Tour around the city of circles…Continued from My first day in New Delhi

We were told that the temple was built for all religions and races to revere God, the Ultimate Creator of the Universe. One could feel the presence of God, the Father, as well as the tranquility brought about by the lotus structure coupled with the angelic voices of song worshippers who offered prayers.

Winding through the cyclic road, we finally reached the red and buff sandstone tower -? The Qutab Minar, a historical 236 ft victory tower. The place consisted mostly of intricately carved Islamic monuments that showed the splendid artistry of Islamic architecture.

Times have changed but Indian culture hasn’t. I was truly impressed with the Indian sense of patriotism and their value for culture and heritage despite the global phenomenon. Indian men still wear the ?kurtas? while ladies wear the ?sarees? customarily from home to office and just about anywhere they go. Women feel that sarees exude their sensousness and womanhood. I also had the chance to wear it, just out of pure curiosity, as we passed? the Best of India shop, and took a few pictures. I felt, too, that the sarees let women feel feminine, especially when these are paired with the glitters and loads of bangles.

After a quick lunch at McDonalds in Connaught Place, we moved to see the mysteriously designed observatory Jantar Mantar. We found the complex quite interesting, knowing that the masonry instruments were used to observe the solar system movement. The main attraction of the place is the sun dial that was built long ago by a Rajput King. It does give accurate timings, however local Indians told us that the recent constructions of high towers in Delhi now overshadowed the structure.

Although we were a bit fatigued from the long day trip, we still saved our energies to see the majestic India Gate. The lack of time wasn?t truly disappointing for me as I had the chance to go back, and take a closer look at its beauty together with my friend Mayank Sharma, and his friends. I was told that this 42-meter gateway commemorates more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who fought during the war. It was quite a sight to see a shrine made of red stones, having the name of more than 70,000 soldiers inscribed on it. Waht also attracted my attention was that at the center of the gate is the shrine of the Amar Jawan Jyoti or what they call ?the flame of the immortal warrior?. This houses the tombs of the anonymous soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Mayank was kind enough to take me to Connaught Place and go around the circles which fascinated me as it is quite like a never ending circle from thr inner to the outer. It is in fact an ideal place for an idyllic walk. There you can see many shops and delis, and it was here that I enjoyed Indian food for the first time since arriving in India. He took me to Rodeo, a restaurant that showcased the combination of American-Indian motif with excellent food. I was introduced to a purely vegetarian meal, sumptuous enough for me to appreciate it without necessarily eating meat. The food served was a bit spicy, but not enough to fan out my chilli-allergic tongue with my hand.

Just like many Filipinos, Indians are also fond of shopping. For this, you can see bazaars or shopping emporiums sprawling around the city that makes one wish for a lot of rupees to spend. Unfortunately, I did not have enough money to? buy all the goods that appealed to my spendthrift instinct. Each corner in the city has an emporium that sells everything under the sun ranging from leathercrafts, textiles to jewelries. When shopping in India, you must learn how to develop bargaining skills, and you can get absolutely cheaper and reasonable prices.

We then went to the well-laid out Presidential Palace which is adjacent to the India Gate. The place exhibits the British artistry which enthralls you to see the buildings surrounding the citadel. The palace gate simply depicts the touch of grandeur of the british architecture which unexpectedly stimulated my artistic skills in sketching.