Sights Of Delhi

Our full-day tour of India's capital included some amazing sights. First, our guide took us to old Delhi where we rode in rickshaws through narrow streets teeming with people, shops, and animals. Then our bus took us to a Unesco World Heritage site, the Mughal Emperor Humayun's Tomb, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, built in 1565 and situated amid gardens and fountains. From there we went to Raj Ghat, the memorial built to commemmorate modern India's founder, Mahatma Ghandi. He was cremated here, and a black marble platform with an eternal flame marks the spot. Following lunch for our tour group, a lengthy feast at Veda Restaurant at Connaught Place, we saw another World Heritage site. This was the ruins of pre-Mughal Delhi,, containing a stone tower, the Qutub Minar, and a 12th century mosque, the first built in India. The tower soars up 73 meters, and the mosque is decorated with both Hindu columns and Muslim carvings. On our way back to the hotel, we saw British "New Delhi" with the Parliament Building and the former Viceroy's Palace, with dozens of Rhesus monkeys romping on the vast lawns. Tonight will be our farewell dinner in Delhi before we leave for Kolkata in the morning. - Dan