Education doesn't always have to take place within the confines of a classroom. Learning through sight, touch, sound, and smell is often more meaningful when experienced outside of the classroom. The Department of Education and Social Sciences organized a three-day educational tour to provide students with field experience learning.
Our journey began from the University at 10:00 PM, and we arrived in Agra at 11:30 AM the next day. On the same day, we visited two significant places:
Day 1, Visit:
1. Taj
Mahal
·
Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight
wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its
architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful
monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built
entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate
description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the
light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as
if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
·
Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan
(died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at
Agra, India. It is an "elegy
in marble" or some say an expression of a
"dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses
the grave of Queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber. The grave of Shah Jahan
was added to it later. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu.
In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were
given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in
their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public. Shah Jahan's
real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before
ascending to the throne in 1628.
·
Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of
twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648
C.E. at a cost of 32
Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master
architect was Ustad
‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The documents
contain names of those employed and the inventory of construction materials and
their origin. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were
employed. In addition, many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and
Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks.
·
The Taj stands on a raised, square platform
(186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon.
The architectural design uses the interlocking
arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and
perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of
self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements.
·
Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in
diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed
chambers. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each. The entire
mausoleum (inside as well as outside) is decorated with inlaid design of
flowers and calligraphy using precious gems such as agate and jasper. The main
archways, chiseled with passages from the Holy Qur’an and the bold scroll work
of flowery pattern, give a captivating charm to its beauty. The central domed
chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic
decoration.
·
The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex
comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a
guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at
the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind
it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center.
Each of these four sections is further subdivided into four sections and then
each into yet another four sections. Like the Taj, the garden elements serve
like Arabesque, standing on their own and also constituting the whole.
2.
Agra
Fort
Agra
Fort, is a monument, located in Agra, Uttar
Pradesh, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous
sister monument, the Taj
Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described
as a walled city. After the First Battle of Panipat, in 1526 Mughals captured the fort and a vast treasure - which included a
diamond later known as the Koh-i-Noor diamond - was seized. Babur stayed in the fort in the palace of Ibrahim and built a baoli (step well) in it. The emperor Humayun was crowned here in 1530. He was defeated in Bilgram in 1540. Sher
Shah and his descendants held the fort for
fifteen years. In 1555, Humanyun recaptured it for some time when the Hindu
king Hem Chandra
Vikramaditya defeated his army and captured the fort. Akbar defeated the Hindu King Hemu chanda finally at the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.
Agra
Fort was originally a brick fort, held by the Hindu Sikarwar Rajputs. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a
Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar
Lodi (1488–1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi
who shifted to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here
and Agra assumed the importance of the second capital. He died in the fort at
1517 and his son, Ibrahim
Lodi, held it for nine years until he was
defeated and killed at Panipat in 1526. Several palaces, wells and a mosque were built
by him in the fort during his period.
After
the First Battle of Panipat, Mughals captured the fort and a vast treasure - which included a
diamond later known as the Koh-i-Noor - was seized. Babur stayed in the fort in the palace of
Ibrahim. He built a baoli (step well) in it. Humanyun was crowned here in 1530.
Humayun was defeated in Bilgram in 1540 by Sher Shah Suri and fort remained
with Suris till 1555, when Humanyun recaptured it. Hindu king "Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, also called 'Hemu' defeated Humanyun's army lead by
Iskandar Khan Uzbek and won Agra. Hemu got a huge booty from this fort and went
on to win Delhi from Mughals. "Mughals under Akbar, defeated the Hindu King Hemu finally at the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.
Realizing
the importance of its central situation, Akbar made it his capital and arrived
in Agra in 1558. His historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that this was a brick
fort known as 'Badalgarh' . It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it
rebuilt with red sandstone from Barauli area in Rajasthan. Architects laid the foundation and it was built with
bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Some 1,444,000
builders worked on it for eight years, completing it in 1573.
