For the last leg of our trip, we hired a car and driver for the duration. Our driver was Vinod and our car was the Innova van. Vinod picked us up at the Radisson at 9 a.m. as scheduled. He showed us the huge governmental plazas that comprised the New Delhi that had been built by the British. These buildings now house various elements of the Indian government.
We then went to the Gandhi Smriti. This was one of the most touching moments of the trip as this is where Gandhi spent his last days before his assassination. The property is in pristine condition, very clean and lovingly landscaped. There is a sandstone walkway upon which has been mounted clay footsteps representing the last steps of Gandhi before he met the bullets. The pathway winds along until the killing spot at which there is a a small memorial. There is also the room in which Gandhi would pray before speaking to thousands on this property. It was truly a beautiful experience to be in this place.
We then went to Humayan's tomb, the resting place of a great Mughal king. It is quite a facility, built from large pieces of sandstone in the early 1600's and said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. After Humayan's tomb it was off to the Lotus Temple. This beautiful building was designed by a Persian architect and built as a Baha'i temple. Interestingly, it was the most well attended venue by the Indian people of any attraction we went to. The Baha'i welcome all religions and as such, it is a place where everyone feels comfortable. The great historic struggle of India is that of Hindu and Islam and the Baha'i temple helps to take the edge off of that struggle. The temple is of modern design and construction and is shaped like a lotus flower.
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