Up early at 7:30, the bus to Mehrauli was exceptionally crowded, and i had to stand half the way. The slightly aged gentleman next to me was irksome. He kept glaring and grumbling at anyone who brushed past him, with expected results. The conductor kept exhorting people to move up front, to no avail - an unexplained phenomenon in India, where in buses, the travellers tend to congregate at the back door.
We were early at the Qutb Minar. There was hardly anyone around. Much of the place, except the Minar, the Alai Gate and the iron pillar are in ruins. There were women working, probably to restore the place. Their children cleverly accost the tourists and beg for money - something that is prohibited in monuments that come under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India. Fortunately, the guard on duty spotted them and warned the women - probably to no avail.
The minar looks imposing against the sky. Aircrafts whizzing past to the nearby airport, seem as if they have to dodge the tower. The top two stories are made of marble. Sadly, you can never go up the minar now. Our memories of it is limited to Dev Anand wooing Nutan in the song "Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar". Nearby stands the famed "rustless" iron pillar, though when seen close enough, it had a reddish tinge. In the past, people who used to come here, would try to embrace it with their arms stretched backwards. Thankfully, now they have put up a barricade. Built by Chandragupta, reputedly, many kings have tried to destroy the pillar with their weapons, with little success. They have thence tried to put their stamp of authority on it - evident from the name "Mohammed Akbar" scratched upon the base of the pillar. The enclosure around it sports the distinct style of Hindu architecture, indicating that perhaps the complex was built by destroying an existing structure.
Opposite to the Qutb Minar stands a ruin, that reminded me of the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Not many are aware that Alauddin Khilji wanted to build a minar of his own, that would stand twice as tall as the Qutb Minar. He could complete only one story before his death , the ruin of which stands today as the Alai Minar.
The highlight of our time at the Qutb was an enterprising squirrel. As we sat on a bench munching biscuits for breakfast, he appeared from behind and was soon sitting next to us on the bench. For a person who had spent an entire day chasing squirrels in Lal Bagh, this was a surprise. The moment i pointed my camera at him, he jumped off. But soon he was back, sitting with us. This process was repeated a few times over.
Food had never tasted better during the past four days. We were at the famed Chandni Chowk. It was probably the best jalebi I had ever tasted in my life. Fat, juicy and deep fried, "Jalebiwala" at the famed Chandni Chowd is not well-known for nothing. The samosas at Haldiram's were hot and spicy. Across the street from them was "Ghantewala", the "best mithai shop in India" according to the Times Food Guide. True to their name, they had a big bell hung at the entrance. Two big fat rasagollas did not whet our appetite. We headed for the Parathewali Gali where you can taste a multitude of Parathas. We settled for a mixed vegetable paratha. This time, there wasn't room for more.
Pic of the day:
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