"Delhi Delights" Delhi by Assenczo

I have to say India is the most bewildering country I have ever visited. It has this feeling of something ultimately outlandish that it makes you have double, triple takes and still wonder whether you are dreaming or it is just another day. Considering my Bulgarian background though I could find many references to my homeland, which made me feel at home. Funny enough I even discovered that I knew an ?Indian? word ? ARE (ah-ray) whom one can hear spoken daily between some cruder folks in my native Sofia.

One reality of Indian culture spanked me right in the face. The fact that a mere mortal can become a God, and revered as God for centuries ahead, puzzled me and still makes me wonder about the rationality of human beings. An example is the famous Mahatma Ghandi and his entourage. Well one just has to go to a specific park in Delhi and witness a magic like no other. People approach and bow, touch and bless themselves through a very suspicious contact with a dead man (his ashes are supposedly scattered over the Ganges) the same way they would do it in a temple with the Monkey God. Not to be left behind in the fervor for being admired by posterity is Ms. Indira Ghandi, who conveniently married a man with the highly desirable name so people think that she is made of Mr. Ghandi?s rib.
And this is not enough, even little Rajeev is there, this time with no suspicion on his blood relations but lots of questions on his stature compared to the real Ghandi.

In this atmosphere of gods, demigods, other divine creatures and the practical business of nation building, it is not a surprise that so many mausoleums are sprinkled all over India. Fortunately, at the time the royalty did not spare money and times were less technologically advanced but more artistically bound and the result is what you see ? Humayan?s tomb. The materials are not what one can see in Agra but the poor fellow almost lost his kingdom so still he fared pretty well.

Qutub Minar

Empires are built and lost but if you really, really wanted to mark your achievements, as we do on VT pages, why not build a highly visible sign. It reminds people who is in charge, becomes a stepping stone for your further quests/conquests and if something goes terribly wrong and the whole Empire crumbles chances are that it might stay forever. Yes, indeed this is the case with Qutub's Minar, a masterpiece of red stone, casting shadows not only on the surrounding meadows but in the minds of the power hungry rulers wannabes for many generations to come (understand eternity).

• Pros:Many monuments from different conquerors trying to outdo themselves
• Cons:Old Dehli must be the filthiest place on Earth
• In a nutshell:Travel in Delhi equals travel in time