It was
only during the reign of Akbar's grandson, Shah
Jahan, that the site took on its current state.
Legend has it that Shah Jahan built the beautiful Taj Mahal for his wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan tended
to have buildings made from white marble, often inlaid with gold or semi-precious gems. He
destroyed some of the earlier buildings inside the fort in order to make his
own.
Day 2 Visit:
Next day, we visited mental hospital at Agra onset of
journey towards Delhi.
1.
Institute of Mental Health and Hospital
Lunatic
asylums were established by the British in India based on the fact that the
care of the insane was the responsibility of the Crown. The first asylum was
established in 1745 in Bombay, followed by Calcutta in 1784. There were a few asylums
until 1857, which mostly existed in the major cities of Calcutta, Bombay, and
Madras. The growth of lunatic asylums was facilitated by the enactment of the
Indian Lunatic Asylum Act, 1858. The Agra Asylum came into existence in 1859.
The circumstances of its establishment were created by the lunacy of the Lt.
Governor of Agra Mr. J. R. Colvin who became a lunatic in 1857. In the year of
its establishment, the first admitted patient was Aniga, a female beggar who
was loitering in the cantonment area. She was admitted on 9th
September 1859. In that year, 39 patients were admitted, out of which 25 died,
6 were cured, 7 improved and were declared fit for discharge, and 1 escaped.
The administration of the asylum was being managed by the Inspector General of
Prisons. Mostly custodial care was provided to inmates in mud houses. The wards
and living conditions of inmates were very poor and unhygienic. Lice were seen
even on the walls. Many patients died because of diarrhea.
The
Mental Hospital, Agra reached its peak during the period of 1957–1975 under the
dynamic leadership of Dr. K.C. Dube. Within a year of his joining, he took a
bold step and unlocked the psychiatric wards of the hospital. He developed the
idea of an open door policy independently in this hospital on the basis of
experiencing much difficulty in the management of the wards with locked doors.
There was great apprehension and panic in the staff especially the attendants
and head attendants who were in charge of the patients. The main point of worry
was that there would be an increase in escape and violent attacks. Gradually,
these doubts and apprehensions dwindled away giving place to tranquility and
relief.
In
1966, the Mental Health Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) selected
the Mental Hospital, Agra as one of the nine field research centers for their
prestigious research project “The International Pilot Study of Schizophrenia”.
The other eight centers were located at Aarhus (Denmark), Cali (Columbia),
Ibadan (Nigeria), London (UK), Moscow (USSR), Prague (Czecoslovakia), Taipei
(Taiwan), and Washington (USA). The report was published by WHO in two volumes
(1973 and 1979). Dr. K.C. Dube had been a Member of the WHO's Expert Advisory
panel on Mental Health (1966–1977).
The
Government of UP declared Mental Hospital, Agra as an autonomous institution in
1995 and renamed it as Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra in 2001 to
promote the development of teaching, training, and research activities.
Having
attained autonomous status, the Institute has seen multidimensional growth in
almost all areas under the directorship of Prof. Sudhir Kumar. The Institute is
spread out over a land area of 172 acres. The intake capacity for indoor
patients is 718. To promote awareness and rapid management of psychiatric
patients, the concept of a Family Ward has been introduced. A beautiful park
has been developed within the premise of the family ward. A patient stays with
at least one of his family members in this ward. The average duration of stay
is about 10 days. If there is sufficient improvement in the condition of the
patient, he is discharged with follow-up advice.
By
now, most of the long-stay patients have been discharged. Community Mental
Health services are being provided through satellite clinics at Ram Krishna
Mission, Vrindavan, and other clinics in adjoining districts of Agra. Regular
short-term training programs are conducted for medical, psychology and social
work and nursing students from various parts of the country.
2.
India
Gate
The India Gate hexagon complex, with a
diameter of about 625 metres, covers approximately 306,000m² in area.
