Delhi:

Shisha Gumbad in the Lodi Gardens

On my return journey from Kolkata, I had a short stopover in Delhi to explore some corners I had not seen during my earlier visits (e.g., in January 2009).

Together with a friend, I first went to the peaceful Lodi Gardens with their ancient tombs set amidst lawns and tall trees. Our following walk through the crowded and narrow alleys to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah brought us again in a completely different world. The mausoleum of one of the most famous Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), is daily visited by hundreds of pilgrims, especially during the common Qawwali performances (Sufi devotional music). From Islam we switched to Sikhism with a visit to the similarly busy Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, before calling it a day with a stroll through one of Delhi’s oldest forts, the Purana Qila. In its present form, the fortress was constructed during the 16th century, but some believe it was the site of the legendary capital Indraprastha of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata!

Bara Gumbad in the Lodi Gardens

Bara Gumbad and Mosque

ancient monuments

intricate ornaments

intricate ornaments

Shisha Gumbad

tombs

Sikander Lodi’s Tomb

Mohammed Shah’s Tomb

on the way to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

friendly restaurant owner

on the way to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

on the way to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

on the way to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

at the entrance to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

entrance gate to the Purana Qila

Qila Kuhna Masjid

Qila Kuhna Masjid

Qila Kuhna Masjid

beautiful ornamentation

Qila Kuhna Masjid

Qila Kuhna Masjid

Qila Kuhna Masjid

inside of the Purana Qila

After a full day of new impressions, I left Delhi in the evening to return to Jaipur where I would stay and work during the following weeks.