Our First Full Day in Delhi, post 2, Sight Seeing
Delhi is a huge city, filled with the hustle and bustle that you find in huge cities and many sights to see. It is very polluted. The smog is thick in the air. 4 days ago citizens of Delhi voted, and today they have either begun counting or begun releasing the results of the election.
We walk from the apartment where we are staying, a couple of blocks to what is called the office. The office has a large common area, a kitchen, the sleeping quarters of one staff person, and an office. The staff have been glued to the television every time we have been there, watching the results of the election. They are hoping a new party comes to power in Delhi, because according to them the party in power now is very corrupt.
They make three meals a day for our group, then we clean up. The meals so far have been of mixed quality, ranging from bad to mediocre to very good. I wish there was a photo of me when Jim and I walked in last night and Sean and the rest of the group had been served a dinner of potato chips, pizza with a white flour crust, soda, and salad. I told Jim, “This is junk food.” The good news is there are lots of wonderful restaurants in Delhi. Sean of course thought dinner was great.
The women here wear beautifully covered clothes. Some dress traditionally, and some dress like Westerners do.
This is the lotus temple. It is a temple for the Baha’i Faith. This is a newish religion. We found it very interesting. Sean said if he were to choose a faith, this would be the one he would choose. (Two years later he still feels the same way.) It was started in Iran by a man named Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah was born in 1817 into a Muslim family. He felt there needed to be a new religion coming out of all the major religions. He thought religions should evolve with time, and he wanted to create a religion that better reflects modern times. Baha’u’llah was persecuted and jailed for his beliefs and actions. His followers believe he was a Messenger of God along the lines of Abraham, Moses, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, and Zoroaster. His story is fascinating. He was imprisoned for most of his life. His young son was allowed to live in prison with him. It is there his son learned the word of God. I think I remember correctly, that his son also spent many years imprisoned for his beliefs.
This is from their website so I get it correct. “The central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá’u’lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification.”
After our three days in a segregated society, this message really resonated with Sean in particular. Both men and women can be leaders in this religion.
There is a guy who can sleep! This truck was weaving in and out of traffic with the rest of us.
There are no clear divisions between lanes. Cars get really close to each other. I have no desire to drive here. I have been impressed with how well our drivers negotiate the roads.
Check out the bull. These little three-wheeled taxis are every where, zipping in and out of traffic.
LOL, Keep Distance. Nobody does on the road here.
These are of the Isn Khan’s Tomb.
He wanted a photo with me, so I got one with him too. He was involved in agriculture in Afghanistan for 28 years. That is what he told me in very broken English. All I could think was poppies or perfume. I am hoping it was perfume. It is really amazing how many people around the world can speak at least some English.
Then he pushed me away to have his photo taken with Sean.
There is a wall all around the tomb that you can walk on. It is not particularly safe, but it was kind of cool. That is Jim and Hillary, from our group, in the photo.
These are of Wendy. She lives in Seattle. I love Seattle. Now I have someone to visit there.
This is the main attraction. This property goes on and on. Every time you think you are nearing the end, you walk a little farther and realize it keeps going.
That is smog obscuring the photos.
Silhouette of Jim and Sean
These steps are so steep, you almost tumble down them.
Hillary is Jewish and she was interested to find the Star of David featured prominently in many places on the tomb.
We were followed around the back of the tomb by a group of dogs. Sean wanted to pet them, “NO!”
I made Sean wear shorts. We didn’t see one other person in shorts the entire day.
These are all government building, I have lost track of which are which.
Monkeys! There were wild monkeys walking on the street.
That pot has jalebi in it.
The jalebi makers. They are a deep-fried confection, (we think) soaked in honey when they come out of the oil. Soaked in something sugary, that is all we really know for sure. I am also going to post a video of them making it.
Check out the first part of today here.
