This is a photo of the Delhi Gate, the main entrance to the Fort. On either side of this gate are two ornamental towers of white marble. On state occasions and the arrival or departure of the Emperor the upper storey of this gate was used as a music hall.
Another magnificent complex of buildings affording picturesque views across the Jamuna River to the mystical Taj Mahal glimmering in the late afternoon mists. How much agony must Shah Jahan suffered when imprisoned by his son as he gazed with loving eyes and a heavy heart at the mausoleum of Mumtaz but without his determination to fulfil her dying wish we would not have been able to enjoy this ‘Wonder of the World’.
One last visit to the hotel for tea and a quiet hour to gather our thoughts in the magnificent grounds of the hotel before dinner and then back on the Shatabdi Express for the return journey to Delhi.
The station was as crowded as when we had arrived with families sleeping on the platform either because there was nowhere else to do so or to ensure they caught late night cheap trains. Suddenly a good train pulled in at the opposite platform and disgorged a number of ragged children who crossed the railway lines without a care in the world and immediately made for the tourists i.e. us, moving amongst us like hungry monkeys.
Remember we only had 5 minutes for the passengers to disembark and for us to board the train. I was with one of the tour company reps who was joking with a group of colleagues waiting for tourist to arrive form Bhopal so I was not totally surprised when the train drew in and the door opened to find a mountain of cases that had to be offloaded before we could board. There were heated arguments between the train crew and the red coated and be-turbaned porters but after what seemed and age the luggage was offloaded, the porters balancing up to 4 heavy cases on their heads. I don’t remember stepping on the train! I was just lifted bodily through the door in the crush to board.
The return journey to Delhi passed without further incident, the train travelling at some speed to catch-up time. One of the train crew did look a bit peeved when what looked like a tray of ‘bird seed’ was placed in font of my nose with the request for a tip. Since I had not availed myself of any of the offerings I’m afraid no tip was forthcoming so the birdseed was rapidly moved to the next passenger. I guess the birdseed was some kind of local delicacy.
The walk for the train in Delhi to the bus proved to be a bit of a trek and once outside the station we found that the taxi drivers were on strike. An advantage in some ways since there was no crush at the exit but a disadvantage in another since the police had closed the approach road to the station and to get the bus involved a sort cut across some bumpy, smelly terrain – please don’t asking what we were walking in or on!!
We all made it back to the bus without mishap and collapsed into bed at 12.15am on Thursday 21st February after a 20-hour day but worth every second of the effort.
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