shaheena sheikh: November 2018

Friday, November 30, 2018

Hauz Khas Complex

The historical complex of Hauz Khas (originally known as Hauz-e-Alai) is an ancient community of ruins which includes a mosque, various tombs, and the previously important water tank.

Built in the early 1300s, the water tank was designed to store rainwater to be used when needed in the dry season. Nowadays, the complex is a public Delhi park, a place where lots of students go to just hanging out with friends and chat while sitting on ancients stones and tombs. Delhi just has so many ancient Mughal buildings of history that there are many that are just public and not fully preserved, but are just part of the daily lives of residents – such is the case when it comes to Hauz Khas.

Hauz Khas Village, located surrounding the entrance of the ruins, is an upscale outdoor shopping area filled with boutique stores, high-end restaurants, and cafes. When I was in Delhi, I stayed at a place near Hauz Khas. If you’re looking for where to stay in Delhi, South Delhi is a good area.

Laxmi Narayan Mandir – Hindu Temple

Also known as Birla Mandir, this significant Hindu temple complex in Delhi is now the main tourist attraction. The temple is famous as it was officially opened by Mahatma Gandhi and it’s a Hindu temple that is meant for people coming from all different castes of India. The temple was indeed nice, but I didn’t think it was near as impressive as Akshardham or even as interesting as Kalkaji Mandir.

Unlike some other temples in Delhi where they offer you a secure and free place to leave your shoes without any pressures, at Laxmi Narayan Mandir they instruct foreigners to go in a special little room to leave your shoes and then you feel a bit obligated to leave a tip… though of course, as they say… “it’s up to you.”

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (Sikh Temple)

Unlike the uneasy feeling of visiting Jama Masjid (where someone always seems to be asking for money and your shoes are likely to get stolen if you leave them somewhere), the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple is about the friendliest, most inviting, and comfortable temple you’ll ever visit. Nobody will ask you for money, a donation, or anything. You just leave your shoes safely in the deposit room and walk around the temple.

There’s a huge pool of water outdoors on one side, a dining facility where many people share a meal together each day, and even a medical facility. Go inside the temple and you can sit and enjoy the Sikh band playing the drums and singing as you sit there in peace. It’s a really great experience, and I’d label it as a must visit when you’re in Delhi.

Akshardham Temple

This modern Hindu temple complex, which was built in 2005, is one of the things to do in Delhi that you don’t want to leave out seeing. Akshardham, with its elaborate architecture, construction, and its ridiculous amount of perfect detail and decoration will blow your mind.

They don’t allow anything inside the temple complex, but they do have a very secure (and free) place to store all your belongings – you’ll have to deposit your camera, phone, and everything, but they’re safe and their system is very organized. You then walk into the gates, proceed through the visitor centre, and you’ll be standing directly in front of the stunning temple. Keep approaching, deposit your shoes, and enter the temple.

The interior of the temple is unbelievable; What you’ll see will make your jaw drop. The amount of labour and craftsmanship that went into building Akshardham is unimaginable. Sorry, they don’t allow any photos, so you’ll have to see it for yourself!

Jama Masjid

It was the during the Islamic Mughal empire when many of Delhi’s famous ancient sites were constructed. In the heart of Old Delhi, located right at Chawri Bazar and very close to Chandni Chowk is the largest Islamic mosque in the city, Jama Masjid. It’s a huge structure, built in the 17th century, and includes multiple entrances that all lead to the main worship deck. The mosque has two towering minarets and a few onion-shaped domes. The giant expanse on the upper floor has a capacity to hold 25,000 people. There are some great restaurants like Karim’s and others within the vicinity.

Note: When you approach any entrance of the mosque someone will stop you and ask you to pay 300 Rupees (a bit overly steep in my opinion). So I stopped and read all the official rules posted on the wall. It clearly states, that only “Cameras including mobile phone cameras will be charged 300 Rupees.” So I decided to not take any photos inside (just took photos from the outside), and they still wanted to charge me, but I simply just went in without paying. Of course, once inside, many local Indians were taking photos with their phones, and it’s pretty safe to say, they didn’t pay 300 Rupees. If you want to take photos inside the mosque, the rule states to pay 300 Rupees, but if you just want to enter without taking photos, DON’T let them charge you!

