Monday is not the best day for sightseeing in Delhi because so many things are closed. However Sikh Temples are open and welcoming to all comers. Jaspal was keen to show us around and explain the nature of the Sikh religion.
This is the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple. It is a magnificent white marble edifice topped with golden onion domes. It is a wonderful haven of peace with live music wafting through the atmosphere along with readings from the holy book. There is a dress code as you can see, bare feet and covered head. Nobody asks for money. There is a residence where you can stay at no cost and a very large hall that distributes free food. This is prepared by volunteers, so we did our bit. Helen preparing the chapatis.
Sikhism is unusual for several admirable reasons. It makes no attempt to convert people, stresses the importance of tolerance and personal respect between peoples. They are not cheek turners however and have formidable reputation as warriors. The temple was built to commemorate the 8th Guru Harkrishan Devon who tended to victims of cholera and smallpox as a 6 year old before he died in 1664. There is also a large tank of water which has healing properties.
Bit like Lourdes really same idea different God. We moved on to another water feature, this one being considerably earlier at C12 CE. It is a step well which allows people access to the water no matter how the level changes.
As our car is going in for a service prior to the long trip, we have the use of Rajan's brand new big smart car and driver who is called Ram. Maybe this is a bit of a sales pitch as we are offered the use of this car for all the trip at a higher price. There is another thing that is restricting our activities and that is the state visit of the Prime Minister of Israel 🇮🇱 Benjamin Netanyahu. He has obviously read this blog because he is planning to visit the Taj Mahal tomorrow at the same time as us. Maybe he can move to a morning slot.
Next trip, to the Qutub Minar complex is a site of ancient ruins which is rated as Delhi's top attraction to visit. The vast majority of the visitors are Indian, then Japanese and finally westerners. It was started by the Sultans of Mehrauli in the late C12 Century. The Afghanistan style victory tower pictured below is the earliest and most prominent edifice of the complex. Other surrounding structures are mosques, including the earliest built in India, tombs, another ruined base of a tower which would have been even larger than the first and the iron pillar. This is worth a word or two. It is about 7ms tall and inscribed to commemorate the victories of Chandragupta ll who ruled from CE 375 to 413 making it twice as old as anything else here. Scientists are unable to explain how it was cast with the technology available. Nor does it rust, the combination of its purity and the dry atmosphere. Wow! Nearly as amazing was Helen's popularity as a member of people's selfies. She was politely asked and then always very gratefully thanked. They couldn't get enough of her.
We then drove out with Ram to Humayun's Tomb. Similarities with the Taj Mahal are no coincidence, as it seems to float exquisitely above its surrounding symmetrical gardens, it was the inspiration for the Taj. It has been recently cleaned and restored and with its restrained decoration and strict adherence to the rules of Islamic geometry looks really splendid.
Helen continues to be in demand for selfies. I wonder if I look like Prince Charles and it is a case of misindentification?
Our last visit was just a photo shot really of the Lotus Temple. A very striking modern building that was unfortunately closed to visitors on a Tuesday. Oft compared with the Sydney Opera House it was designed by the Iranian - Canadian architect Fariburz Shahba in 1987 for the Bahi faith. Bahi is a sort of esperanto of religions optimistically hoping that all people will get together under a common god for the common good of mankind. It's founder was called Baha'u'llah, born in 1817 and, disappointingly came from the middle east, again. More disappointing as a man he failed to break the mould by being a woman. Such is life, nothing really changes and I now really have to go to bed.
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