DELHI TOUR

ON SATURDAY DAVID, CURREY (AN INTERN HERE FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA), AND I WENT ON ONE OF THE DELHI TOURS. THE TOUR WAS RECOMMENDED BY DAVID AND CURREY'S BOSS SO WE KNEW IT WAS LEGIT. IT WAS AN ALL-DAY THING THAT TOOK YOU TO 8 OR 9 FAMOUS SITES AROUND DELHI. WELL, I JUST HAVE TO SAY IT WAS AWESOME!

WE WENT TO SEE RED FORT - AN OLD MILITARY FORT -- THAT WAS OK, BUT YOU KNOW FORTS -- BOY STUFF! I WAS REALLY EXCITED FOR LOTUS TEMPLE - A TEMPLE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE SHAPE OF A LOTUS FLOWER (MAKING FOR AMAZING PICTURES FROM THE OUTSIDE). IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE. HOWEVER, MY FAVORITE STOP, BY FAR, WAS RAJGHAT, OR THE SITE OF MAHATMA GANDHI'S CREMATION. IT WAS AMAZING! YOU WALK UP A LONG PATHWAY, AND ARE TOLD TO REMOVE YOUR SHOES (OUT OF RESPECT). THEN YOU ENTER INTO A PEACEFUL, WELL-MANICURED GARDEN, IN THE CENTER OF WHICH IS A LARGE (QUEEN MATTRESS SIZED) BLACK PLATFORM. THIS PLATFORM MARKS THE SPOT WHERE GANDHI WAS CREMATED AFTER HIS ASSASSINATION IN 1948. AT THE HEAD OF THE PLATFORM, THERE IS A FLAME THAT BURNS CONTINUOUSLY - IN HIS HONOR. THERE WERE SEVERAL ROUND ARRANGEMENTS OF FLOWERS ON THE BOX, BUT ONLY 2 INSCRIPTIONS - ONE ON THE TOP AND ONE ON THE FRONT. THE INSCRIPTIONS ARE VERY SHORT AND IN HINDI. THEY ARE THE WORDS "OH, GOD" - THOUGHT TO BE GANDHI'S LAST WORDS, UTTERED AFTER HE WAS SHOT. I CAN'T TRULY DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE THERE -- OR WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME ANYWAY. I'VE ALWAYS FELT DEEPLY MOVED BY GOING TO THE GRAVES / MEMORIALS OF PEOPLE LIKE GANDHI, MOTHER THERESA, ETC. I FIND THAT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST MOVING THINGS A PERSON CAN EXPERIENCE - TO BE THAT CLOSE TO SOME SPOT OF SUCH IMPORTANCE. BEING NEAR ANYTHING DIRECTLY TIED TO THESE AMAZING FIGURES (WHO ARE MERELY STORYBOOK CHARACTERS TO THOSE GROWING UP IN THE U.S.) IS UNREAL. FEELING THE SPIRIT OF THE GARDEN, THE SACREDNESS OF THE SPOT -- IT IS TRULY INDESCRIBABLE.

AS PROMISED, HERE ARE THE PICTURES FROM OUR TOUR: http://picasaweb.google.com/April.Gay/IndiaDelhiTour

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PICTURE PROGRAM I'VE BEEN USING IS ACTING UP, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FINISH CAPTIONING ALL THE PICTURES LIKE I WANTED. BUT, I DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND POST THE LINK TO THE ALBUM. MOST OF THE PICS. HAVE CAPTIONS, AND YOU CAN PROBABLY FIGURE OUT THE REST. I HOPE YOU LIKE THEM - I FEEL THEY TURNED OUT WELL, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO PRINT THEM AND PUT THEM INTO AN ALBUM COMMEMORATING MY TRIP.