Heat and the Lovely Architecture!

How hot does Jason look??? This is at the entrance to Humayun's Tomb in Old Delhi. Humayun is the second Mughal emperor. This is the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. It was built in 1565 by a Persian architect. We are standing just outside the gate to the garden that leads to the tomb.

This is the tomb itself. I like this picture because it is a great picture, but also because at this moment we are so hot that we are calculating how long it will take us to walk across the courtyard to enter the tomb -- and of course, if there is any shade along the way! We are loving the red sandstone, but it is fire hot. It attracts and retains the heat in such a way that when you are standing next to it, on it, whatever, it is like standing next to a small inferno. Its just that hot.

After climbing the steps to the second floor, you can see the full courtyard we walked across to enter the tomb. The gardens were immaculate. The tomb is sandstone and marble, but was gorgeous throughout.

Jason's art shot. The money shot really. Side view. Actually, I have to agree. It looks exactly how Old Delhi/Mughal architecture looks in my mind.

And we are done. Done for the day. I am cooked. Literally. Little did I know there would be one more stop after this! But you'll have to wait for tomorrow to read about it, as we have to get some sleep now! There are elephants to be ridden in the morning!

More from the garden...

Okay, so this is a butt shot. I like it though because you can really see how unique and varied the tombs are. They are just stunning and to me, so totally exotic. Jason is telling me that this tomb is "the tomb of Sikandar Lodi". We have no idea who Lodi is, except that he lived from 1489 to 1517. Oh that and his tomb was really incredible!

The bridge. Athpula bridge to be correct. Dates from the 17th century and literally translates to "eight piers". This is Jason's art shot. Actually, its so good it looks nearly identical to the one in our guide book. And here is a secret for you. Public displays of affection are such no nos in India. In fact, young couples have to work really hard and escaping from their families in order to spend time with one another. Turns out, they do this in parks. Everywhere you look in the park (perhaps this one in particular is so beautiful), there are young couples cuddling in the shade. Its very romantic, and you can only imagine that in such a strict culture, this time alone must be a welcome retreat!

For Gayle.

This is just one example of the size of the magnolia trees in Lodi Gardens. My mom really likes magnolia trees, so I thought she would be interested in seeing their size. I can also report that they smell wonderful! The smell wafts throughout the entire garden!

First days...

Our first day. First tourist stop actually. This is Jami Masjid. It is the largest mosque in India. It can hold up to 20,000 people at peak prayer times! Of course, in order to hold this many people its entirely outdoors. But as its still a mosque, it is treated as such, and therefore you have to take your shoes off to enter.
From Jason: The mosque was built in 1656.
Personal note: Its about 8:30 in the morning. Jason and I were daft enough to think Delhi wasn't actually that bad. We thought "eh, we can totally do this!" More on that stupid thinking later!

This is Raj Ghat. This is the site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation. The words on the front of the memorial are Gandhi's last words -- "Oh God!" It was a lovely memorial. Throughout the courtyard there the most wonderful magnolia trees. The courtyard is in a larger garden that is fairly sacred so it is incredibly well cared for and consequently stunning.

The arrival of the heat. If you look closely Jason looks as though he is on fire. In fact we may be at this point. Stifled by the heat, we are now thinking we were morons at 8:30 am for thinking Delhi would be in any way bearable. In fact in this picture its only about 11:00 am. The heat and humidity are like a wall. You can't escape it. The real downside has been that Jason and I measure distance and the amount of shade prior to walking to any monument, sight, etc. Its depressing as most things are quite close, but when you factor in the sweat and the heat -- they might as well be miles away!!

Okay, back to India Gate. It was built to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who dies in World War I. On the sandstone, if you get really close (which I was because it was shady), you can see the names of all the soldiers who died. There was a little ceremony happening when we visited, so it was nice to see the soldiers at their memorial.

After an afternoon siesta and lunch (both at the hotel in air conditioning), we headed out for round two. This is Lodi Gardens. It is by far the nicest, loveliest garden in all of Delhi. Jason even thinks it might be the nicest garden ever! I am standing in front of one of the many tombs in the garden. So basically you walk around and look at all the trees, flowers, and ponds -- and then you see these tombs. Their architecture is like nothing I had ever seen. The tombs are empty inside and you are free to walk around wherever you please.
This particular tomb is called Bara Gumbad. There is a mosque attached to it that was built in 1494. The tombs are in remarkable condition, considering their age. One interesting note -- this particular tomb is so old, that no one knows who is buried inside!!