At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m
high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe"
like archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French
counterpart, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives
fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the
names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the
Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919. The foundation stone of India
Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was
designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years
later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar
Jawan Jyoti was added much later, after India got its independence. The
eternal flame burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of
soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pakistan
War of December 1971.
During nightfall, India Gate is dramatically floodlit while the fountains nearby
make a lovely display with coloured lights. India Gate stands at one end of
Rajpath, and the area surrounding it is generally referred to as 'India Gate'.
Surrounding the imposing structure is a large expanse of lush green lawns,
which is a popular picnic spot. One can see hoards of people moving about the
brightly lit area and on the lawns on summer evenings.
Day
3 Visit:
On third day we made visited many important
sites.
1. Qutub
Minar,
Qutab Minar
is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak
immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five
distinct stories, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m
diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top. The first three stories are made
of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth stories are of marble and sandstone. At
the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be
built in India. An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that
it was built with material obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'. A 7
m-high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque. It is said that if
you can encircle it with your hands while standing with your back to it your
wish will be fulfilled.
It was
used as a watch tower. The earliest extant mosque was built by the Delhi
Sultans. Many historians believe that the Qutub Minar was named after the first
Turkic sultan (whose descendant- Wajid Ali Shah-repaired it), Qutub-ud-din Aibak, but others contend that it was named in honour of Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Transoxiana who came to live in India and was greatly venerated by
Iltutmish.
The
nearby Iron Pillar is one of the world's foremost metallurgical
curiosities, standing in the famous Qutub
complex. According to the traditional belief, anyone
who can encircle the entire column with their arms, with their back towards the
pillar, can have their wish granted. Because of the corrosive qualities of
sweat the government has built a fence around it for safety. The quality of
Iron is an excellence of technology. The smoothness of the pillar surface makes
it rust proof. The amalgamation of different metals with Iron produces such
high quality of smoothness.
Before
1981, the general public could climb the top of Qutub Minar after passing
through the seven-storey narrow staircase. However, on 4 December 1981 an
accident occurred when the electricity was gone and the staircase of the tower
went into darkness. Around 45 people were killed in a stampede that followed
the electricity failure. At that unfortunate moment about 300-400 people were
inside the tower. Most of the victims were children. In those days school
children on Fridays were allowed freely in historical monuments and a lot of
school groups were taking advantage of that. Archaeological Survey of India has
closed the entry to stairway of the tower since then.
2. Lotus Temple
Like
all other Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House
of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may
worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws
also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any
language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical
instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic
ceremonies practiced.
All
Bahá'í Houses of Worship, including the Lotus Temple, share certain
architectural elements, some of which are specified by Bahá'í scripture. `Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, stipulated that
an essential architectural character of a House of Worship is a nine-sided circular shape. While all current Bahá'í Houses of
Worship have a dome, this is not regarded as an essential part of their
architecture. Bahá'í scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images
be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be
incorporated as an architectural feature.
Inspired
by the lotus
flower, the design for the House of Worship in New
Delhi is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad "petals" arranged
in clusters of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple
open onto a central hall slightly more than 40 meters tall that is capable of
holding up to 2,500 people. The surface of the House of Worship is made of
white marble from Penteli mountain in Greece, the
very same from which many ancient monuments and other Bahá'í Houses of Worship
are built. Along with its nine surrounding ponds and the gardens, the Lotus
Temple property comprises 26 acres.
3. Parliament
House
The Parliament of India is the supreme
legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament
alone possesses legislative supremacy and
thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament
comprises the President of India and the
two Houses—Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President has the power
to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.
India's Parliament is bicameral; Rajya Sabha is the upper house and Lok Sabha is the lower house. The two Houses meet in separate chambers in Sansad Bhavan
(located on the Sansad Marg), New Delhi. Those elected or nominated (by the
President) to either house of Parliament are referred to as Members of
Parliament or MPs. The MPs of Lok Sabha are directly elected by the Indian public and the MPs of Rajya
Sabha are elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies, in accordance with proportional representation.
