March in Delhi
In March, we suddenly realized that we had very little time left in Delhi and that the heat would soon be there.. It was time to do some sight-seeing!
We also welcomed my sister Emeline and her partner Thomas, who, having left the two kids at home with Domi, took a nice vacation in India. They met with Francoise and Herve in Delhi for two days, then left for Agra and Udaipur, and came back to Delhi for a few additional days at the end.
One of our first outing of the month was to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, the large sikh temple. Eric had actually never been there. There is a big pool where devout (and brave) sikh take a dip, and where big fish swim. Ruben had a great time there, and of course there was some picture taking for Indian families - you can note how the Indian baby was dressed at the time, as compared to us.
We visited the impressive kitchen where about 10000- 15000 meals are prepared every day.. All staffed by volunteers. Although it is for a holy act of feeding people, it feels like the kitchen from hell.
We then went on to Lodhi garden for some tree climbing.
Nice breakfast in the garden with Emeline and Thomas, and Eric before he left for work.
Ruben having fun in the garden and at the park.
Visit to Nizamuddin Basti with Emeline and Thomas.
I was amazed at the number of people who wanted a picture with Emeline.
Visit to Old Delhi with Emeline and Thomas. I have become more used to taking guests to Old Delhi and have refined my 'tour': Chawry Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Accountant Haveli, Kinari Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, the spice market.. with of course some variations each time, and with a stop on the way at Karim's or Haldiram's for refreshment.
Towards the spice market.
Spice market.
View over Fatehpuri Masjid, towards Chandni Chowk.
Over the street.
I also took Eric and Ruben to visit Chattarpur temples, the second largest complex of hindu temples after Akshardam. There are interesting statues and temples there, although all very modern. It turned out to be a holy day, with many worshippers coming to the temple. Watching people flock to pour milk and make flower and sweet offerings to a shiva lingam was fascinating.
For a different type of outing, we went to the zoo and saw a family of hippos playing in the water. Ruben absolutely loved them, but it was also fun for us to watch.
With Nino at the park.
Elizabeth came to visit us at the end of March, and we left her and Ruben in Delhi as we went trekking in Nepal (beautiful trek! but this will be for another post). We were able to go and visit Old Delhi with her - I think that this was Eric's second visit there only actually.
In the chaos of Chawry Bazaar.
Jama Masjid.
In the Accountant Haveli.
Spice market.
And rickshaw tour to Kinari Bazaar.
More pictures from Ruben's birthday party! Ruben trying to blow the candles and cutting the cake.
With Delhi network, I visited the Civil Lines, the old British neighbourhood from the 19th century, north of old Delhi. There are not many buildings left to see but the history is really fascinating. It is there that much of the 'uprising / first war of independance' (Indian terminology) or 'mutiny' (English terminology) took place in 1857. This was the biggest challenge to any colonial power in 19th century, and England came very close to losing its domination over northern India.
The rebellion started off as a small rebellion of 'sepoys' (mostly upper caste hindus soldiers, but also some muslims) in Meerut and evolved in a bloody war that killed tens of thousands and uprooted many more. The immediate cause for rebellion was the introduction of new Enfield rifles, which cartridge had to be bitten with the mouth to release the grease. Rumours grew that the grease used was from beefs or from pigs, an offence to all Hindus and Muslims.. But there were many more causes for discontent: impossibility of promotion for natives in the army, the arrival of a new generation of British officials who viewed natives with disdain (whereas previously the 'white mughals' had adopted many of the customs and ways of life of the Indians), a push for evangelization of India, the decision by the British to not designate an heir to Bahadur Shah Zafar and let the Mughals lose their throne.. Also, at the time England was actually not acting as an official colonial power in India, although it was de facto. The East India Trading Company had gradually taken over the whole country and was administering most of it, whilst officially leaving the local rulers in power.
On May 10, 1857, the sepoys rebelled in Meerut, 60 km away from Delhi. They quickly reached Delhi the following day, where a large number of the British living in the city were slaughtered, men, women, and children alike.. A large number of people also joined them for the opportunity to loot the riches of Delhi. The story of the massacre of the British and the desperate flight of the survivors, through the unrelenting May heat, is really heart-breaking.
The sepoys then turned to the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to lead the rebellion. Against his better judgment (but did he have a choice with the sepoys controlling his palace?), he agreed to the rebellion. The rebellion spread to a large part of northern India, but lacked proper leadership (Bahadur Shah Zafar was, after all, 82 years old at the time, and his main interest in life was poetry) and proper organization (for getting supplies, for attacking the English positions in a strategic and sustained manner, for maintaining order in Delhi... there was no previous administration in place on the Indian side as the East India Trading Company was actually administering the country).. As many people came to Delhi to join the rebellion, the city fell into great disorder, food came in short supply, diseases spread...
The Birtish quickly regained a foothold on a ridge in the north west of Delhi, behind the civil lines. Despite their small numbers, the Indians did not manage to uproot them. In August, the East India Company managed to bring in more soldiers from Penjab and the final assault was launched on September 14th, 1957. The British troops quickly conquered some of the city gates, but progressing through the narrow streets of the city proved very difficult.. Again, the lack of organization and leadership on the Indian side proved fatal to the rebellion, and Bahadur Shah Zafar surrendered on September 20th.
After the rebellion, many of the high-ranking court officials were killed, including most of Bahadur Shah Zafar's sons. The retribution from the British led to a terrible bloodshed, not only in Delhi, but also in villages in the countryside, and in other cities where the rebellion had fought hard (Lucknow, etc). The survivors had to flee the city and hide in the countryside, with no means for subsistence. The stories of the atrocities committed by the British are really horrible. As to Bahadur Shah Zafar, he was sent in exile to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
Over the course of 1857, most of the city of Delhi, one of the most beautiful cities at the time, was destroyed, first by the sepoys and looters, and then by the British.. The British actually wanted to level down the whole city, but luckily the plan was abandoned. Still, most of the buildings in the Red Fort were torn down and replaced with British barracks.
The events also marked an end to the thriving cultural and artistic life of Delhi, which had been nurtured by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Also, one of the characteristic of that culture was the peaceful cohabitation between the muslims and hindus - it is noticeable that the first to revolt were high-caste hindus, demanding the reinstatement of a muslim emperor!
Saint James Church, which was one of the first churches built in Delhi, by Lieutnant Skinner.
Kashmiri Gate, one of the main gates of Delhi, which was a key escape route for the British in May 1957 and one of the first gates to fall when the British launched their assault in september 1957. Nowadays, 'Kashmiri gate' is also a very busy metro station, and few locals actually know the original gate.
Nicholson cemetery, surprisingly well preserved.
The mosque in Qudsia Bagh, which took us further back in time. Qudsia Bagh, a beautiful garden and palace was built by Qudsia Begum. She was a dancing girl who later became wife of Emperor Muhammad Shah in the 18th century and mother of the new emperor. Not much remains of the palace and original garden (it was redesigned by the British) although there is still a big park there.
As a complement to this visit, I also read the great book by William Darlymple 'The Last Mughal', which is about Bahadur Shah Zafar and the mutiny. William Darlymple explains how, miraculously, he uncovered troves of unexploited archives in India, Pakistan, and Rangoon, about the mutiny.. Most of the archives which had been studied until now were from the British side. A fascinating read, although a little bit too bloody, as there were so many atrocities on both sides. My next read by him will be the 'white mughals', about the many foreigners who adopted the Indian customs and lifestyle in the 18th and early 19th century - this should be more entertaining.
We also welcomed my sister Emeline and her partner Thomas, who, having left the two kids at home with Domi, took a nice vacation in India. They met with Francoise and Herve in Delhi for two days, then left for Agra and Udaipur, and came back to Delhi for a few additional days at the end.
One of our first outing of the month was to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, the large sikh temple. Eric had actually never been there. There is a big pool where devout (and brave) sikh take a dip, and where big fish swim. Ruben had a great time there, and of course there was some picture taking for Indian families - you can note how the Indian baby was dressed at the time, as compared to us.
Ruben having fun in the garden and at the park.
Visit to Nizamuddin Basti with Emeline and Thomas.
Visit to Old Delhi with Emeline and Thomas. I have become more used to taking guests to Old Delhi and have refined my 'tour': Chawry Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Accountant Haveli, Kinari Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, the spice market.. with of course some variations each time, and with a stop on the way at Karim's or Haldiram's for refreshment.
Spice market.
In March, Ruben attended activity classes at the 'Reading caterpillar', a small library for children. Although the story telling part did not much interest him, he quite enjoyed the art and craft activities. It was nice also thatNora and Aadit were taking part in the classes as well.
With Nino at the park.
Elizabeth came to visit us at the end of March, and we left her and Ruben in Delhi as we went trekking in Nepal (beautiful trek! but this will be for another post). We were able to go and visit Old Delhi with her - I think that this was Eric's second visit there only actually.
In the chaos of Chawry Bazaar.
And rickshaw tour to Kinari Bazaar.
With Delhi network, I visited the Civil Lines, the old British neighbourhood from the 19th century, north of old Delhi. There are not many buildings left to see but the history is really fascinating. It is there that much of the 'uprising / first war of independance' (Indian terminology) or 'mutiny' (English terminology) took place in 1857. This was the biggest challenge to any colonial power in 19th century, and England came very close to losing its domination over northern India.
The rebellion started off as a small rebellion of 'sepoys' (mostly upper caste hindus soldiers, but also some muslims) in Meerut and evolved in a bloody war that killed tens of thousands and uprooted many more. The immediate cause for rebellion was the introduction of new Enfield rifles, which cartridge had to be bitten with the mouth to release the grease. Rumours grew that the grease used was from beefs or from pigs, an offence to all Hindus and Muslims.. But there were many more causes for discontent: impossibility of promotion for natives in the army, the arrival of a new generation of British officials who viewed natives with disdain (whereas previously the 'white mughals' had adopted many of the customs and ways of life of the Indians), a push for evangelization of India, the decision by the British to not designate an heir to Bahadur Shah Zafar and let the Mughals lose their throne.. Also, at the time England was actually not acting as an official colonial power in India, although it was de facto. The East India Trading Company had gradually taken over the whole country and was administering most of it, whilst officially leaving the local rulers in power.
On May 10, 1857, the sepoys rebelled in Meerut, 60 km away from Delhi. They quickly reached Delhi the following day, where a large number of the British living in the city were slaughtered, men, women, and children alike.. A large number of people also joined them for the opportunity to loot the riches of Delhi. The story of the massacre of the British and the desperate flight of the survivors, through the unrelenting May heat, is really heart-breaking.
The sepoys then turned to the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to lead the rebellion. Against his better judgment (but did he have a choice with the sepoys controlling his palace?), he agreed to the rebellion. The rebellion spread to a large part of northern India, but lacked proper leadership (Bahadur Shah Zafar was, after all, 82 years old at the time, and his main interest in life was poetry) and proper organization (for getting supplies, for attacking the English positions in a strategic and sustained manner, for maintaining order in Delhi... there was no previous administration in place on the Indian side as the East India Trading Company was actually administering the country).. As many people came to Delhi to join the rebellion, the city fell into great disorder, food came in short supply, diseases spread...
The Birtish quickly regained a foothold on a ridge in the north west of Delhi, behind the civil lines. Despite their small numbers, the Indians did not manage to uproot them. In August, the East India Company managed to bring in more soldiers from Penjab and the final assault was launched on September 14th, 1957. The British troops quickly conquered some of the city gates, but progressing through the narrow streets of the city proved very difficult.. Again, the lack of organization and leadership on the Indian side proved fatal to the rebellion, and Bahadur Shah Zafar surrendered on September 20th.
After the rebellion, many of the high-ranking court officials were killed, including most of Bahadur Shah Zafar's sons. The retribution from the British led to a terrible bloodshed, not only in Delhi, but also in villages in the countryside, and in other cities where the rebellion had fought hard (Lucknow, etc). The survivors had to flee the city and hide in the countryside, with no means for subsistence. The stories of the atrocities committed by the British are really horrible. As to Bahadur Shah Zafar, he was sent in exile to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
Over the course of 1857, most of the city of Delhi, one of the most beautiful cities at the time, was destroyed, first by the sepoys and looters, and then by the British.. The British actually wanted to level down the whole city, but luckily the plan was abandoned. Still, most of the buildings in the Red Fort were torn down and replaced with British barracks.
The events also marked an end to the thriving cultural and artistic life of Delhi, which had been nurtured by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Also, one of the characteristic of that culture was the peaceful cohabitation between the muslims and hindus - it is noticeable that the first to revolt were high-caste hindus, demanding the reinstatement of a muslim emperor!
Saint James Church, which was one of the first churches built in Delhi, by Lieutnant Skinner.
The mosque in Qudsia Bagh, which took us further back in time. Qudsia Bagh, a beautiful garden and palace was built by Qudsia Begum. She was a dancing girl who later became wife of Emperor Muhammad Shah in the 18th century and mother of the new emperor. Not much remains of the palace and original garden (it was redesigned by the British) although there is still a big park there.
As a complement to this visit, I also read the great book by William Darlymple 'The Last Mughal', which is about Bahadur Shah Zafar and the mutiny. William Darlymple explains how, miraculously, he uncovered troves of unexploited archives in India, Pakistan, and Rangoon, about the mutiny.. Most of the archives which had been studied until now were from the British side. A fascinating read, although a little bit too bloody, as there were so many atrocities on both sides. My next read by him will be the 'white mughals', about the many foreigners who adopted the Indian customs and lifestyle in the 18th and early 19th century - this should be more entertaining.
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