The Beat Goes On--Delhi

And they left me. After all I did for those women--they left me. In the middle of the night, half a world away from home, they boarded a plane and left me. Even our trusted driver Javed, whom I made an honourary Canadian back in Kanpur, took my half pack of Vege Crackers and my bag of Uncle Chipps Spicy Treats and hit the road for Agra. And I was left standing in the cold, cold night, with nothing but my tears and an uncharged cel phone.

At the insistance of our dear friend and supporter, Mr. Shriya, I went to the Akshardam temple. Mr. Shriya was kind enough to arrange a VIP tour for me. My tour guide was a student of Architecture from California, so he was able to describe some of the features of the temple. Completed in 2005, the temple is one of the most authentically Hindi buildings in India. Many of the original temples were destroyed and future buildings incorporated different styles. The Akshardam temple, however, was built according to original texts and although photos were not allowed, it is an amazing structure to see. A highlight was the water and light show that evening--a show which attempts to summarize the stages of life.

Yesterday I looked at the buildings of Vijay Chowk--the capital buildings of India, and then walked to the India Gate. From there, I went to the Lodi Gardens, and then to the Old Fort. I will be back in Delhi on Feb 15, next stop Amritsar and the Golden Temple.