The Parliament is composed of 790 MPs, who serve the largest democratic
electorate in the world; 714 million Indians registered to vote in the 2009 general elections.
Components:
The Indian Parliament consists of two houses
called as Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha respectively and the [President of India]
President of India
Similar to most Commonwealth countries,
India also includes the Head of State (the President of India in
India's case) as a component of Parliament. The President of India is elected,
from a group of nominees, by the elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years.
Historically, ruling party (majority in the Lok Sabha) nominees have been
elected and run largely uncontested. Incumbents are permitted to stand for
re-election, but unlike the president of the United States,
who can be elected just twice, incumbents can be elected for any number of
terms. A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the
population of each state and the number of votes assembly members from a state
can cast, and to give an equal balance between State Assembly members and
National Parliament members. If no candidate receives a majority of votes there
is a system by which losing candidates are eliminated from the contest and
votes for them transferred to other candidates, until one gains a majority. Pranab Mukherjee is the current President of India.
Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha is also known as the "House of
the People" or the lower house. All of its members are
directly elected by citizens of India on the basis of Universal Adult
franchise, except two who are appointed by the President of India. Every
citizen of India who is over 18 years of age, irrespective of gender,
caste, religion or race, who is otherwise not disqualified, is eligible to vote
for the lok sabha.
The Constitution provides that the maximum
strength of the House be 552 members. It has a term of five years. To be
eligible for membership in the Lok Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India
and must be 25 years of age or older, mentally sound, should not be bankrupt
and should not be criminally convicted. At present, the strength of the house
is 545 members.
Up to 525 members represent of the
territorial constituencies in States, up to 20 members represent the Union
Territories and no more than two members from Anglo-Indian community can be nominated by the President of India if he
or she feels that the community is not adequately represented. House seats are
apportioned among the states by population.
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha is also known as "Council of States" or
the upper house. Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and is not
subject to dissolution. However, one third of the members retires every second
year, and is replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a
term of six years. Its members are indirectly elected by members of legislative
bodies of the States.
The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250
members in all. Elections to it are scheduled and the chamber cannot be
dissolved. Each member has a term of 6 years and elections are held for
one-third of the seats after every 2 years. 238 members are to be elected from
States and Union Territories and 12 are to be nominated by President of India and
shall consist of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in
respect of such matters as the following, namely literature, science, art and
social service.
The Council of States is designed to maintain
the federal character of the country. The number of members from a
state depends on the population of the state. The minimum age for a person to
become a member of Rajya Sabha is 30 years.
Session of parliament
The period during which the House meets to
conduct its business is called a session. The Constitution empowers the
President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more
than 6 month's gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at
least twice a year. In India, the parliament conducts three sessions each year:
- Budget session: In the months of
February to May.
- Monsoon session: In the months of
July to September.
- Winter session: In the months of
November to December
Central Hall
The Central Hall of the Parliament has been
designed to be circular in shape. The dome is 98 ft. (29.87 meters) in
diameter and is believed that it is one of the most magnificent domes in the
world. The Central Hall is a place of historical importance in India for two
reasons: The transfer of colonial power to the Provisional Government under
Nehru in 1947 and the framing of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly
took place in this very hall. Originally, the Central Hall was used as the
Library of the erstwhile Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of States
until 1946, when it was converted and refurnished into the Constituent Assembly
Hall. The Constituent Assembly met there from December 9, 1946 to November 26,
1949 to draft the constitution. At present, the Central Hall is used for
holding Joint Sittings of the two Houses. At the commencement of the first
session after each General Election to Lok Sabha and at the commencement of the
first session of each year, the President addresses both the Houses of
Parliament assembled together in the Central Hall. When the Houses are in
session, the Central Hall is used by Members for informal discussions among
themselves. Central Hall is also used for special occasions when the Members of
Parliament are addressed by distinguished Heads of States of other countries.
The Hall is also equipped with Simultaneous Interpretation System.
