Day 3 Delhi
Today we'll discover New Delhi. Our drive takes us through elegant boulevards and lush green parks where the iconic India Gate and imposing Parliament House are both reminders of a colonial past. We'll also visit the ancient Qutub Minar - a UNESCO-listed site.
We'll then visit the 17th century walled city of Old Delhi. Temples and mosques fill every available space and tempting food stalls flood the narrow streets with colour and heady aromas. As we explore we'll pass by the spectacular Red Fort, the impressive marble domes of Jama Masjid Mosque and Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
We will also do the cycle rickshaw ride in Old Delhi's lane and will enjoy the Gali Paranthe Wali, the 'lane of parantha-makers', which is located in Chandni Chowk. Once known for its silverware shops before the parantha makers moved in during the 1970s, the lane is now world famous and some shops are being run by the sixth generation of the same family. Parantha can be enjoyed plain or served with sweet tamarind chutney, mint chutney, mixed vegetable pickle, and are often made with other ingredients cooked into the dough such as kaju (cashews), badam (almonds), matar (green chick peas) and gobhi (cauliflower). They can also be enjoyed with a filling of paneer and potato curry, potato and fenugreek curry or a sauteed mash of sweet pumpkin. We then will continue on rickshaw to enjoy the Chawdi bazaar and Spice Market of Old Delhi.
This afternoon has been left free for you to explore at your own pace, in the company of your fellow travellers. If you wish, you could join our optional excursion which will introduce you to India's array of different religions. We'll visit Birla Mandir, the Hindu temple inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, and the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral before arriving at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. Hundreds of devotees are fed every day at this Sikh place of worship, and we'll have a chance to volunteer in the kitchens before our tour continues to Nizamuddin Dargah, the shrine to Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya.
Meals included:
B,D