The Red Fort
Less than a week until Christmas but it doesn't feel very Christmassy here. We'll try and make some sort of Christmas breakfast on Saturday though.
The Red Fort
On Saturday we went to see the Red Fort, the most significant historical site in Delhi, which is a collection of marble pleasure palaces surrounded by high red-sandstone walls. Built largely by Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) it is still a very spectactular set of buildings attesting to huge power and wealth. It was slightly strange to experience it as a visitor attraction - some of the stone has started to look shabby, and of course the gold, silver and jewels that encrusted the ceilings and thrones has all gone. The Fort was built next to the Yumna river and a stream was diverted to flow through a marble channel along the middle of each palace, keeping them cool; it was known as the river of paradise. These days the river of paradise is dry and the Yumna river was diverted by the British to make room for a ring-road. So the palaces now overlook a three-lane highway rather than the holy river. Even so the Red Fort was a peaceful place to visit and the calmest place we've been since arriving in Delhi.
The Red Fort
On Saturday we went to see the Red Fort, the most significant historical site in Delhi, which is a collection of marble pleasure palaces surrounded by high red-sandstone walls. Built largely by Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) it is still a very spectactular set of buildings attesting to huge power and wealth. It was slightly strange to experience it as a visitor attraction - some of the stone has started to look shabby, and of course the gold, silver and jewels that encrusted the ceilings and thrones has all gone. The Fort was built next to the Yumna river and a stream was diverted to flow through a marble channel along the middle of each palace, keeping them cool; it was known as the river of paradise. These days the river of paradise is dry and the Yumna river was diverted by the British to make room for a ring-road. So the palaces now overlook a three-lane highway rather than the holy river. Even so the Red Fort was a peaceful place to visit and the calmest place we've been since arriving in Delhi.