#Travelogue: Lal Quila in Delhi

There is no other structure as magnificent as Lal Quila of Delhi. Even after hundreds of years, the Red Fort has maintained its charms. It is partly also due to the fact that it is situated in national capital of India and is the venue of 15 August Independence Day celebrations.

Currently in Feb 2018, when I visited Red Fort, a massive restoration work was in progress. New buildings were being constructed inside the fort, in exact replica to old buildings which are now virtually non-existent. Almost every structure was being repaird.

If you start from Chandni Chowk towards Lal Quilla, you would come across wonderful Gurudwara Sisganj Sahib:

After going a little more further towards Lal Quilla, you would come across Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir (appearing in red here) and Sri Gauri Shankar Mandir (Shiva Temple) - appearing in white in the following pictures:

Gauri Shankar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built by a Maratha General named Appa Gangadhar in 1761. This temple marks the era of Maratha dominance over Delhi and symbolically gives a glimpse of that part of history.

  

Here is Lal Quila / Red Fort:

15 August Ground near Red Fort:

Coming closer to Lal Quilla:

Museum inside Red Fort on China items being used in old times:

Buildings inside Red Fort:

You can notice the massive repair and restoration work is in progress.

Below is the famous Peacock Throne of Shah Jahan:

The gardens inside Red Fort also have some beautiful flowers:

And here is a weird tree inside Red Fort for which the stem and branches are all covered by roots!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. This should encourage you to go visit Red Fort if you have never been there and if you have been there, then also a second visit is not a bad idea. In the day time, around 12pm, the queue to get inside the Red Fort becomes very long. I could see especially small children getting troubled in the sun, since it takes around 30-40 minutes in the queue to be able to get inside. So plan a visit earlier in the morning, or else near the end in the late afternoon. When I left the premises at around 4pm, there was virtually no queue any more.

There is a drinking water facility inside the Red Fort, so do not worry too much about buying water from outside. They do not allow you to carry food and other items, which you have to deposit in a cloak room. The entry fee is Rs 35 for entry + museum (of course everyone goes to the museum). Do check out my two subsequent blog posts on the museums.

All pictures (C) Rahul Tiwary

#Travelogue: India Gate in New Delhi

Pictures taken in Feb 2018.

All Pictures (C) Rahul Tiwary

#Travelogue: Amrit Udyan in New Delhi

Here are some pictures taken by me from Amrit Udyan, New Delhi. Amrit Udyan is very near to Indian Parliament building and opens for people at declared duration in February and March every year. During this period it remains open on all days of the week except Mondays. It has several small gardens within the premises: Bonsai Garden, Herbal Garden, Spiritual Garden (consists of plants and trees mentioned in religious scriptures); there is also a musical fountain to add to its glamor.

While walking in the garden, we reach very close to the Parliament building and it feels great to see Indian Flag flying high. 

Mughal Garden remains most beautiful garden I have seen. It is so very well maintained - after all it is situated in the National Capital! Flowers are very healthy and I loved the positive energy this garden has.

All pictures (C) Rahul Tiwary

#Books: Inferno by Dan Brown

Nursery Rhyme "Ring-a-ring o' roses" is related to the Great Plague of England? Shocking!

Out of the blue, a childhood nursery rhyme jumped into Sienna’s mind: Ring around the rosie. A pocketful of posies. Ashes, ashes. We all fall down.

She used to recite the poem as a schoolgirl in England until she heard that it derived from the Great Plague of London in 1665. Allegedly, a ring around the rosie was a reference to a rose-colored pustule on the skin that developed a ring around it and indicated that one was infected. Sufferers would carry a pocketful of posies in an effort to mask the smell of their own decaying bodies as well as the stench of the city itself, where hundreds of plague victims dropped dead daily, their bodies then cremated. Ashes, ashes. We all fall down.