Lodhi Gardens, Delhi

November 8, 2008

So, following our plan that we visit some of Delhi's more peaceful spots today, we next had Raj drive us from Humayun's tomb to the sprawling Lodhi Gardens, an oasis of lawns and trees in this busy city.

According to guide books, Lodhi Gardens was originally the site of two villages surrounding monuments surviving from the 15th century Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties, but the villagers were relocated in 1936 in order to create the gardens, which ere landscaped by the British. As there is little architecture from these two periods remaining in India, Lodhi Gardens is an important place of preservation. The tomb of Mohammed Shah is visible from the road, and is the earliest structure in the gardens.

Here Jeff and I saw , as well as ancient Indian tombs, a very helpful series of signs which identified the birdlife we saw in this area (cuckoos and mynah birds!), children playing cricket, and long lines composed of hundreds of school children of all ages, who waved and shouted hello at us as we passed one another along the pathways.

As well as being a pleasant place to walk, the Lodhi gardens finally gave us an opportunity to photograph those chipmunks who had eluded our cameras so skillfully back at Humayun's tomb.