Day 5: Sights of New Delhi, Part 2! Signs!

Today was much like yesterday.  I got up, went downstairs and told the concierge where I wanted to go, and soon I was off!

My first stop was Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple.  No, I don’t know how to pronounce it, either.  This temple opened in 2005, making it the newest I have visited by many hundreds of years.  Being brand new, I found it a little touristy.  There is a long security process one must go through to enter, very much like airport security.  They also have an IMAX theater and others attractions to pay for, as well as a cafeteria.  I stayed away from all those, and stuck to the temple, which itself was very impressive.  Being brand new, the color and detail in the temple gave a sense of what the other temples would have looked like when they were brand new.  The entire surface of the temple, inside and out, is elaborately carved with thousands of figures and objects, many of which are unique.  Around the base of the temple there are 148 scenes with elephants, each containing a sculpture with a life-like elephant and other people or creatures.  These were particularly impressive, as they were so elaborate and looked so real.  Had electronics been allowed inside, I could have gotten many good pictures.

From the parking lot you can see the top portion of the temple.

On my way back from there, I stopped at the India Gate, which is a memorial commemorating the Indian soldiers who died fighting for the British Empire.  There is also India’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier underneath the gate, making this a popular spot for Indian to visit.  Other than that, the area is just an open park, so I did not stick around too long in the afternoon heat.

The India Gate

This afternoon, I have been catching up on my blog, and trying to get my flights in Nepal figured out.  Early tomorrow morning, I leave for Kathmandu, Nepal, where I will be hiking in the Himalayas.  Since today is my last day in India, I will leave you with some of the interesting signs that I have seen along the way.

The small sign to the left says "In case of fire, do not use lift."

All areas of street construction are lined with signs like this. Some say "Inconvience Regretted."