We started the day with saint Hazrat Nizamuddin's blessings and it was truly another emotionally fulfilling moment. However, even though it pains me to say this, I did become more adept at ignoring beggars. Yesterday I was admonished by Hajji Saab that the dargah provides food for the needy and that was the best way to contribute to the needy in the neighborhood. But I couldn't ignore them for long. This time I had 10 rupee bills ready, which I don't think made anyone happy but they were snatched away all the same. Two relentless little boys kept following me and I even conversed with them for a bit. I had to admire their tenacity as well as good humor, given the circumstance.
Once in the car I realized that my wallet was missing. I immediately thought of those two little boys and figured they must have conspired to steal it. I'm ashamed now of how I jumped to those conclusions, without hesitation, when in actuality the wallet fell in the room on my way out the door.
While in the car, we passed more sights of poverty including little tent cities along the sides of the roads. There was also a startling moment which included a young, very pregnant woman; her toddler son; and another son, about 7 years old. He came up to the car and performed acrobatics while the mother encouraged him on. My heart felt pangs at his eager young face and, despite myself, I pulled down the window to give him some money. I was very aware of how I was slowly becoming a part of a vicious cycle and why Indians hate tourists handing out money to beggars or children.
Our main destination for the day was the Qutub Minar complex, which was breathtaking, imposing and serene, all at the same time. The minaret, which is the tallest in India and the tallest brick minaret in the world, was a sight to behold: the intricacy of the carvings, the textures, the shapes and the sizes were a lot to take in. There was beautiful and unique architecture everywhere, among the well preserved buildings as well as the ruins. I loved how interactive the place was: I could weave around the columns, touch the carvings, climb into little nooks.
The history of the place is amazing. Construction of the minaret, using materials from the ruins of Hindu temples, began nearly 800 years ago and was finished by the Muslim Delhi Sultan Iltutmish (who was originally a slave); thus the end of Hindu rule and the ascent of Muslim rule was marked. The architectural inspiration was actually from a minaret in Afghanistan.
 |
| The Qutub Minar was supposedly built as a Victory Tower, in celebration of the overthrow of the Rajputs. The ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid (The Might of Islam Mosque) is pictured on the left. |
 |
| The minaret is made of red sandstone and has beautiful and intricate carvings of Quranic verses. |
 |
| The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was built upon from the ruins of Hindu and Jain temples, which were destroyed by the first Delhi Sultan, Qutbuddin Aibak. |
There were some overly eager Indian boys who wanted to take pictures with me. My mother declined on my behalf, however (as to why, we shall never know). She jokingly said, "You can take a picture with me instead," and they took her up on it! It was all actually very funny. I did notice that while I was posing for my own camera, one of those boys' cameras was squarely aimed at me.
 |
| My mom in the yellow/gray sweater, my aunt draped in the white shawl. |
Today was my first time using a public restroom in India, and I assumed that it would be nice and neat (nearly up to Western standards) since it was situated in the world-famous Qutub Complex and since they were even charging a fee. What I encountered was a dingy, dirty-ish restroom with only a few stalls, no toilet paper, and one old and harsh bar of soap. I resolved to never again use a public bathroom if I could help it.
I also started to really notice India's trash problem. Trash is EVERYWHERE. There are signs all over Delhi imploring the populace to "Keep Delhi Clean" but so far it is to no avail. The streets are the people's garbage can, to a large extent.
 |
| Trash in the parking lot of the Qutub Minar complex. |
Afterwards we headed to the dargah of the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, which is the oldest dargah in Delhi. After contributing to the food donations we went through all the 10 rupee bills we had reserved for the needy, but we were in for a surprise when a large group of Indian women followed us out and demanded money. Oh, and we found our car minus the driver (who had taken this time to get some food). I went through a very unsettling 5 minutes with these ladies hovering over us, although it was downright comedic at one point when one of the women asked us where the driver was, followed up by a suggestion for us to call his mobile.
 |
| It's an India tradition to buy flowers as offerings for the saint. What happens is these flowers are taken by a dargah caretaker (since women were not allowed inside the tomb) and thrown over the tomb. |
 |
| The best direct view I could get, since women were not allowed inside. The reasoning is that the saint was unmarried in his life, so women should not be allowed directly within out of respect. |
We followed up with more shopping excursions at South Extension and then back to Lajpat Nagar. There is such a great vibe in the marketplaces because there is so much to absorb: colorful merchandise everywhere, food vendors on all of the streets, a mix of Eastern and Western, the relentless honking of the vehicles, etc
 |
| South Extension is more upscale with a lot of well-known Western shops. |
 |
| Lajpat Nagar Central Market is so lively in the nighttime. |
No comments:
Post a Comment