First Day of Delhi Sightseeing

On Wednesday I was planning to do a guided day tour of Delhi but because I got in so late the night before I decided to see Delhi on my own so that I could go at my own pace.  I got a day metro pass, took along my huge guidebook so that if there was ever a doubt in someone’s mind they now knew for sure that I was a tourist, and set off.  The area I stayed in had a market in walking distance so I went and had breakfast there.  I was so excited when I saw a bagel shop! I’ve been enjoying Indian food but do miss some of the things I’m used to eating at home.  It wasn’t any Bruegger’s but it was still a good breakfast and nice to have some food that reminded me of home. 

After breakfast my first stop was the Red Fort.  This is similar to the Agra Fort but because I only saw the exterior of the fort in Agra I went in Delhi as well to see the inside.  It was interesting to see the courtyards and halls used by the emperors and see the architecture of the buildings.

From outside the Red Fort


Where the emperor used to sit to hear grievances from the public  

There is a drop on the other side of the courtyard. They used to have animal fights - between elephants and lions! - in the arena below and the royals would watch from here. Notice all the birds on top...

Looking down from the other side, the birds took flight

The detail of all the buildings is incredible

The Red Fort is located in Chandni Chowk, a section of Delhi.  I didn’t get a good picture of the streets – I wish I had gone up into a building to take one from above.  The streets were crazy! They were packed, and I mean really packed, with people selling and buying all sorts of things.  It was a sight to see but also a little intimidating to navigate through as a solo traveler, the auto rickshaw drivers and street vendors can be very aggressive trying to get your business.  As I was trying to make my way back to the metro I saw an Indian female about my age going in the same direction.  I asked her if she was going to the metro and she was so we talked and she led the way. Shereen was great to talk to, she went to school for business and interior design and was in the process of starting her own business.  She gave me some suggestions on places to go (and told me that Chandni Chowk is not a great place to walk around) and she even gave me her cell phone number in case I had any trouble finding my way during the rest of my Delhi trip.  It was these types of experiences that made me glad that I went alone because if I were with someone else I probably wouldn’t have asked for help and the only interaction I would have had would’ve been with the pushy vendors.

My next stop was Connaught Place, a major shopping area.  Because it was Diwali all of the shops had a half-day and were closing when I got there.  I walked around for a bit to see the area and then made my way to a close by temple.

Some of the deities

After this I headed over to Central Secretariat where a lot of the government buildings are located including the President's house.  When I was getting off the metro I spotted two girls sitting looking at a guide book, I figured they were planning to see the same sites I was so I asked if I could join them.  They were German students who finished an internship in Bangladesh and had been traveling in India for the past month.  It was nice to have company for some of the sightseeing and also interesting to hear about their travels and compare stories.  We saw all of the government buildings and the Gate of India.  Then we headed over to a well-known store that sells different products from all over India.

Parliament House

Ministry of Finance
There was an identical building on the opposite side of the road
and they both flanked the presidential residence forming a square

Rashtrapati Bhavan aka President's house

Lawn in front of presidential residence

India Gate

At night I went to the Khanna’s family’s house for Diwali.  Mr. and Mrs. Khanna were in Delhi for the holiday because this is where most of their family lives.  We first went to their son’s home, he is married and has twin 11-year-old daughters.  Here we did a puja – prayers – and played some cards before going to the big family gathering.  The family party was at Mr. Khanna’s father’s house where he lives with two of his sons (and their families) – really it’s like a three family home each with their own kitchens and dining rooms etc etc so as you can imagine the house was big and it was all decorated, it was beautiful. The senior Mr. Khanna was at one point the chief justice and he turns 100 in January! I was very impressed.  The night was filled with good food and drinks and celebration and lots of fireworks.  I’m used to seeing fireworks from a distance for the 4^th of July, that’s not how they do it here. We went out front and they lit them right on the street in front of where we were standing and big ones too! All night, and all week, people were setting off fireworks to celebrate Diwali, it was very festive.  I really enjoyed meeting and talking with the Khanna’s family and it was great to take part in their family celebration. It was another long but well spent day.