ASIANOVERLAND.NET SYDNEY TO LONDON  DAY 330/104/16:  OLD DELHI, INDIA

Delhi has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BCE. Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires, most notably the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. The city has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt many times, particularly during the medieval period.

Delhi was captured and sacked by Timur in 1398, who massacred 100,000 captives. Under the Afghan Lodi dynasty (1451–1526), the Delhi sultanate recovered control of the Punjab and the Gangetic plain to once again achieve domination over Northern India. However, the recovery was short-lived and the Delhi sultanate was destroyed in 1526 by Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty.

Babur was a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur, from modern-day Uzbekistan. In 1526, he invaded India, defeated the last Lodhi sultan, and founded the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi and Agra. The Mughal dynasty ruled Delhi for more than three centuries, with a sixteen-year hiatus from 1540 to 1556.

In 1553, the Hindu king Hemu acceded to the throne of Delhi by defeating the forces of Mughal Emperor Humayun at Agra and Delhi. However, the Mughals re-established their rule after Akbar's army defeated Hemu during the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.

Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name Shahjahanabad, which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638 and is today known as the Old City or Old Delhi.

Delhi was a favourite place on the overland for everyone having freedom of movement around the city, while being centrally located, so everyone could find their own way back to the Dehi Gate camping site.

The favourite, unforgettable shopping strip in the Old Delhi City of Shahjahanabad was CHANDNI CHOWK. It was shopping mayhem and excitement, as it was the sort of place which had had EVERYTHING available for sale for hundreds of years. A lot of pressure, haggling and begging, which everyone enjoyed in small doses.

Not many could cope with long shopping forays at Chandni Chowk, especially if a punter made the mistake of giving a begger some money in the hope that the begging would desist. It never would. Giving to beggers was illegal in India, so we should respect the law, and try not to encourage giving money to beggers. If pressured, giving fruit was far preferable, and was unlikely to lead to a multitude of beggers.

Another shopping favourite was the underground bazaar under Connaught Place, just inside New Delhi,  perfectly positioned  with a nice walk from the Delhi Gate Camping ground to Connaught Place, which was also one of the only places you could get Western food in India – Nirula's restaurant was a favourite, especially for its pizzas, which were not otherwise going to be on the menu during the 15,000 km overland drive.

The Imperial Hotel near Connaught Place was another favourite, as westerners could enter the beautiful, historic hotel grounds to escape from the locals on the mere possibility of buying a lime soda or a lassi. We could then enjoy the sanctury of a luxury hotel and its facilities, especially the swimming pool – another pleasue we would not expect to enjoy again until we get to Jordan, where the best swimming is snorkling in the Red Sea.

The Red Fort is a historic fort in Old Delhi that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. It was constructed between May 1639 and April 1648.

The Sound and Light show at the Red Fort in Delhi is a great event, which can’t be missed.

Our westbound overland Trip Book records: “Day 16.  3/10/80

Went shopping.

Wendy, Wendy, where are you? The cry went up around the camp. Poor sweet Wendy was missing. Had she been led astray by Teena? If everybody hadn’t been stoned we might have done something about it.

And then, when we were having our coffee, we heard her voice from outside the bus – there she was with a smile on her face. It took some time to get the full story from her but aparrently she’d been out with a native. He was from Kashmir, he took her out to dinner and then she went back to see his carpets. ….

Rumour has it she’s having her own houseboat in Kashmir!”

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