2001 Parliament attack
On 13 December 2001, the building of the
Parliament was attacked by five Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Six military personnel and one
civilian on top of were killed in addition to all the attackers.
4.
Red
Fort
The Red
Fort derives its name from the extensive use of red
sandstone on the massive walls that surround the fort.
Shah
Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red
Fort in 1638 when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Ustad
Ahmad and Ustad Hamid were chosen as the architects for construction of the
royal palace. Construction began in the auspicious month of Muharram on 13 May 1638.Construction of the fort was supervised
by Shah Jahan himself and was completed in 1648. The Red Fort was originally
referred to as "Qila-i-Mubarak" (the blessed fort), because it was
the residence of the royal family. Unlike the other Mughal forts,
layout of the boundary walls of the Red Fort is not symmetrical so as to retain
and integrate the older Salimgarh
Fort. The fortress palace was an important focal
point of the medieval city of Shahjahanabad (present day Old
Delhi). The planning and aesthetics of the Red
Fort represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which prevailed during the reign
of emperor Shah Jahan. Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan's successor, added the Moti Masjid to the emperor's private quarters and constructed
barbicans in front of the two main gates, which made the entrance route to the
palace more circuitous.
After the Battle of Delhi, British took over
the administration of Mughal territories and installed a Resident at the Mughal
courts in Red Fort. The last Mughal emperor to occupy the fort, Bahadur
Shah II "Zafar", emerged as a symbol of
the 1857 rebellion against the British in which the residents of
Shahjahanbad participated. Despite being the seat of Mughal power and its
defensive capabilities, the Red Fort was not defended during the 1857 uprising
against the British. After the failure of the rebellion, Zafar left the fort on
17 September. He returned to Red Fort as a prisoner of the British and was
tried in 1858. He was exiled to Rangoon on 7 October of the same year.[16] With the end of the Mughal reign, the British gave
official sanctions to remove and sell valuables from the palace at the Red
Fort. In 1863, British destroyed many buildings inside and outside the fort,
filled up the gardens, stripped the fort of any valuable items and reduced the
fort to just a military structure. After Indian Independence, the site experienced few changes in terms of addition
or alteration to the structures. The Red Fort continued to be used as a
cantonment even after Independence. A significant part of the fort remained
under the control of the Indian Army until 22 December 2003, when it was handed
over to the Archaeological
Survey of India for
restoration.
The
Red Fort covers a total area of about 254.67 acres enclosed within 2.4
kilometres of defence walls. The walls are punctuated by turrets and bastions.
They vary in height from 18 m on the river side to 33 m on the city side. The
fort is shaped like an octagon with the north-south axis longer than the
east-west axis. The use of marble, floral decorations, double domes in the
buildings inside the fort exemplifies the later phase of Mughal architecture.
It showcases
a very high level of art form and ornamental work. It is believed that the Kohinoor diamond was a part of the furniture. The art work in the
Fort is a synthesis of Persian, European and Indian art which resulted in the
development of unique Shahjahani style which is very rich in form, expression
and colour. Red Fort is one of the important building complexes of India which
encapsulates a long period of Indian history and its arts. Even before its
notification as a monument of national importance in the year 1913, efforts
were made to preserve and conserve the Red Fort, for posterity.
The
walls of Lahore and Delhi gates were for the general public and Khizrabad Gate was for emperor's personal use. The Lahore Gate is
the main entrance; it leads to the domed arcade containing shops called the
Chhatta Chowk (covered bazaar). Silk, jewellery and other items which catered
to the royal household were sold in Chatta Chowk in the Mughal period. leads to
a large open space where it crosses the large north-south street that was
originally the division between the fort's military functions, to its west, and
the palaces, to its east. The southern end of this street is the Delhi Gate.
Every year on 15 August, the day India
achieved independence from the British, Prime Minister hoists the national
flag at the Red Fort, followed by a nationally
broadcast speech from its ramparts. The Red Fort is one of the most popular tourist
destinations in Old Delhi, attracting thousands of visitors every year. It also
happens to be the largest monument in Old Delhi.
