Sightseeing in Delhi

4 February 2009

Today has been an incredibly busy day, we can’t believe how much we’ve seen in such a short space of time! Our day started with a visit to Mother Teresa’s children’s home, Shishu Bhavan. We were lucky enough to see the new building (this was opened last year) which provides enough space for the much needed facilities. Seeing the children was exceptionally moving, it was heartbreaking to see such beautiful, loving children who don’t have a family, but what made it better was how well looked after they are, the sisters do a truly amazing job.
Afterwards we visited the Jama Masjid, the second largest Mosque in the sub-continent, with the capacity to hold up to twenty thousand people at one time. It was a brief yet enjoyable visit as they were about to start their afternoon prayer. On leaving the Mosque we were greeted by seven smiling rickshaw drivers who were ready to take us on a manic trip round the market streets of Old Delhi. We saw everything from wedding dress stalls to vegetable carts on roads no wider than England’s pavements!!! We were terrified climbing aboard, but this was soon overtaken by excitement!

After our chaotic ride on the rickshaws we drove to Raj Ghat, the memorial site where Gandhi was cremated. The gardens were beautiful and it was easy to forget the madness of Delhi in the peaceful settings and unusual silence. A short walk away we stopped for lunch at a small café where we ate beside a local children’s cricket team.

After lunch we moved to New Delhi to Birlah House, the site of his assassination and the interactive museum, which has been created for him within the house he was staying in when he was assassinated.

Whilst driving, we drove past the impressive Government buildings of New Delhi and even more impressive, elephants and monkeys! Our final stop of the day was to visit the Humayun’s Tomb which is known as a predecessor to the Taj Mahal (which we’re really excited to be seeing tomorrow!)

Comments:

Grace and Maggie Stacey

@ 6152 days ago

Hi guys,
Everything looks so amazing so far. Very jealous we didn’t go to Amritsar it looked fantastic!! Just at home atm returning to uni tomo for some more work!! Jen am seeing baby ben 2nite he is gorgeous and amy is hilarious. Hope you are all enjoying yourselves and Gough you better be looking out for those girls hehe- you missed it uni was cancelled on monday so don’t think you have to worry about those exams.
Have an amazing rest of your trip it is truly heartwarming and life changing. Hi caroline and Trish hope you are well and enjoying your trip again- bet your missing us lot though.
Enjoy it guys lov ya all Grace xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Jen, I’m looking over grace’s shoulder holding a cup of tea. It’s been quiet here no school for two days because of the snow. I allowed the children in the snow today to build snowmen but nobody was allowed to throw snowballs. I’m getting ready to meet your mum and dad and will take cards and prayers from everybody else. Have a great time, love and God bless Maggie xx

Tina,Paul & Alex Slavin

@ 6152 days ago

Hi Katherine and all,
What a fantastic day. It sounds like you have done an amazing amount in such a short space of time. The rickshaws look an experience in themselves apart from all the wonderful sights. It’s lovely to see all the pics, keep them coming, it really gives a sense of where you are.
Nornie sends her love, not sure what happened with the phone call, try it again if you can. Missing you loads, lots of love.
Dad said Man Utd are still top!
Take care & keep safe everyone, God bless xxxxx

Juliette O'Beirne

@ 6152 days ago

Hello Everyone
Good to see your photos and to hear about all the wonderful things you have been doing.Life is back to normal now the snow is disappearing- it was great while it lasted.
Catch up with you all tomorrow. xx

Rebecca, Emily & Matthew Rand

@ 6152 days ago

Hi Trish :)

Hope You Are Having A Great Time!

Got Another Day Off Today Because Of The Snow!

If We Have Tomorrow Off We Have Only Done A 1 Day Week :D

Matthew Would Like To Know, How Many Friends You Have Made?

Miss You Loads!

Lots Of Love,

The Rands xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Justin Coo

@ 6152 days ago

Mahatma Gandhi was an amazing and inspiratonal leader and our leaders today would do well to remember his teachings.

I remember visiting Raj Ghat and also experiencing that feeling of calm, sadly we didn’t make it across to Birlah House.

Prompted by your entry I was reminiscing about our trip with a work colleague this morning who shared a lesser known fact with me:

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet.

He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from somewhat bad breath.

This made him: “A super-callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis!”

Take care all of you and enjoy this most amazing of experiences. Oh and please take good care of my mummy, Kathryn! x

John Minkley

@ 6152 days ago

Nice tan Kat.

Chris Ridley

@ 6151 days ago

Hey all!

Glad to see you’re having such a good time! Also I’m glad to see that you are finally doing things that we did 4 years ago :-)

Great pictures in this post, love a good group picture.

Take care all, and looking forward to seeing the Taj!

p.s. missing you Emma; all this snow in the garden and no one to help me make a snow man! There was more snow last night and more to come!

Roberta Boxshall

@ 6151 days ago

Lovely to hear your news. The Shishu Bhavan must be really moving and the site of Gandhi’s assassination must be so inspiring too. I don’t envy you the madcap rickshaw rides on the market streets of Old Delhi…...well maybe just a little bit! Today the snow is falling as rain so there are only little bits left, but Hemel and Aylesbury have six inches again and there is more snow forecast for tomorrow…..crazy weather! It took me 55 minutes to get to dancercise today, so it was quite a short class for me. I just did it more energetically instead. Love and miss you…..that goes to everyone x x x

Siobhan O'Brien

@ 6151 days ago

Hey guys :D
its so good to hear that you are all having a great time. I remember not wanting to leave the childrens home when we visited. Its so moving and heart wrenching!

I hope you have an amazing time at the Taj, you will be blown away I promise :D

Glad you enjoyed the rickshaws!! They are a bit manic arent they? I remember clinging on to Neal for dear life!!

I love reading your diary and seeing the pictures, I come in every day from uni and this is the first thing that I look at.

Just wondering if Trish and Caroline are missing us old lot at all? :p We definitely miss you and being out there.

My mum sends her love, I think she is trying to hold back from taking over the messages this year!!

Lotsa love x x x x x

Jodie

@ 6151 days ago

Wadddup…i’m bored and packing to go to Scotland, haha yea I bet your jealous of my travellings! As much as I said I wasn’t gonna come on here I was intrigued and was missing you all slightly, good to see you’re all looking like your having a good time, take care love you x x x x x

Liz Smyth

@ 6151 days ago

Hey Jen – Great photo of you and Kat in the Rickshaw!!

I’ve just looked at the group photo you’re in shorts, i’m so jealous it’s freezing here! Good practice though as me, Gaz, E and the rest of the gang are off snowboarding on Sat!

Mum and dad got to France fine.

Sending you and eveyone all my love, keep safe and enjoy!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx