We were up at about 6.30 a.m. and showered and dressed. We joined the group in the Coffee Shop on the ground floor of the hotel at 8.30 a.m. and had a really wonderful breakfast. There were so many choices it was hard not to over-eat, Dosas, omelets, curries, kedgeree and too many other delights to mention. There were also juices, coffee, tea and other drinks. There were even donuts!!
After breakfast we repaired to the meeting room at the Club level where we were joined by Dinesh Kapoor who would be our guide for the day. He told us some things about the cultural norms and mores of modern India and especially the way that boy children are raised to be the favorite and the daughters relegated to second class citizens who would just be on earth to serve their menfolk, either family or later on husbands. The inculcation of this male supremacy was a dis-service to both sexes and resulted in much unhappiness for each in different ways. Nevertheless, India has had women leaders including a Prime Minister and yet, the US has never yet had a woman President. Which nation has the most sexism? A good question. Dinesh also outlined the history of India from the earliest recorded history of about 1,200 years ago, although the country probably goes back 2,500 years. There are two epic writings about the history of the country. Delhi has not always been the capital, Calcutta (now Kolkata) was at one time. In 1192, there was a Turkish occupation and thereafter the British took over, more or less, it seems by osmosis. However the capital moved in 1911 at the behest of King George V. At that time Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, who were British architects laid out what is now New Delhi as distinct from Old Delhi which was the old walled city to the north of New Delhi. Independence from Britain was declared on 15th August 1947.
Some demographics: the population of India is about 1.3 billion people, a child is born every 2 seconds!! There are 7 religions the main being Hindu which is variously recorded at 85 or 82%, then the Moslem at 14 or 16% and the remainder Christian, Rastafarian, Buddhist, etc. There are 29 States and 7 Union Territories and they are all very different, with different languages and customs. Some of the teachings (either in the Koran or assumed from the Koran) have a very divisive effect on society, especially the ease of divorce by the male and the belief by some Moslems that they have the right to kill non-Moslems. Tension still exists in some areas between the two major religions, this can often be over the treatment of cows which are revered by Hindu but not by Moslems or over others doctrinal differences.
After our talk, we boarded a bus to go to the Red Fort. This is an immense and wonderful place with distinctive red walls. Within the walls are a mix of buildings from military barracks built by the British to palaces, a music building, bath houses and a “House of Pleasure” which needs little explanation as the ‘King’ had many concubines. Here is an extract from Wikipedia which gives some details of the fort which I was not able to retain from our excellent guide’s commentary.
“Red Fort is a historic fort in the city of Delhi in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, until 1856. It is located in the centre of Delhi and houses a number of museums. In addition to accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political center of the Mughal state and the setting for events critically impacting the region.
Every year on the Independence day of India (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the main gate of the fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts here.
Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his fortified capital Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone and is adjacent to the older Salimgarh Fort, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546 AD. The imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions, connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-Bihisht). The fort complex is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity under Shah Jahan and although the palace was planned according to Islamic prototypes, each pavilion contains architectural elements typical of Mughal buildings that reflect a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions. The Red Fort's innovative architectural style, including its garden design, influenced later buildings and gardens in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand and elsewhere.
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1747. Most of the fort's precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the British following the Revolt of 1857.The forts's defensive walls were largely spared, and the fortress was subsequently used as a garrison. The Red Fort was also the site where the British put the last Mughal Emperor on trial before exiling him to Yangon in 1858.
Every year on the Independence day of India (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the main gate of the fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts.
It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.”
During our visit to the site, Dinesh, our guide gave us three book and one video channel recommendations:
1. The Great Moguls by Bamber Gascoigne
2. Princess Remembers
3. Freedom at Midnight
4. He also recommended his You-Tube videos called ‘History by Dinesh Kapoor’
We left the Red Fort and boarded 3 ‘rickshaws’ with 4 of us in each and set off for the market area. This was an interesting and hilarious trip with us criss-crossing the traffic, getting stuck in jam at intersections and interacting with other traffic of all sorts at close quarters. This was indeed life in the fast/slow lane!! Cars, trucks, other rickshaws, bicycles and hand trucks all jostled us as we made our way around the roads and streets of Old Delhi. Then we entered the street markets!! The traffic became even more dense, pedestrians were added to the mix and the color and excitement of Delhi was all around us. Shops of every description lined the narrow streets which were thronged with people. There was a wedding saris area, a stationary area, a book area and other shops interspersed in between them. We stopped in the spice area and walked a short way up the street to an old spice store founded in 1917 called Golden Horse. Here a member of the staff gave us an excellent run-down on the various spice mixes which are now used in modern Indian kitchens to cook the fresh grown ingredients to make curries and other dishes. When I was at sea, in the 1960’ and early 70’s, our Indian crew used to prepare the curry paste by mashing their fresh spices in a pestle and mortar with the glorious smells that this produced. Nowadays, it is easer and less labor-intensive to use the mixes. We ended up buying a few of the mixes to take home. This was a fascinating look at the street life in one part of the market. On the way back to the rickshaws, Denise managed to step in some wet concrete, who knows, maybe her foot print is preserved for posterity??!! Several people asked what word could best describe our rickshaw ride in the streets of Old Delhi and one person came up with what I think was the best one word description - ‘kaleidoscope’ which best covers the incredible mix of sights, sounds, smells and touches of this so different world from the one we live in from day to day. The energy of the streets was palpable.
After a hazardous crossing of the street we rejoined the rickshaws for the trip to the main city Mosque. The journey was interrupted by frequent traffic jams involving quite long waits without moving but this allowed us to observe the teeming life all around us as well as see the amazing wares displayed in the shops along the narrow street.
We arrived at the Mosque after a ride to remember for a long time!!
We climbed the steps up to the mosque and at the top we removed our shoes. There was a chance to go to the top of the minaret but we decided that the time would not really allow this. There was a charge of INR 300 to use a camera in the grounds of the mosque so I put mine away and MAC used hers. The worshippers come to the mosque 5 times a day for prayers. Some are led by an Imam. There is nothing inside the building and all the worshipping is done outside the structure on the steps above the courtyard. The courtyard has four entrances one of which was used by the king. Women are not allowed to worship at the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a large pool which is used for the worshippers to wash before praying.
Leaving the mosque we drove to our restaurant which was called Pindi where we dined on various dishes including mustard greens, mutton korma, butter chicken, vegetable curry, naans, popadoms and more.
When we left the restaurant it was raining heavily and our plans to visit a temple before returning to the hotel had to be scrapped and, instead we drove around the area of the embassies and Government buildings. Then we drove back to the hotel. After freshening up we moved up to the Club floor for ‘happy hour’ which extended for quite a long time as we swapped stories of our past and hopes for the future.
John and Marc had had t-shirts made to memorialize this gathering and these are really nice with the six alumni’s ‘before and after’ photographs on the front and the map of India and our itinerary on the back. These are very fetching t-shirts and are are terrific memento to this enterprise.
We are still all in awe of the efforts of Hemant and Darshana in organizing all the various events and logistics. They have simply thought of everything and manage calmly and patiently to re-arrange things when anything needs to be changed. They are just beyond thanks and admiration.
After breakfast we repaired to the meeting room at the Club level where we were joined by Dinesh Kapoor who would be our guide for the day. He told us some things about the cultural norms and mores of modern India and especially the way that boy children are raised to be the favorite and the daughters relegated to second class citizens who would just be on earth to serve their menfolk, either family or later on husbands. The inculcation of this male supremacy was a dis-service to both sexes and resulted in much unhappiness for each in different ways. Nevertheless, India has had women leaders including a Prime Minister and yet, the US has never yet had a woman President. Which nation has the most sexism? A good question. Dinesh also outlined the history of India from the earliest recorded history of about 1,200 years ago, although the country probably goes back 2,500 years. There are two epic writings about the history of the country. Delhi has not always been the capital, Calcutta (now Kolkata) was at one time. In 1192, there was a Turkish occupation and thereafter the British took over, more or less, it seems by osmosis. However the capital moved in 1911 at the behest of King George V. At that time Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, who were British architects laid out what is now New Delhi as distinct from Old Delhi which was the old walled city to the north of New Delhi. Independence from Britain was declared on 15th August 1947.
Some demographics: the population of India is about 1.3 billion people, a child is born every 2 seconds!! There are 7 religions the main being Hindu which is variously recorded at 85 or 82%, then the Moslem at 14 or 16% and the remainder Christian, Rastafarian, Buddhist, etc. There are 29 States and 7 Union Territories and they are all very different, with different languages and customs. Some of the teachings (either in the Koran or assumed from the Koran) have a very divisive effect on society, especially the ease of divorce by the male and the belief by some Moslems that they have the right to kill non-Moslems. Tension still exists in some areas between the two major religions, this can often be over the treatment of cows which are revered by Hindu but not by Moslems or over others doctrinal differences.
After our talk, we boarded a bus to go to the Red Fort. This is an immense and wonderful place with distinctive red walls. Within the walls are a mix of buildings from military barracks built by the British to palaces, a music building, bath houses and a “House of Pleasure” which needs little explanation as the ‘King’ had many concubines. Here is an extract from Wikipedia which gives some details of the fort which I was not able to retain from our excellent guide’s commentary.
