The Jama Masjid served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the empire ended in 1857. It was also a site of political meetings and unrest during several key periods of British rule.
The Red Fort, a UNESCO site
This fort/Palace in Old Delhi was the main residence of Mughal emperors.
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels in 1739. Most of the fort’s marble structures were subsequently demolished by the British following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
The remains of the Red Fort
Qutub Minar, a UNESCO site
The Qutub Minar minaret and “victory tower” is at the site of Delhi’s oldest fortified city.
Lunch
Lunch place most notable for these brightly colored bears
If you’ve been to India before, many things will seem familiar: the cacophony of sounds, smells, and colors, for example. Also familiar is the need to take care with food and water.
But some things may be surprising, such as the increased security at big hotels. One goes through scanners much like our TSA scanners and all bags go through as well, every time one enters the hotel. Cars and trucks go through a security check as well. This was instituted in part because of the 1993 Mumbai (then Bombay) bombings. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Bombay_bombings
Sights from a rickshaw ride in old Delhi
Something that has changed, but perhaps not as much as one might hope, is the caste system. Despite 1950s legislation to eliminate the caste system and the inequality it engendered, 3000 years of a caste based world view is hard to shake off. Our tour leader, an otherwise nice guy, introduced himself as a Brahmin (the top level of the old system). That would be roughly equivalent to an American male proudly introducing himself as one of the one percent. However, there has been progress, thanks to quotas, some lower and middle caste individuals have succeeded in getting college degrees, although progress is still most difficult for the Dalits (once called the untouchables).
Furthermore, caste discrimination has impacted Indians who moved to Silicon valley to work in the tech industry. If an employee’s Indian boss discovered that an employee had been Dalit, discrimination was likely. Seattle legislated against caste discrimination.
Eros hotel New Delhi
I’ll admit that after the long flights, and busy days, we were grateful for the comfort of our luxurious hotel. My days as a backpacking traveler are sadly long gone.
Travels with Owen 