Feb. 19th: A Little Indian History

We spent a very busy morning running around town to pick up various items that we had ordered in the last few days - a case for the tamboura, some beautiful Indian jackets (kurta) for Chris and a gorgeous sari and salwar kameez for me.

My new sari!

In front if the Lahore Gate, which faces Pakistan

After that, we met up with Nasir for some good, old-fashioned sight-seeing at the Red Fort in Old Delhi.  This huge sandstone structure was built to serve as the Mughal capitol by Shah Jahan (the guy that built the Taj Mahal) in the 1640's just before he was imprisoned by his rather ungrateful son, Aurangzeb.  Subsequent rulers were unable to maintain the fort and it had fallen into disrepair by the mid-1800's when the English took it over, destroying all but the most important buildings in order to make room for their hideous barracks and offices.  When India gained independence in 1947, the Red Fort was the first place to fly the Indian flag.

This bazaar was built just inside the gate for the Emperor's harem,
who weren't allowed to shop at the markets outside the fort (it's also
 my new favorite picture of Chris)

The halls where the Emperor heard pleas from his subjects are still standing, as are his personal mosque, the royal baths, and the housing for his harem, which has been converted into a museum of archeology.  It was incredible to get a glimpse into Mughal royal life and to see the relics of the English occupation (including an entertaining copy of the Delhi Gazette, an English newspaper from the 1860's).

The pearl mosque just behind us was built in 1659 for
 Aurangzeb's personal use

After we had finished with the fort, Nasir took us to a famous nearby restaurant that had served Nehru, Indira Ghandi, and JFK (at various times), then we headed back to the hotel for a drink with him and an early night.

Nasir explaining an intricately carved stone door

The Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audiences

A contrast in Mughal and English architecture