New Delhi Sites & Scenes
The capital of India is full of history, art, shopping, and more! A few highlights include:
Dilli Haat is an open air market that sells artisan goods from all over India!
The India Gate is a memorial to the Indian Army members whose lives were lost during World War I.
The hand drums are tabla - those are ancient tabla! I started learning how to play the tabla in January 2024 - it’s so much fun!
The videos are a couple of scenes while riding in an auto (a.k.a. a tuk tuk)
HumayUn’s Tomb
Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor, succeeding his father, Babur. Humayun’s wife commissioned the structure and it was the largest project utilizing sandstone at this scale for the time. Humayun’s wife, Empress Bega Begum, was distraught over the loss of her husband, that she utilized her own financial resources to have this tomb built in his memory. Over time many Mughal leaders were interned in various parts of this area.
Nizamuddin Dargah
Nizamuddin Dargah is a memorial and tomb for Nizamuddin Auliya, a Sufi Saint. Thousands make pilgrimages to the site weekly to pay respects. The Dargah includes several other tombs, a mosque, and vendors. The video below is a small snippet of Sufi singers.
Taj Mahal
Built in the 1600’s by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mamtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal took 22 years and 20,000 people to build this structure of white marble. It’s located on the Yamuna riverbanks and has beautiful gardens surrounding the structures. To this day, only the descendants of the original builders are trusted to provide maintenance to the Taj Mahal. The descendants live nearby and on Fridays the Taj Mahal is closed to the public, only the descendants of the original construction workers have access to the property and are the only ones permitted to utilize the adjacent mosque.
Check out the video below to see the perspective of walking through the entrance gate to see the this extraordinary ancient wonder of the world!
