Incredible Northern India
March 14th - March 26th, 2012
 

March 15th, 2012

Our visits today included:

Red Fort -- The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra for eleven years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618. It is called so because of the red stone with which it is built. The Red Fort is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. India's history is also closely linked with this fort. It was from here that the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three century long Mughal rule. It was also from its ramparts that the first Prime Minister of India, pandit Jawharlal Nehru, announced to the nation
that India was free from colonial rule.

Jama Masjid -- Work on the Jama Masjid mosque was begun in 1650 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to complement his palace at the Red Fort. More than 5,000 workers toiled for six years to complete the largest mosque in India. Every Friday, the emperor and his retinue would travel in state from the fort to the mosque to attend the congressional prayers. A fine example of Mughal architecture, the Jama Masjid has three gateways. It is a very wide building but not very deep yet the grounds can hold thousands and thousands for prayer. There is a center pool of water for ablutions.

Raj Ghat -- The mortal remains of Mahatma Gandhi were cremated on this spot on the west bank of the river Yamuna on the evening of January 31, 1948. A simple open platform inscribed with the Mahatma's last words, 'Hey Ram' (Oh God) is set in a garden with fountains and a variety of exotic trees. Some of the trees were pruned as to give a lace pattern to them, quite pretty.

With drive past the India Gate as you cannot stop there any more and also the posh area of Old Delhi housing all the embassies.