Finally back in India after almost ten years! Stretching our legs from the long flight, my travel buddy Gail and I took an evening stroll in Delhi. We chose the area around India Gate for our first night out as it seemed a popular place for locals to perambulate.
India Gate is a British war monument dedicated to the troops who died in wars fought between 1914 and 1919. It is a well-recognized landmark in Delhi, located on the ceremonial axis of Delhi, aka the Rajpath. The Rajpath ("Royal Road") is a wide promenade surrounded by soothing greenery in the midst of Delhi.
India just surpassed China as the world's most populous country. 1.42 billion - more than 4 x the population of the US in a country 1/3rd the size of the US. Humans are everywhere in India.
But what gets you immediately in India is the exuberant friendliness of the people. Also their eagerness to have their photo taken, even better with you in it - you are the curiosity. Throughout the trip we received numerous invitations to pose for photos. We are now celebrities in many family albums.
A must-see in Delhi is Jama Masjid (“Friday Mosque”), the grand mosque. It is also the second largest mosque in India – its square can accommodate 25,000 people. Jama Masjid was constructed in 1650-56 by Mughal emperor Shah Shahan (also spelled Shah Jahān), whose most famous work is the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Despite it being a Friday, the sacred day of the week for Muslim, not a single soul was to be seen (except the ascetic devotee in the above photo). It was the first day of Ramadan, and activities for most Muslim were on hold until after sunset. The mosque itself sits 30 steps above street level and offers great views of the surrounding area, including the Old Fort. Unfortunately, entry to the inner areas of the mosque is not allowed for tourists.
The near-by Red Fort is another stand-out building by Shah Shahan who was a great patron of the arts, and under whose reign the Mughal empire reached its zenith. The fort was designed to become the new center of the Mughal empire, Shahjahanabad, and would move the capital from Agra to Delhi.
Before things get too complicated with all these Mughal emperors, here is a quick cheat sheet: The original Mogul emperor was Babur who descended from Tamerlane (father's side) and Genghis Khan (mother's side), which in itself is quite a pedigree. The whole Mogul history is super interesting and many books and famous movies have been made of it. In short, the sequence is as follows: Babur (reign 1526-1530) --> Humayun (1530-1540) --> Akbar (1556-1605) --> Jajangir (1605-1627) --> Shah Shahan (1628-1658) --> Aurangzeb (1658 -1707).
Now for a bit of “reverse architecture” - a stepwell. A stepwell, or “baoli”, is a subterranean edifice and water source. For centuries these stepwells have provided water for drinking, washing, bathing, and crop irrigation. They also served as sanctuaries for travelling caravans, pilgrims, and other travelers during the heat of the day. Typically, they were excavated several stories deep to reach the water table. Most of them have been abandoned and littered, but a few have been cleaned up and restored.
The next morning, before leaving Delhi for Agra, we stopped at Humayun’s tomb. Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal empire. His tomb was commissioned by his first wife, Empress Bega Begum (a very interesting figure), and then finished by his son, the great Emperor Akbar.
The whole complex, with its architectural symmetry and the adjacent symmetrical gardens and water channels, is striking. The mausoleum itself stands on a high platform and gives the illusion of floating above the gardens.
On to the next mausoleum.
Situated in Agra on the banks of the Yamuna (the river connecting Delhi and Agra) is the tomb of Akbar the Great. The building is also nick-named the “Baby Taj” and was built in 1605-1613 by his son Jahangir.
And now for the architectural masterpiece – drumrolls, please - the Taj Mahal. Let me say this first, no picture can do it justice! It is a spectacular and breathtaking architectural and emotional statement, and one must experience it in person.
For anyone not familiar with one of the greatest love stories in history, Shah Shahan built the Taj Mahal in memorial of his beloved second second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She bore him 14 and died in childbirth of the last one. Would you agree that a little thank you was in order?
Let's not forget the mosque and the guest/rest house in the Taj Mahal complex. To contrast the white marble tomb in the centre, they were built of red sandstone and have a large platform over the terrace at their front. Both the mosque and the guesthouse are identical structures and provide the spectacular symmetry for the complex.
After the stunning Taj Mahal, one more sight in Agra – the Agra Red Fort.
Built by Akbar in 1565-1573, it served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty, until the capital was shifted to Shahjahanabad (Delhi) in 1638.
For better contract, the outer buildings of the mosque complex are clad in red sandstone, while the inner building bears marble.
Shah Shahan spent the last years of his life behind these massive red sandstone walls, imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb. All the great Shah Shahan could do was look across the river, at the Taj Mahal where his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal had been laid to rest.
Empires rise and fall. The Mughal empire was one of the richest and longest reigning empires in South Asia. It stretched from northern Afghanistan in the northwest to Kashmir in the north, to Bangladesh in the east, and the Deccan Plateau (almost all the way down the Indian subcontinent) in the south.
The Mughal empire was a Muslim dynasty ruling over a majority Hindu population. For most of their era of dominance, Mughal rule was generally tolerant of all of the religions of the region. This policy created enough social stability to ensure healthy business, investment, and trade. Eventually, however, the rulers were more concerned with preserving their lavish lifestyles than economic and military improvements.
Shah Shahan was considered the last of the great Mughal emperors. After him, the empire started its decline, and one could say that it collapsed under its own weight after the reign of Aurangzeb.
Further reading and information about this time period:
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mughal-dynasty
- John Keay "India"
- "The Empire" Indian TV series on Disney+/Hulu
Thank you for reading. If you want to see more of my work, check out my website and follow me on Instagram. Previous travels can be found here.
Namaste!
Credits:
Text and images by Hilda Champion.