After a trip to South India (Chennai and Kerala) in October, we gave North India a try. Why, as we were asked at passport control when leaving Abu Dhabi? Well, for one, our friends were getting married in Delhi, and for another, we have been told that it is a completely different place than the south. Different, yes. Completely? Depends on where you're coming from -- but the sights (and food!) are certainly spectacular.
We landed at night, took a deep breath, and found our way to our hotel. We spent our first full day exploring New Delhi, an area which was built up by the British but which has monuments which span over 1000 years of Indian history. First stop was one of the oldest, Qutb Minnar.
Qutb Minnar construction began in 1193 by the first Muslim sultan of Delhi, supposedly in celebration of his victory over the Hindus. It was an ambitious project: even now, the tower is the second tallest minaret in India. Like most buildings we saw on the trip, it took decades to complete. (We wonder how many stunningly elaborate projects had been started and abandoned.) A beautiful mosque, finished in 1198, sits beside it.
We were surprised at how frequently six (rather than eight) sided stars featured in the intricate cut-outs. You can just get a glimpse of them in the screen below. We later learned that when Qutb Minnar was built, the all three monotheistic religions used six-sided stars as symbols.
The complex is massive -- besides the mosque, there are ruins of a university, as well as elaborate tombs.
Each and every stone is mesmerizing, with pink, golden, red, gray, and white hues of sandstone making up varied, intricate patterns.
And the parrots are lovely, too.
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