Kalkaji Mandir Hindu Temple

The final temple making a trio of temples surrounding the Lotus Temple is the Hindu Kalkaji Mandir. It’s not a big tourist attraction, and mostly (at least when I was there) it’s a temple where locals go. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali and is the site of many rituals that include singing and chanting.

When I was there, it looked like a number of babies were being dedicated. Not wanting to leave my shoes somewhere unattended, I stuck them in a plastic bag and carried them around with me, and nobody bothered me like at some other temples such as the Kalighat temple in Kolkata.

How to get there: Take the Metro to Kalkaji Mandir station and it’s just a 5-minute walk from there, it’s right across the street from the entrance gate to the Lotus Temple.
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from morning until night, closed on Mondays
Price: Free

The Lotus Temple (Bahá’í House of Worship)

Among the numerous recognizable landmarks which are scattered all around Delhi is the remarkable Lotus Temple. Designed in the shape of a sacred lotus flower, there are 27 flower petals which are constructed of marble and make up the structure.

Though it’s dedicated to the Bahá’í faith, it’s a religious worshipping grounds for people of all religions (as such is the philosophy of the Bahá’í faith). As you approach the temple, you’ll walk through some nicely manicured gardens and then have an opportunity to place your shoes in the free and secure shoe deposit room. You’ll then be given a 2-minute briefing by a volunteer, mainly about turning off your cell phone and keeping silent, and then you’ll be free to enter the sanctuary and sit in pure silence for as long as you’d like.

ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple

Located just a 15-minute walk from the Lotus Temple (though you have to walk around due to the fence), is one of the largest and most interesting temples dedicated to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

The religious movement was actually founded in the United States and is now represented throughout India. Visiting the temple, you’ll be able to freely walk around and sit in the sanctuary where you can listen to the ever-present drum and chant of “Har-e-Krishna.” I think they also have a theatre where you can watch a film, but I didn’t see it.

How to get there: The closest Metro station is Nehru Place and the temple is about a 10-minute walk from the station. As mentioned above, I visited after going to the Lotus Temple.

What is New Delhi famous for?

Delhi is famous for its tourist attractions, food, and it's marketplaces. Since its the national capital of the country, you can explore Rashtrapati Bhavan, parliament house, India gate. If you are dedicated to history you can visit Qutub Minar, Humayun's tomb.

What is Delhi famous for? Well, the instant answer is Dilli Ki Chaat, having some of the most exceptional flavours in street food, the Dilli ki chat is an enticing factor for people around the world.

The tangy, crispy, sweet and spicy amalgamation of flavours in the chat and golgappas of the city is definitely something to look forward to when planning a trip to the city.

Midas And The Golden touch

The story of Midas is another classic bedtime tale for kids. This ancient story from Greece describes King Midas as a greedy and discontented man who loved gold more than anything else. He did a good deed for someone, and a Greek God appeared before him, saying that he will be granted his heart’s desire for doing the good deed. Midas wished that everything he touched should turn into gold instantly. The God granted his wish. Midas was very excited and went about touching random objects, turning everything he touched into gold. After a while, he became hungry. However, when he touched his food, it turned to gold, and he could not eat it. He was starving and dismayed that he could not eat. Seeing him troubled, his loving daughter threw her arms around him to comfort him, and she too turned to gold. Midas was horrified that his daughter has become a statue of gold. He regretted asking for the Golden Touch and realised that he had been greedy and that gold was not the most precious thing in the world. He cried and begged God to take back his wish. The God took pity on him and asked him to take a dip in the river by his palace and then fill a pitcher of water from the river and sprinkle it on all the things he wanted to change back. He followed the instructions and changed his daughter back to normal. He was very happy to get his beloved daughter back and stopped being greedy.

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Friday, November 30, 2018

Thursday, November 29, 2018