From Archaelogical Ruins to Dehli Belly

Last Saturday evening eleven teachers from AES joined a Dehli Metro Walk led by tour guide Surekha through the ruins of Delhi's first ancient city, Qila Rai Pithora. It dates back to 1060, although there are 5,000 year old scriptures on site. The park, Mehrauli Archaeologic Park, has been under excavation and renovation since 1997 by the Indian National Trust. There are several identified mausoleums and tombs of Mughal emperors, while some remain mysterious. The area is still heavily used by people out for daily picnics, farmers grazing pigs and goats and a teenage hang-out. While there are guards overlooking the ruins, the area is laden with trash and with pigs digging through the garbage. Always a contrast in India!

View of Lord Mahavira on a lotus flower from the park.

Three story stepwell (water system) from 1516. Rajon Ki Baoli

Too many photo ops, but our tour guide was getting anxious that dusk was approaching. We really wanted her to slow down but then we realized why she was pushing us to carry on. The best for last!

Surekha had arranged for us to have a private mausoleum opened for us to view at the Jamali-Kamali site. After taking off our shoes in respect, we entered a tiny mausoleum. By then it was pitch dark so we all used our flashes to snap this photo of the ceiling. Magnificent!

After three hours of walking and climbing steep steps, and hopping over ancient fences, we gathered at a lovely restaurant for Thai food. Going out to dinner is always iffy in Delhi, even at the best restaurants. All it takes is one bacteria-laden fork or prawn to set off a case of Delhi belly. My meal of pad thai prawns with papaya salad and decadent chocolate cake was sensational. It was such a treat from dahl and chicken curry! But lo and behold, of the eleven of us I got my first case of Delhi belly for two days! No picnic, but I am now officially part of the "in" crowd.

Mothers

Many young women in India still are "married off" at a very early age, sometimes as young as 13. Even when so young, mothers take their job quite seriously. Family is extremely important. These mothers did not easily allow me to photograph them. I promised that I would come back and give them a copy of their picture, which I always do.

While their living conditions are without running water or toilets, the children are often dressed in sparkly dresses and adorned with jewels.

This woman was so proud of her daughter, who attends an Indian public school. She asked me to take several photos. Her beauty deeply touched me. Perhaps "acceptance" comes with the Hindi belief that reincarnation will allow you to live a better life each time until reaching moksha (liberation) from suffering.