We started the day by visiting Humayun's tomb, an elaborate and majestic mausoleum which later served as the model for the Taj Mahal. Since it was so close to the dargah, we ventured out on foot but on the way there we were accosted by a beggar woman. For better or for worse, I was resolved to not open my purse in the crowded alleys of the dargah neighborhood and I tried to ignore this lady; honestly, you feel a mix of pity and annoyance and heartbreak and slight despair after a week of facing beggars. If I were to reach for my bag, I would be mobbed by at least ten others and then followed out by another ten. If I were to ignore her, I would initially feel like a bad person but then would rationalize it: after all, I'm not a foreign bank. Anyway, I tried to ignore her but she was feisty and relentless, following us all the way out to the street and rapidly talking away the entire time. I was more concerned with crossing the street in one piece (Delhi traffic is most definitely not pedestrian friendly) and started to view her as an annoyance - so I angrily gave her 50 rupees to go away. Does that make me a terrible person? Like I said, after a week you start to get disillusioned with a lot of things. Begging is a damn business here, and it starts to feel like everyone is needy and in dire straits. There's a general feeling of powerlessness and you are faced with the realization that the world is a big place and you are but a useless little speck in it.
Back to the tomb.
After the terrifying run across the street, we felt like we were in a different world from the one we left behind, just a few meters away. The area leading into the tomb is shady and green, idyllic and serene. There are jarring contrasts like this throughout Delhi, and none so pronounced as a park or national monument juxtaposed with dusty, traffic-clogged streets. I feel like a broken record when rhapsodizing over the architecture, but it really is that magnificent; just beholding such monuments inspires awe, reverence and beautiful feelings. I noticed many similarities with the Taj Mahal, especially in the symmetry, domes and arches - but while I was completely wonderstruck with the Taj, I felt a more serene atmosphere here. There weren't as many visitors and there was much more greenery; we didn't feel rushed, and we walked around soaking up the environment.
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| Humayun's Tomb |
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| Side view - take a look at that symmetry! |
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| The stars are astrological signs |
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| Various tombs are scattered throughout |
Afterwards, we found an autorickshaw to take us to the neighborhood of Karol Bagh. It was about a twenty five minute ride, and adventurous as always! The neighborhood was as busy and bustling as Lajpat Nagar, but I felt much more comfortable now: I was making good bargains and cutting my way through the crowds like an expert (well, as expert as a foreigner can be!) There were still beggars to be found, but not as many, and I did hand out rupees discreetly here and there.
We had quite a shopping spree and I bought a gorgeous sari of magenta chiffon with silver/black border and sequins. We also found a McDonald's and I was excited to see what an Indian McDonald's menu looked like; being pescetarian, I wish we had McSpicy paneer sandwiches over here! It was delicious but spicy as hell!
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| DELISH! |
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