A quick stop at the Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir or Birla Mandir, where we have also been before, but is still a beautiful example of Hindu architecture.  Deidcated to Lakshmi and Narayan (AKA Vishnu), the temple was built by a wealthy industrialist (named Birla) in thanks for his good fortune in business.  No photos inside, but we do manage to do a quick photo shoot outside with VP.

Our last stop of the day is the Lotus Temple – a gorgeous Baha’I Faith temple, that is open and welcome to everyone.  The gardens are beautiful with the temple in the shape of a giant lotus in the background.  We have some debate about whether to go inside the temple, but there are literally thousands of people streaming toward the sanctuary, and VP tells us there is nothing inside, just benches for worship.  As it is getting late, almost noon and we really want to get back to the skanky hotel to sleep a bit before our flight, we politely decline walking all the way out to the temple to see nothing.  We are happy with the photos we can take from here, and of course VP is always around to act as our personal photographer. 

Tour complete, we ask VP and Raj to stop at a shop so we can buy snacks – we aren’t hungry for a complete lunch, just something to nibble before we nap, and end up with a monstrous bag of Kopiko for just over $1 USD.  Total bargain.  And chips too of course – and then we are back at the hotel, getting ready for our afternoon nap and confirming with Raj that he will be back at 7pm to pick us up for the airport.  Amazing as it seems, our trip is almost complete!