Delhi - Ashoka Pillar, Mutiny Memoral, Flagstaff Tower - and smoko! UPDATED

We have been to Delhi before, so what we wanted to see today was a bit off the usual tourist track.  Our guide hadn't seen some of them, but using his knowledge of history and Google, willingly came along.

The oldest thing we saw was Ashoka's Pillar, aka Delhi-Meerut Pillar.  Ashoka had many pillars across India, including one at Sarnatah whose capital (top bit) forms the Indian national symbol.  This one was not much to look at, missing its top bit, and previously broken but put back together, but it dates from 250BC, so that makes it old.

Fast Forward to the time of the  British East India Company. It began in the 1600s as a trading company, and had its own army to maintain security (as someone said, think Microsoft with guns).  It gradually took over ruling functions, first in Bengal and then further afield.  When resentment against the company reached boiling point in 1857, there was a major outbreak of violence, called the Indian Mutiny or First Indian War of independence, depending on your point of view.

Europeans and Indian Christians were attacked (mind you there was huge violence on both sides) and victims fled to Flagstaff Tower for refuge.  This tower is now in the grounds of Delhi University.

Kin Mun and our guide.  He (Sanjeev) knew about the tower because he had studied (and courted his wife) at Delhi Uni.

When the battle was over, and the English regained control of Delhi, they built a memorial to celebrate the victory.  It is beautiful, architecturally.

And it is possible to climb to the top, via a circular staircase.  But the door was locked - whew!  I note the Brits gave this one a rail - why didn't they do that when they built bell-towers?

In 1972, the Indian Government renamed the memorial Ajitgarh, to celebrate all those who died during the Indian War of independence.

Just to keep to the violent theme, the caretaker told our guide that it had been a bad area and murders had occurred around the memorial.

By then we were hungry, so Sanjeev took us to a university canteen where he used to meet with his now wife to eat sweet samosas.  Sentimental for him, a new experience for us!

 

Arrival in Delhi

We went from Shimla to Chandigarh by car, and caught the 3.20pm flight to Delhi.  All went well, we continued to marvel at the driver's skills and have begun to pick up tips on how to drive in India.  Even if you are (correctly) on the left hand side, you beep your horn as you approach a blind corner to warn anyone who is on the wrong side of the road.  Driving is a cooperative venture!

Tomorrow is a visit to Coronation Park where the huge imperial durbars were held (on the style of the mughal durbars - or gatherings).  After 1947, the Indians removed many of the colonial statues there. So expecting to see a field of statues, in various states of disrepair!  Not sure how many cows will be wandering around as well.

This is our last stop before going back to Singapore on Friday. 

Shimla - Shops and other random pics.

On our second day in Shimla, we had the luxury of pleasing ourselves and wandering around the main shopping area.  The shopping area is over several levels meaning it spills down the sides of a hill.  The main and more "salubrious" part is called The Ridge.

Below are random pics.

Shimla is "smoke-free".  You can smoke inside, I gather, but we didn't see any smoking in public buildings.  

 The main shopping strip.

We walked through the Tibetan Market yesterday.  We were told that it was the stall-holders who were Tibetan, not the goods.

Not a Chinese person in sight!  But I gather Chinese food is popular in India.

We were not sure just which was Chinese - the shoes or the maker?

I bought two gifts here, for such a small amount I didn't even bother bargaining.  When I told the lady to keep the (even smaller) change, she insisted on handing it over.  Guilt on both sides?

Getting ready for the colourful Holi festival! We saw it in 2012.  Don't wear your good white shirt on the day!

It isn't all neat and tidy.

But this must have been beautiful in its heyday.

And off the beaten track...

Not everyone's life is easy.  Cars are not permitted in the main shopping areas, so goods have to be carried in.

And saw this!

Looking over the edge of the road on the way back to our hotel.  There are no levels bits in Shimla!

Blood Bank in Shimla

The Blood Bank was in town.  Posters telling the benefits for donors.

No difference between religions.  Good to know!

And the proceedings.

Shimla Day 1

We met our guide this morning and he looked at the program set down for us and decreed the travel company's visit to Kufri not of interest to international tourists.  He suggested that we take an hours walk in the Mountains.  After checking that he did not have a 10km hike in mind (we are at 2200m!), we happily agreed.  In fact it was a good idea.

Lookout on the way to our walk.  Valleys around Shimla.

The Himalayas were amazing, although there were two other mountain ranges in between. 

We survived the altitude.  We could not go anywhere near our usual pace, but we could take our time and stop to catch our breath.  The first third was uphill, then it was downhill.  There are no level bits in Shimla!

And we have learned that a dhaba means you can buy food!  There were also lots of dhaba along the roads - like service centres.  Note the ubiquitous sleeping dog.

 A Shimla sheep!

Then Shan showed us the town. Below is Christ Church.  BTW, the red statue on the hill behind is the Jakhoo Temple, a Hindu temple to Lord Hanuman.  No bells in this church.

A couple of interesting plaques inside.

Presumably this was his wife.

We had lunch at a cafe, and the manager spoke perfect English.  He was married to a Korean lady and another in-law was Vietnamese.  We asked who the owner was, and were told that the owner lived in Melbourne! So Shimla tourism has many connections!

 Then we went back to our hotel.  It is 2km from the shopping centre, with up and downhill parts. Given the altitude, we had done well!

The road to Shimla - and monkey business

Driving to Shimla was a 3+ hour excursion.  Chandigarh is approx 300m elevation, and Shimla is 2,200m.  We thought we were in for a drive through the mountains, like going to the Cameron Highlands.  But no.  There were houses, cities, some quite big, for most of the way.  The road was being widened into, according to our driver, a 6 lane highway.  He thought that tourism was driving all the building construction.  Shimla itself is expensive, so people seek a more reasonable holiday alternative outside Shimla.

One shot of the road

but this was more typical.

There were road works aplenty.

"Jobs and Growth" in India.

 We arrived at our hotel.  There are  things to think about in Shimla that I hadn't come across before.  Monkeys for one.  The hotel has warning about keeping windows closed to keep monkeys out, and you can hear them on the roof at night as they settle  down to sleep.

We went for a walk before dinner and came across some.

Tomorrow we see more of Shimla.

Chandigarh people

Just as we had gone into Nek Chand's garden, I was approached by two young ladies.  I thought they wanted me to take a photo of them, but no, they wanted a photo WITH me.  So here is a photo of a photo with me!  Soon after that, another young girl and her father also wanted a photo with me.  By now I was an expert, and I realised that this gave me questioning rights!  The young girl was 9 years old, and these young ladies were locals.  Ah Nicole Kidman, eat your heart out!

After our visit, I saw this group of local school children.  All lined up and well behaved!