A tower, a temple and a fort

Some of the buildings in Delhi are magical. The route usually starts at the Qutub Minar in south Delhi, winds around to the Lotus Temple then up towards Old Delhi, ending at the magnificent, sprawling Red Fort.

The minar (tower) stands at 72 metres and was built around the 12th century as a means of protection. How anyone could construct something so tall and, at the top, so narrow is a mystery to me. It is so beautifully crafted, with different coloured materials and seemingly perfectly round columns heading to the sky. I still can’t use a protractor, and they did it without one.

The thing I find the biggest shame is that, as with many of these grand structures, the people who started the work died before it was finished. And it’s not like they were painters who could deliver many masterpieces. They got one go, and didn’t make it to the end. They would be happy to know their sweat was not wasted and the structure, which is closed to climbing, is on the world heritage list.

Over at the Lotus Temple, a domed building that is similar on the outside walls to parts of the Sydney Opera House, is a home to the Bahai faith, a small religion when compared to Hindu and Islam which came from believers who were pushed from Iran. Sitting inside the temple it is hard not to feel something spiritual. People are told to enter and exit in single file without their shoes, and when inside I considered my tiny place in the world.

Getting around Delhi is tough and half of every day feels like it’s spent in a taxi or rickshaw. The traffic seems to be at its worst around the Red Fort in Old Delhi, where even the experienced drivers want to crane for a look at the spectacular sandstone. Not much happens inside the fort once the markets stalls are passed, but it’s a place you could spend hours looking at the shadows created by the various ruins, enjoying the old buildings and imagining the harems, royal meetings, riches and battles. Half an hour is not enough, so it’s another thing on the to-do list for next time.