The adventure continued on Day 11 in India-for reference, this was Thursday, September 6th. I had 3 weeks to the day left in India but my time in Delhi was quickly dwindling. My mom had several errands left to run before she moved in just four days, and one of them took us to Lajpat Nagar. Also known as Central Market, it was a madhouse of vendors ranging from upscale jewelry shops to people following you with cheap knick-knacks through the maze of stalls. Haggling is of course the norm, and my existing loathing for shopping was magnified tenfold. I found solace in a quiet, clean, air conditioned fabric store where I bought several meters of differently colored and patterned fabrics to bring back home to our resident seamstress!After we wandered through Central Market, we headed to the gorgeous Lotus Temple.
Our original errand was to bring some paintings to a shop in Central Market to see if we could sell them, as they'd be difficult to carry back. They wouldn't buy them, so we got them unframed and rolled up for neat shipping. The art store had some beautiful work:
One of the many curious things about India: littering is just what you do. I'll never understand it and I find it rather upsetting. It spoils an otherwise beautiful country. My mom told me a story about a European he met who, when he saw a man toss his used paper plate into the street, picked it up and yelled at him, "YOU CALL THIS INCREDIBLE INDIA?!" (Incredible India being the tagline for the tourism campaign.) I'm inclined to agree.
Next to a rice vendor:
My mom against the backdrop of chaotic Central Market:
Looking for an anklet:
My mom and I made a pit stop at a KFC of all places (it was either that, McDonald's, or risk food poisoning from the street food.) This being India, there were several vegetarian options. It was tasty enough, but fast food's fast food.
After Central Market, we went to the aptly named Lotus Temple, the Baha'i faith's beautifully designed temple in Delhi. The Baha'is emphasize spiritual unity for all humans, and it's a peaceful and welcoming religion. I have been wanting to visit this temple since I first saw pictures of it years ago, so this was near the top of my list of attractions in Delhi.
First view-behind the palm trees:
Devotees and tourists (and cute babies) on the path to the temple:
A precocious little girl who was grinning up at me as her mother took a picture of me and my mom:
Me and my mom in front of the Lotus Temple (not the Sydney Opera House!) We again got bombarded by the Indian Paparazzi who wanted pictures with us but managed to get some quiet time on the grounds.
Unfortunately pictures weren't allowed inside the temple, which was reserved for silent meditation only. There's a beautiful opening in the center of the ceiling (thanks wikipedia) and I could practically all of my good vibes being sucked out of my head and through the ceiling out into the world.
In front of the entrance to the temple:
The temple in all its glory:
Two girls in front of the reflecting pools:
Sunset over the temple with ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Temple) in the background:
We were there around sunset, and the grounds were so peaceful:
Lit Lotus:
This dog got up and followed us as we walked past. Skinny but spry!
The Lotus Temple was one of my favorite sites/sights in Delhi. Sunset was the perfect time to experience it, and we went home contentedly at the end of the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment