Day 6: Eunuchs on the Staircase

You know it will be a memorable day when one of your first coherent sentences before breakfast is “There are eunuchs coming down the stairs.”

As I was waiting for breakfast, I looked out the front door and saw these elegant women dressed in the most elaborate sarees I had ever seen. I thought they were guests from the upstairs neighbor’s wedding.  I was commenting on this to our host when she stated, “Oh, those are eunuchs hired for the wedding”. I tried to keep the befuddled look off of my face as she continued to explain that eunuchs were hired for important occasions and people at the festivities would pay them.

Ok, eunuchs aren’t just confined to history.  They are real and apparantly can earn a good living.  New fact for the day.

The rest of the day was spent with me drinking endless bottles of water, especially my new favorite, Kinley (well it is my name).  

I also got to do one of my favorite things when I travel, see historical things.  First up Qutub Minar which is a UNESCO world heritage site.  The Minar is a minaret, composed of sandstone and marble, and part of a complex that is made up of numerous buildings that were built from Hindu and Jain temples.  This complex is huge with numerous ruins of various tombs, buildings, mosque, madarsa, and temples.  They are mostly made up of sandstone and have elegant carvings and calligraphy.

There were gardens all around and as I walked through the ruins I felt both humbled and at peace.  I was humbled because construction on the minar began in 1192.  As I looked I kept thinking that this was built over 800 years ago and they were able to make such intricate carvings without the use of modern tools.  The peacful feeling came from watching the reverence people paid to the site.  In order to get to the buildings one had to walk through garden paths which made me forget or escape the fact that I was in Delhi, population almost 17 million. 

The history continue’s at another UNESCO world heritage site, Humayun’s Tomb.  This was begun in 1562.  As the tomb of a Mughal ruler, Humayun, but also contains tombs for other officials as well as symmetrical gardens on all sides. 

Qutub Minar and Iron Pillar

Last up for the day was shopping at Haus Khas Village.  I didn’t get to see the ruins behind the shopping area but instead got to meander through the tiny alleyways and see different types of craft and clothing stores.  I was not sure what to expect when we left the taxi at the gate and began stepping over puddles and mud.  The gate keeper loosened the rope which let the bar blocking the road raise up and we walked under the bar.  All I could see were extremely narrow streets with two above ground levels of shops.  The alleys seemed endless and I was never sure where we would end up.  All I could see were endless curios and elegant sarees.  The area seemed almost magical with the unmarked alleys and beautiful items for sale.  I tried on or admired numerous sparklies, jewelry, and even bought a few pieces.  It was the perfect ending for a memorable day.

Qutub Minar

Qutub Complex

Humayun's Tomb

Looking at the gate, or darwaza, from Humayun's Tomb