Day 1. Tour of New Delhi
While I had to write my ‘basic’ understanding of India’s
History in the previous blog, the tour itself gave further insight into why New
Delhi was such a focal point for the invading Afghans. To understand it better you
need to know that ‘New Delhi’ really is an assortment of 8 cities, all built at
various times, under various circumstances and ‘Empires’.
The “Old” Delhi was really the first city and was a bunch of
temples, 27 temples to be exact, dated from the 800s, huddled together , each one
with its separate supporting infrastructure of buildings according to the Hindu
way of life. Not just housing for the masses but buildings according to their
caste. The 4 main castes, Priests, Warriors, Merchants and Laborers were all
attached to each temple; each one of them having so many sub-casts that boggle
the mind. Just know Old Delhi, the first city, was a large temple city with
unimaginable riches. How rich you ask? Before the Afghans plundered it and
destroyed it?
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| The Iron Pillar and Minaret in the Qutab Minar Complex |
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PADMANABHASWAMY Temple. This temple, fairly recently,
opened one of its vaults to the government of India to evaluate their treasure
of gold and jewels for tax purposes. The results were mind blowing; Values in
the trillions of US Dollars in just one of their hiding places in just a few of
their vaults in just one temple. Old Delhi was known for her riches, remember old
Delhi had 27 temples, each one with their own structure and support group. Yes,
the Afghan looting was stupendous. What is left today of old Delhi is one
replica, one skeleton, one attempt to show how it might have been. It is still impressive;
it still bears mysteries that cannot truly be explained. The
Iron Pillar for
example, a pillar that does not rust despite being 1700 years old.
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| Stonework on the Minaret |
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| Humayun's Tomb |
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| Humayun's Tomb, Inspiration for the Taj Mahal |
After old Delhi we visited the peculiar cemetery of
Humayun’s Tomb. It is not at all an ordinary tomb. This “cemetery” was, at the time it
was established, way outside the city and was laid out like a Persian garden,
representing Paradise. Humayun’s widow took it upon herself to build a
memorial, a tomb for her late husband. Humayun was addicted to opium and most
likely OD’d, dying youngish.
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| Inside the Domed Tomb |
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| Ceiling Tilework |
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| Sarcophagi of Humayun and His Wife |
His wife,
Bega Begum, was stricken and
with the help of a Persian (Iran) architect erected this memorial; a first ever
display of grandeur and love from the royals. This tomb is a precursor for the
later built, now world famous Taj Mahal.
The whole Cemetery Paradise Garden is filled with other tombs too. Some of those buildings were built
to prolong relationships even in the afterlife. Bega Begum’ gold smith has a
tomb built near her burial place. Humayun’s opium supplier was honored with a
tomb near his mausoleum. The whole layout, the whole garden and all the
buildings within it, are immense. We saw the sarcophagus of Humayun and his
favorite wife Bega Begum, but their real grave was below ground. According to
Islamic tradition the actual graves should not be disturbed by noisy and nosy “tourists”. I kind of liked the idea of letting them
‘Rest in Peace’. Amen.
