Sunset at the Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple is an iconic building in Delhi that is known for its unusual shape.  It is a temple of the Baha'i faith, which originated in Persia in the 19th century.  The Baha'i religion is an independent monotheistic religion that is based on the premise that all of the world's major religions are part of a unified process through which God reveals his will to humanity.  Followers of the Baha'i faith subscribe to the belief that humanity should become unified into one global society.  I'm not normally one to promote any kind of religious beliefs, but I'm a fan of belief systems that call for global unity and world peace, no matter how idealistic a goal that may seem.

The construction of the Lotus Temple was completed in 1986.  There are a couple of interesting architectural elements that are common to Baha'i temples, which are found in the Lotus Temple.  All Baha'i Houses of Worship have a nine-sided circular shape and a dome.  The nine sides of the Lotus Temple are formed by the petals of the lotus flower, and the dome is formed by the center of the lotus.  The temple is built from Grecian marble.

Since its construction, the temple has won numerous architectural awards.  Considering its striking appearance, it is not difficult to see why.

Though it is lovely during the day, the Lotus Temple is especially special at sunset, with the sun's last rays reflecting off the white marble.

Lotus Temple and gardens at sunset

A History Lesson at the Lal Qila in Delhi

Lal Qila, meaning Red Fort in Hindi, is a complex in present-day Delhi built from red sandstone.
It is a complex of buildings that were originally constructed during the time of the Mughal empire in 1638, when the emperor Shah Jahan moved the capital from Agra to Delhi.  It was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad, the name of Shah Jahan's new capital.

From the outside, Lal Qila looks exactly like what I'd imagine a fortress to be.  It has high walls and towers that were used to keep watch.  It even has a moat, which was originally fed by water from the Yamuna River, though it is now dried up.

Walls of Lal Qila

Exploring Fatehpur Sikri

Although I didn't entirely understand the tour guide because of my lack of Hindi skills, I still had a wonderful time exploring Fatehpur Sikri.  Fatehpur Sikri is a capital of the Mughal empire built by the emperor Akbar in the late 1500s.  It was in use for around 15 years and was abandoned because of the lack of water sources.

Approaching Fatehpur Sikri

I should have learned Hindi

It's possible to travel in Delhi and Agra without speaking Hindi, but I really should have tried harder to learn it.

I should have taught myself Hindi

When I went to Fatehpur Sikri with my Delhi host, we hired a guide to show us around.  I'm always nervous about getting ripped off in India, so I try not to speak English.  In this case, that meant I stayed mute and we ended up with a guide who spoke Hindi.

Yellow-Tinted Taj Mahal

I don't want to say that the Taj Mahal was a disappointment because it's difficult for anything that beautiful to disappoint.  However, it wasn't quite the highlight of my recent trip to India that I'd hoped it would be.

Of course, seeing the Taj Mahal in person was marvelous.  I'd seen pictures before, but nothing can compare with the sight of the marble structure seemingly rising up in front of you as you pass through the gate.  As annoyed as I was by the hordes of people pushing and shoving their way through the entrance, I couldn't deny how spectacular it was.

I planned my visit to the Taj Mahal poorly, meaning that I didn't plan at all.  So I ended up visiting on a Saturday during a three-day weekend, two days before the full moon, when the Taj Mahal can be viewed by moonlight at night.

Crowds at the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal: Check!

Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow.  Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time...
- Rabindranath Tagore

I was excited when I discovered that the cheapest way for me to get to India this fall was to fly into Delhi.  I figured that I could fly to Hyderabad, where my family is, after a day or two and try to cram in a trip to see the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

The Taj Mahal had always seemed like such an exotic place to me. It is touted as the greatest monument to love, built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan as a mausoleum for his favorite wife Arjumand Banu Begum, known also as Mumtaz Mahal.  The less romantic part about it is that Shahjahan cut off the hands of the workers who built this marvelous structure so that they could never build another one like it.  It is a beautiful work of art though.

For most people, it seems that the Taj Mahal is India.  But though I've been to India several times, I had never been to North India, which is where the Taj Mahal is.  On this trip, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in New Delhi and Agra and visit the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is not visible from outside the entrance, and the first glimpse of it came as I entered the gate.  As I walked through the gate, it seemed as if the Taj Mahal was rising up out of the ground to meet me.

Note the hordes

Delhi in 1 day

Seeing a city in one day is difficult, but it is possible to hit a lot of the major sights.  I had one day in Delhi during my trip to India, and I was able to see a surprising number of things.  I had a taxi at my disposal, so I didn't have to worry about transportation between places (or haggling with auto drivers in a language I barely speak), but the Metro system is supposed to be quite good as well.

I have to say that Delhi is surprisingly clean, and there is an initiative to make the city more green, so there are lots of trees and open spaces.  The green initiatives actually seem to be gaining momentum all over the country.  Even in Hyderabad (the current capital city of Andhra Pradesh), there is more of an effort to maintain open spaces, which I don't remember being as much of an emphasis seven years ago, when I last visited.

I really enjoyed what I saw of Delhi.  There a lot of history there alongside the modern infrastructure, and it's fascinating to see the two interwoven throughout the city.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to go back and explore some more.