In amongst the more modern transport in Delhi, the occasional
cart such as this can still be seen.
Cricket is the abiding passion in India, especially as the test
series between India and Pakistan was being played while I was
in the country. I found these kids playing cricket in the back streets
as I walked through from my hotel to the Red Fort in Old Delhi.
As soon as the kids playing cricket saw my camera, they wanted me
to take their photograph.
This is Lahore Gate in the walls of the Red Fort in Old Delhi. It is
so named since it points towards Lahore, now in Pakistan, but part of
a united India at the time the fort was constructed. It is the focal
point for national celebrations - it is here that the Indian flag was
first raised on gaining independence in 1947.
This is the emperor's audience chamber inside the Red Fort. There are
a number of beautiful buildings inside the massive expanse of the fort,
but about three quarters of the fort is used as barracks by the Indian
army and is therefore not accessible to the public.
Near the Red Fort there is a park which includes the cremation sites
of many of the key figures of Indian history. This is the site of the
cremation of Jawarhalal Nehru, first prime-minister of India and
father of Indira Gandhi. He requested that no monument or fuss be made
on his death, hence the very simple tribute - the mound has just been
grassed over. It is necessary to remove your shoes if you wish to
approach the mound to pay your respects - this rule is rigidly enforced
by the guards and park attendants.
By contrast, the nearby site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation has been
turned into a more public memorial, complete with eternal flame.
