Day 3 – Delhi sightseeing

After my expensive half-day tour of Delhi using the hotel car and driver, I made it a point to see if the Embassy could hook a brotha up. Indeed, they were fantastically helpful in making arrangements for me. I was able to do two half-days of sightseeing with a car, driver, and a tour guide for 2,000 rupees. To put that in perspective, I paid 3,000 for my half-day with the hotel driver who spoke very little English. My tour guide, Maneer was really quite knowledgeable about the many dynasties that have ruled India over the years. Having him show me around the archaeological sites was truly a delight. He told me everything I ever wanted to know about the Moguls, Afghans, and Brits who have all played prominent roles in India, but particularly in Delhi.

The first stop on our tour was the Qutab Minar (minar means tower in Arabic), which was built by the Afghans after they defeated the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. Construction on the Qutab (named after the conqueror who started construction on the tower) began in 1193, but it had to be completed by successive Afghan rulers. There are other ruins there as well like a mosque (purported to be the first one built in India) and the base of a tower that was initially designed to be taller than the Qutab one. The ruler who started building it died shortly after construction began, so it is not much higher than forty or fifty feet because none of his successors were as concerned with building a tall tower when they had enemies to worry about. The intricate, Islamic architecture is beautiful as anyone who has seen Islamic ruins can attest. The mosque was actually built on the foundations of a Hindu temple partly with sculptures of Hindu and Jain gods and goddesses, which had to be defaced.

After seeing the Qutab Minar we went to the Lotus temple, which looks a lot like the Opera House in Sydney, but is actually a Ba’hai temple. It was built in 1986 in the shape of a Lotus flower (hence the name) and is considered a house of faith for all religions.

We stopped at a rug store and I was given a demo on how they make rugs. They had some beautiful designs and colors, but having recently arrived, I was not confident enough in my bartering skills to make a purchase! Of course, the rains came (as they do regularly during the monsoon season) so a brief stop at Safdarjung’s tomb was all we had time to do after the lengthy “shopping” detour. By the way, I have since learned that those “shopping” stops are not unusual as drivers often get a cut of any sales. Beware, that if and when you visit India, you might as well be wearing dollar bills on your forehead. Anyone will be your best friend for the right price!