Delhi, Golden Triangle

When I think of India geographically, the first thing that comes to mind is how millions of years ago, this massive sub-continent broke away from tiny Madagascar, rapidly moved north and crashed into the Eurasian Plate, giving rise to the Himalayas. Today, it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, Arabian Sea to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the island of Sri Lanka off its south-eastern tip. It is home to the arid Thar Desert in the state of Rajasthan and the sacred Ganges River. 

The people are wonderfully diverse with their melting pot of cultures, traditions, festivals, religions, languages and cuisine. They are dazzlingly colourful, as seen through their clothes, festivals, art, decorations and aromatic spices.

Centuries of invasions from Turks, Mongols, Persians and the British have influenced the diverse architectural styles found in buildings and monuments around the country. Many of them are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

This leads me to the Golden Triangle, a three-pointed journey through three of the most visited cities in India’s northwest. Beginning in Delhi, I will travel southeast to Agra and the famous Taj Mahal, then head west to Jaipur, the pink city and finish back in Delhi. Throughout this journey, I will explore ten UNESCO sites, taste the local flavours, admire the painted trucks and take a side trip to a tiger reserve.

Delhi is both a city and the National Capital Territory. Within its boundaries to the east, is the walled, historic city of Old Delhi. When founded in the 17th century as the capital of the Mughal Empire, Old Delhi was known as Shahjahanabad, the namesake of the ruling emperor at the time. Adjacent to Old Delhi is New Delhi, the capital of India since 1947 and the capital of British India for the preceding 16 years.
 
Heading south, I passed Qudsia Bagh, an 18th century Mughal-era garden and mosque, built for the emperor’s mother. It used to have a splendid white palace with pink accents until it was destroyed a century later. All that is left is the gateway, the mosque and the stables.

A quarter-mile further (400m), I crossed beneath the arches of Kashmiri Gate, one of the 14 gateways of the walled city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). Kashmiri was the northern gate, facing towards Kashmir which is where it got its name from. A study of the gate shows damage caused by cannonballs fired during the 1857 Indian Rebellion against the British that ended Mughal rule and led to the British crown taking control of India. Partially demolished in the 1960s to ease traffic flow, it has since become a protected monument. 

Continuing south, I am making my way to the first UNESCO site, the Red Fort.

I could do this challenge on my own, yet with so many new and fun challenges being released often, I invited Wendy, Penny and Courtney to join me while waiting for the rest of the Appalachian Team to finish their miles.