Chambers at Large in Delhi, India
- Amelia Chambers
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
Following my night flight to India’s capital, which I documented in a previous blog, I was in need of sustenance and recuperation before sightseeing. My fellow travellers and I were taken straight to our hotel, The Metropolitan, which was our base when in the city. A big thank you to the staff there, especially the chefs as the food was fabulous and to housekeeping as our rooms were ready for an early check-in.
The noise of the traffic, the honking of horns, the crowds of people, the animals wandering the streets (monkeys, cows, dogs) never seems to diminish in Delhi. It is relentless. Visiting in January also meant the weather was smoggy most mornings, a little chilly, but warming and clearing as the day progressed.
I soon realised my knowledge of Indian history is sadly lacking when we visited the tomb of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun, which is very similar to the Taj Mahal. Even in the morning mist the building, set in lawned gardens, is impressive, Dogs roam the landscape and pigeons fly about the mausoleum, but the quirkiest feature of this site is the tomb of Humayun’s barber.
The Mughal put his life in the hands of his barber knowing that a slip of a sharp blade could be a death sentence. As a token of his appreciation the barber is buried nearby in a smaller, but still quite elaborate, marble mausoleum, located in a shaded corner of the gardens.
India is a land full of surprises and our visit to Qutub Minar was certainly an eye opener. Built of sandstone the 72.5m minaret dates back to the 12th century and is the tallest minaret (made of brick) in the world. It now leans a little, but not to the extent of the tower in Pisa and it is barely noticeable due to its monumental height. The outer walls are quite stunning, decorated with intricate motifs and passages from the Koran.
The National War Memorial is very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. One evening my fellow travellers and I joined Indian families and a plethora of other tourists to amble around the arch which stands in manicured gardens. In the early evening it was lit up in the colours of the Indian flag and the names of many who lost their lives are engraved on the stonework. A poignant reminder of the horrors of war.
My knowledge of Indian history did extend to recognising Gandhi and the site where he was cremated is quite beautiful. Set in glorious gardens, where the bees were very busy, buzzing from flower to flower, I recalled the man who encouraged the population of India to be independent. Stone tablets document a few of his famous quotes and a statue of him, dressed in his infamous dhoti, stands near the entrance.
Doing things back to front seemed to be the order of the day and to finish off our tour of Delhi we were taken to the place where Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life: in a relatively small room in Birla House. It was in the gardens of this house, now a museum, where the man, who held prayer meetings, was assassinated. A row of footprints is a reminder of where he walked, alongside a statue of his belief in assiduous labour.
In order to see as much of north India as possible I was only in Delhi for a very short time, but my stay was a pleasurable assault on the senses, giving me an initial taste of this eclectic country. I will soon be back in order to explore more of this sub-continent, so feel free to check in once in a while to read more about my travels and experiences.
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I’ve written several blogs documenting my experiences in India. Please click on the links to discover more:
