Delhi
Day Thirteen - India - 2024
One last day in India, this time exploring some of the main sights the nation’s capital region.
1. Jama Masjid #1
Built by Shah Jahan in the mid-17th century, Jama Masjid in Delhi was the seat of religious authorities of the Mughal Empire until the mid-19th century.
The following morning we made our way into Delhi’s city center to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was the Jama Masjid mosque, a lovely architectural marvel right in the heart of the city.
2. Jama Masjid #2
Unlike most Mughal structures until this point which were almost entirely made of red sandstone, Jama Masjid integrated white and black marble into its design.
3. Jama Masjid #3
(…Um, okay….)
4. Chandni Chowk #1
Dating to the 17th century, Chandni Chowk is one of India’s largest markets, consisting of over 1,500 stores.
We then took a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk marketplace, although -somewhat oddly- we didn’t actually stop anywhere to purchase anything…. We did get a chance to peruse the produce for sale, which was nice to see.
Thirteen photographs from the market follow.
5. Chandni Chowk #2
6. Chandni Chowk #3
7. Chandni Chowk #4
8. Chandni Chowk #5
9. Chandni Chowk #6
10. Chandni Chowk #7
11. Chandni Chowk #8
12. Chandni Chowk #9
13. Chandni Chowk #10
14. Chandni Chowk #11
15. Chandni Chowk #12
16. Chandni Chowk #13
17. Chandni Chowk #14
We don't run ads - your follow on Instagram
lets us know how we're doing!
Thanks for your support!
18. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #1
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi is one of the largest Sikh places of assembly and worship in the city.
Next, we made our way to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a large Sikh house of worship, for a quick tour and a chance to make some bread in their kitchen (I was absolutely terrible at this….)
19. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #2
Mostly built in the 20th century, it sits adjacent to a spring purported to have healing qualities.
20. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #3
The kitchen of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib functions 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to provide over 30,000 daily cost-free meals to those in need.
21. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #4
22. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #5
23. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib #6
24. India Gate
Unveiled in 1931, Delhi’s India Gate memorializes members of the Indian Army who perished during World War I.
At this point, we had some free time before we needed to get dropped off at Delhi Airport for our return flight to Dubai. The guide asked us if there was anything in particular we wanted to see, to which I commented the Lotus Temple as well as Qutub Minar. Thankfully we had plenty of time to spare and -in addition to those places- we had a quick chance to stop quickly at the India Gate.
25. Lotus Temple #1
Completed in 1986, the Lotus Temple is a Bahai House of Worship in Delhi.
We continued on for another quick stop at the Lotus Temple, which was really neat to see in-person. I’ll confess - it was significantly more crowded than I thought it would be!
26. Lotus Temple #2
The Lotus Temple’s sides are made up of 27 marble pieces arranged to make nine groups of three, resulting in a structure 34 meters / 112 feet tall.
27. Lotus Temple #3
On average, 2 to 5 million people visit the Lotus Temple each year, making it one of the most visited buildings in the world.
28. Qutub Minar #1
Completed in the early 13th century, Delhi’s Qutub Minar (Victory Tower) is 72 meters / 238 feet tall and contains 399 interior steps.
Our last stop of the trip was at the Qutub Minar, the astonishing UNESCO World Heritage prayer calling tower on the south side of the city. Wowza, what an impressive structure!
29. Qutub Minar #2
As of 2025, it is the tallest minaret made of bricks and the seventeenth tallest minaret in the world.
30. Qutub Minar #3
In addition to the minaret, the site also features the Quwwat-ul-Islam, a mosque built in the 12 century, representing the first mosque in India after the Ghurid Dynasty conquest of India.
There were also the remains of a mosque adjacent to the minaret that we had the chance to explore.
31. Qutub Minar #4
The tomb of the Delhi Sultan Iltutmish is also located on the site, dating from the early 13th century.
32. Qutub Minar #5
The engravings on the walls of the tomb contain a mix of Islamic and Hindu motifs.
33. Qutub Minar #6
Qutub Minar was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1993.
We still had quite a bit of time remaining before needing to be to the airport, so we decided to stop at a nearby shopping mall for (ready?) a quick visit to Taco Bell. Yes, you read that right. After all, can you think of a more hardcore culinary test than eating Taco Bell in India? Obviously, I survived the experience….
As the sun set over the city we prepared for our long journeys back to the United States.
What was my overall impression of India? In a word: amazing. Honestly, this trip was much, much more than I thought it would be. True, I didn’t accomplish all of my goals: I didn’t see a leopard nor a sloth bear, but there’s literally nothing to be done about that (other than to go back for round two!) Otherwise, I ticked everything off of my “must see” list and I felt incredibly achieved for two weeks of travel.
Taj Mahal? Check. Abhaneri? Check. Khajuraho? Check. Tiger? Check times four. Food? Amazing! Hotels? Blew away my expectations. Drivers and guides? Superb! Overnight train? Successfully avoided….
In short, I’m not really sure I could have done much else to make this trip better.
To put a fine point on this - I’ve only ever rated five foreign countries in the “Absolutely Must Travel” category: Australia, France, Norway, Switzerland, and Vietnam. I legitimately think India is in that conversation, as well. And this isn’t some post-holiday romantic notion - I’m writing this over a year since I’ve returned and I still feel that way. That’s how you know you’ve had a truly special travel experience.
Take my advice: go to India!!!
