Having spent a bit of time enjoying an overview of Delhi, we took a few hours to explore some popular attractions in the capital city of India. These included the homes of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Jawarharlal Nehru, the Qutb Minar complex and the Lotus Baha’i Temple.
These barely scratched the surface of the many beautiful faces of this the most attractive of all Indian cities.
These were also deeply spiritual and inspiring sites in their own way. Visiting the homes of Indira Gandhi and her father Pandit Nehru may at first seem like an opportunity to see two towering historical figures, both nationally and internationally.
However, viewing the physical articles that were part of their lives and reading bits of their speeches, letters, news coverage was a moving experience. One only had to recall the legacy of the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, to make a connection with how these two leaders strove to live the values by which Gandhi lived and died.
The love of country, commitment to equality of religions, struggle for rights of women and children, all were reflected in the lives of these leaders as well as to Mrs. Gandhi’s son, Ragiv Gandhi.
These are some images of the homes of Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Gandhi. Photo 1: glass square on ground is spot where Mrs. Gandhi was shot by her own bodyguards; Photo 2. Mrs. Gandhi's living room; Photo 3. Mr. Nehru's living room; Photo 4. Eternal flames, or "jyothi," in memory the three former prime ministers.
I had never known about Qutb-Minar before, so it first appeared looked like an ancient tower in the middle of the city. But it is much more than that – enough in fact to be designated a world heritage monument.
The foundations of this world famous tower were laid by Qutuddin Akbar in the 12th century. It is in three stories, the last two having to be finished by successive rulers. The 72.5 m structure is the tallest stone tower in India. It was built as a tower of victory attached to Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.
The Qutb Complex includes the Qutb Minar, built as a victory tower and place to call the people to prayer; Quwwat-ul-Islam, the first mosque built in Delhi in 1193 CE by Qutubbin to mark his victory over Rajputs; Alain Darwaza, main gateway to the mosque and first building in India to use Islamic architectural styles; and Imam Zamin's Tomb.
Here are some images of this impressive landmark.
Finally, we had the most pleasant experience to see the Lotus Temple, the Baha’i House of Worship. As the name implies, the building design is inspired by the lotus flower. The domed-shaped building is surrounded by nine large pools of water that blend in with the structure as well as the expansive beautifully maintained lawn.
The building is nine-sided, a sacred number to Baha’is, and is made totally of marble and white concrete. The inside is a giant circular hall filled with marble benches, where visitors and worshippers are welcome to enter in silence and pray or meditate. No lectures or rituals are performed; only Baha’i readings from Holy Scriptures are read.
The lotus temple sits on almost 27 acres, is almost 35 m tall and can accommodate 1300 people. There are 27 lotus petals made of white concrete; the outside petal are clad in white Greek marble petals.
These are some photos of this impressive structure.
Please come back to our blog for our impressions and images of Amritsar and the famous Golden Temple, our last stop in our visit to the Indian sub-continent..
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