Today,
a sound and light show describing Mughal history is a tourist attraction in the
evenings. The general condition of the major architectural features is mixed.
None of the water features, which are extensive, contain water. Some of the
buildings are in fairly good condition and have their decorative elements
undisturbed. In others, the marble inlay flowers have been removed by looters
and vandals. The tea house, though not in its historical state, is a
functioning restaurant. The mosque and human are closed to the public, though
one can catch peeks through the glass windows or marble lattice work. Walkways
are left mostly in a crumbling state. Public toilets are available at the entrance
and inside the park.
The
entrance through the Lahore Gate leads to a retail mall with jewellery and
crafts stores. There is a museum of "blood paintings" depicting young
Indian martyrs of the 20th century along with the story of their martyrdom. There
is also an archaeological museum and an Indian war memorial museum.
Security threats
To
prevent terrorist attacks, security is especially tightened around the Red Fort
on the eve of Indian Independence Day. Delhi
Police and paramilitary personnel keep a vigil on
the neighborhoods around the fort. Sharpshooters of the National Security Guard are deployed on high rises near the Red Fort. The aerial
space around the fort is declared a no-fly
zone during the celebration to prevent aerial
attacks,
Safe
houses are picked in nearby areas where the Prime
Minister and other Indian leaders can be rushed to in case of an attack.
The
fort was the site of a terrorist attack
on 22 December 2000
carried out by six terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Two soldiers and a civilian were killed, in what was
described by the media as an attempt to derail the India-Pakistan peace talks
and relations.
5. Gurudwara Temple
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
is the most prominent Sikh gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, and the pond inside its complex,
known as the "Sarovar", whose water is considered holy by Sikhs and
is known as "Amrit". It was first built as a small temple by Sikh
General, Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783, who supervised the construction of nine Skh
shrines in Delhi in the same year, during the reign of Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh, an Indian ruler in the seventeenth
century, and was known as Jaisinghpura Palace, in Jaisingh Pura, an
historic neighbourhood demolished to make way for the Connaught Place,
shopping district.
The eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan resided here during his stay in Delhi
in 1664. During that time, there was a smallpox and cholera epidemic, and Guru Har Krishan helped the
suffering by giving aid and fresh water from the well at this house. Soon he
too contracted the illness and eventually died on March 30, 1664. A small tank
was later constructed by Raja Jai Singh over the well, its water is now revered
as having healing properties and is taken by Sikhs throughout the world back to
their homes.
The Gurdwara and its Sarovar are now a
place of great reverence for Sikhs, and a place for special congregation on birth anniversary of Guru Har Krishan.
Return
journey
We returned from Delhi at almost 9:00 PM and had dinner on the way. It
was a long journey, and we finally arrived at the University at 5:00 AM
the next morning. Despite the tiring journey, the trip was educational
and informative.
When my friends asked me what I would do during the break, I didn't pay
much attention to their questioning and instead, I let their words go in
one ear and out the other. I found it odd that they were so focused on
my plans instead of their own. Personally, I don't typically meddle in
others' affairs, but my friends seemed to be quite invested in my
situation. This led me to ponder why they were so concerned with my
plans when they themselves seemed unsure of what they would do during
the break. I noticed that some of them would talk about being great
parents, loving spouses, and caring children, but it felt like these
were just empty words meant to impress others and uphold their own
image. In reality, their claims were often insincere and lacked
substance.
12 - 12 - 2012, was a wonderful day as it coincided with the Haap and
Parop Lomba festival. According to a news report by Rinzin Wangchuk in
the KUENSEL, "tonight, the Haa valley will not sleep. It will be noisy
as groups of boys wander around the village homes with a long stick and a
basket hanging on one end. As they approach a home, they will hold out
the stick and shout 'lo ley lo ley' until the owners come out and place a
hoentoe in the basket for each member of the group."