“Red Fort is a historic fort in the city of Delhi in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, until 1856. It is located in the centre of Delhi and houses a number of museums. In addition to accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political center of the Mughal state and the setting for events critically impacting the region.
Every year on the Independence day of India (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the main gate of the fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts here.
Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his fortified capital Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone and is adjacent to the older Salimgarh Fort, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546 AD. The imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions, connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-Bihisht). The fort complex is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity under Shah Jahan and although the palace was planned according to Islamic prototypes, each pavilion contains architectural elements typical of Mughal buildings that reflect a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions. The Red Fort's innovative architectural style, including its garden design, influenced later buildings and gardens in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand and elsewhere.
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1747. Most of the fort's precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the British following the Revolt of 1857.The forts's defensive walls were largely spared, and the fortress was subsequently used as a garrison. The Red Fort was also the site where the British put the last Mughal Emperor on trial before exiling him to Yangon in 1858.
Every year on the Independence day of India (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the main gate of the fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts.
It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.”
During our visit to the site, Dinesh, our guide gave us three book and one video channel recommendations:
1. The Great Moguls by Bamber Gascoigne
2. Princess Remembers
3. Freedom at Midnight
4. He also recommended his You-Tube videos called ‘History by Dinesh Kapoor’
We left the Red Fort and boarded 3 ‘rickshaws’ with 4 of us in each and set off for the market area. This was an interesting and hilarious trip with us criss-crossing the traffic, getting stuck in jam at intersections and interacting with other traffic of all sorts at close quarters. This was indeed life in the fast/slow lane!! Cars, trucks, other rickshaws, bicycles and hand trucks all jostled us as we made our way around the roads and streets of Old Delhi. Then we entered the street markets!! The traffic became even more dense, pedestrians were added to the mix and the color and excitement of Delhi was all around us. Shops of every description lined the narrow streets which were thronged with people. There was a wedding saris area, a stationary area, a book area and other shops interspersed in between them. We stopped in the spice area and walked a short way up the street to an old spice store founded in 1917 called Golden Horse. Here a member of the staff gave us an excellent run-down on the various spice mixes which are now used in modern Indian kitchens to cook the fresh grown ingredients to make curries and other dishes. When I was at sea, in the 1960’ and early 70’s, our Indian crew used to prepare the curry paste by mashing their fresh spices in a pestle and mortar with the glorious smells that this produced. Nowadays, it is easer and less labor-intensive to use the mixes. We ended up buying a few of the mixes to take home. This was a fascinating look at the street life in one part of the market. On the way back to the rickshaws, Denise managed to step in some wet concrete, who knows, maybe her foot print is preserved for posterity??!! Several people asked what word could best describe our rickshaw ride in the streets of Old Delhi and one person came up with what I think was the best one word description - ‘kaleidoscope’ which best covers the incredible mix of sights, sounds, smells and touches of this so different world from the one we live in from day to day. The energy of the streets was palpable.
After a hazardous crossing of the street we rejoined the rickshaws for the trip to the main city Mosque. The journey was interrupted by frequent traffic jams involving quite long waits without moving but this allowed us to observe the teeming life all around us as well as see the amazing wares displayed in the shops along the narrow street.
We arrived at the Mosque after a ride to remember for a long time!!
We climbed the steps up to the mosque and at the top we removed our shoes. There was a chance to go to the top of the minaret but we decided that the time would not really allow this. There was a charge of INR 300 to use a camera in the grounds of the mosque so I put mine away and MAC used hers. The worshippers come to the mosque 5 times a day for prayers. Some are led by an Imam. There is nothing inside the building and all the worshipping is done outside the structure on the steps above the courtyard. The courtyard has four entrances one of which was used by the king. Women are not allowed to worship at the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a large pool which is used for the worshippers to wash before praying.
Leaving the mosque we drove to our restaurant which was called Pindi where we dined on various dishes including mustard greens, mutton korma, butter chicken, vegetable curry, naans, popadoms and more.
When we left the restaurant it was raining heavily and our plans to visit a temple before returning to the hotel had to be scrapped and, instead we drove around the area of the embassies and Government buildings. Then we drove back to the hotel. After freshening up we moved up to the Club floor for ‘happy hour’ which extended for quite a long time as we swapped stories of our past and hopes for the future.
John and Marc had had t-shirts made to memorialize this gathering and these are really nice with the six alumni’s ‘before and after’ photographs on the front and the map of India and our itinerary on the back. These are very fetching t-shirts and are are terrific memento to this enterprise.
We are still all in awe of the efforts of Hemant and Darshana in organizing all the various events and logistics. They have simply thought of everything and manage calmly and patiently to re-arrange things when anything needs to be changed. They are just beyond thanks and admiration.
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