Left early this morning for Old Delhi. It is really hotting up here, everyone is slowing down as the temperature rises.
Its about 42 degrees here at the moment so you have to start earlier to escape the midday sun.
Old Delhi was originally the walled city of Shahjahanabad and was built by the Mogul emperor Shan Jahan in 1648, most of the old city walls have now gone but there are some of the gates still left.
Delhi originally was made up of seven cities, each with its own identity, however the main divide of the city is between Old and New Delhi.
I wanted to go and see some of the famous local markets in Old Delhi as well as see some of the famous crumbling Havelis (nobleman’s ancestral homes).
My guide took me to the spice wholesale market and the silver market in Chandni Chowk. The smells, sights and sounds left a lasting impression.
Goods here are sold in specific areas so you have streets full of the same types of items, wedding streets, spice streets, jewellery streets etc.
Navigating yourself around is quite an art as every type and mode of transport is weaving chaotically around you, and of course you constantly have to watch where you step!
Taking photo’s proved pretty tricky too amongst the throng of people.
We took a cycle rickshaw to Jama Masjid, it is India’s largest mosque and has a capacity for 25,000 people in its courtyard, also climbed one of the minarets to take in the view of Old Delhi.
The view was breathtaking, apparently not so many women climb the steps as this bit of the mosque is a bit of a hangout for the young men, the walls were filled with graffiti messages from young men to their loved ones!
I also visited the National Museum here in Delhi, in fact it was a bit of a disappointment.
A number of the galleries were not open as they were being refurbished and I found that a lot of the displays in the museum and information were pretty uninspiring and in need of work and restoration.
However, some of the rooms were air conditioned so at least I got a chance to cool down a bit and escape the midday sun!
