Mehrauli archaeological park with it's baolis

today I showed Mr M the Mehrauli park 

he hasn't been around as much as me so today I was the guide

first stop was Gandhak ki baoli...

gandhak means sulphur

they named it after the smell of the water

this is the largest stepwell ever built in Delhi....you can't see because of the water but there's a couple of storages below the waterline...so it's deep..

  built around the year 1230

just outside this man was working...sewing...

all smiles

then we walked inside the park and climbed up on one of the tombs 

it kind of gives you the jungle book feeling with the ruins and the forest

did see the minar of a masjid too.....

 the Rajon ki baoli was next.....

more water in it today than last time I was here

too bad  there where a group of loud young indian males around

there usually is though now that I think about it so I don't recommend any ladies to come here alone

next to the well is this mosque 

I'm sad to say that nothing has happened regarding all the waste that is dumped all over the park

on our way out I met this little guy

he made my day with his green horns

hope you're enjoying your weekend dear reader

we sure are

Panna Mian ki Baori - The step well in Amber

before leaving Amber I got to see the step well right next to the temple and really close to Anokhi museum...

I have been in the area a couple of times before but I didn't know about this one...

constructed in the 16th century

this step well has become well known and famous for featuring in many and television shows !

guess the dogs where the stars of the day..

this one was in very good shape so I guess it has been restored not long ago...

hmm, how many baolis have I seen now ?

guess I need to count them..

enjoy your sunday dear reader

I'm, we are about to be seated in front of the TV to watch some winter sports...

cross country skiing, down hill skiing and biathlon...

so much fun 

see you !

Chand Baori step well - worlds largest step well ?

On the road between Agra and Jaipur you can find one of the largest step well

in the world....if not the largest !?

and it's also incredibly old...built during the 8th and 9th century by King Chanda

of Nikumbha Dynasty....

the step well is found in the village of Abhaneri

it's about a 20 minute drive from the highway but I really thought it was worth the detour

 I, we , Kathy and I have looked at so many step wells on our adventures so I was sure happy when Kathy wanted to show me this one...

can't sit in the car and do nothing when you see all the things you see like

this man doing the ironing with his iron running on coal....

one of the nicest hand painted trucks I've seen....

and then sometimes !! I see things that makes me shake my head.....

looks so safe amongst the rest of the traffic doesn't it 

always I see lovely women...and always colourful !

and then we arrived in the village of Abhaneri in Rajasthan...

many many artefacts are put on display all around the step well...

and it is impressive...13 stories deep and lined along the walls on three sides are double flights of steps.....

it sure looks like anything but a step well...

patterns patterns,  love it !

3500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry descends to the bottom of the well 

20 meters deep to a murky green puddle of .....water ???

the well provided the area with a water source for centuries before modern water delivery systems....

so cool...wow how smart they where in the 8th century.....

I tried my best to see if I could catch the sun in the puddle...

it was close though..

cool place

next to the step well was something just as old as the baori

curious ? 

then have a look tomorrow and I'll show you

Lal Quila (Red Fort) in Old Delhi and baoli number four.

finally we got it together and did Lal Quila, Red Fort

we where really touristy...

took a bike rickshaw to the entrance

(on the wrong side of the street against the traffic !!)

Mr M tried to get earphones in english but they where locked in !!

only in India...and they said wait 20 minutes...only...

we know by now that those 20 minutes can turn into forever so

in we went without the earphones
by the way...a warning...lots of pictures...

it's got it's name because of the red sandstone walls...

listed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2007

it is the most impressive Mughal monument in the city...

Sha Jahan, the Moghul emperor began the building  in 1639 and it was completed nine years later

the entry point is Lahore gate..

Diwan-i-Am...the Hall of Public where Shah Jahan met the general people...

huge marbel throne inside...but under construction...

I so like the architecture...they where good way back then...and that the workers then where able to get it done..once in a while I think that time travelling would have been fun...

it is a enormous garden with the different houses spread out...

as always I need some people in here so..

these Sikhs bought their tickets at the same time as us but at that time they had all

their gear on...sables....that they had to hand in before entering....

this was my favourite.... Diwan-i Khas...Shah Mahal...the Hall of private audience...

all in marble...all these decorations...inside , outside, walls...all over

once the famous Peacock Throne stood inside..

reminds me of Taj Mahal...

guards with guns mostly everywhere...

but they kind of add something to the picture...don't you agree...

we ended the visit by walking all the way to the baoli which is at the end of a long street...

and yes it was hot hot hot...38 degrees...

even though we where there at 9 in the morning 

I just had to see the Baoli....but we couldn't get inside...no one can actually...

a suicide and then they closed it off for the public..

this baoli..step well is 14 m deep and has an adjoining tank measuring 6.1x6.1 m

on he north and west there are flights of steps with arched apartments on either side

it is believed to date back to the Tuqlaq-era (1300 ??)

 cool tree...

on the way out the Lahore gate from an other angle...

the walls are impressive...long...and goes almost all the way around...

not really though...haven't found out how long the walls are actually...

we spent about 1 hour and a half inside (without water...forgot)

but with a guide it can take up to 4 hours !

I would have melted if we'd used a guide I tell you !

We explored two more waterholes in Delhi

this morning my friend and I explored two more waterholes - step wells - baolis in Delhi
more precisely the Gandhak ki Baoli and the Rajon ki Baoli, both really close to the Qutub Minar in Merhauli   

Gandhak ki Baoli is situated in Merhauli Village complex in south Delhi..

gandhak means sulphur as the water of the well smelt like it and

baoli means Well with steps ...

I think this baoli was built in 1230 !!

they say this is the biggest one in Delhi...meaning the deepest one I guess...it has

5 levels but as you can see they are all but one under water....

and yes it is used daily by the people living there as you can see...

it is not well maintained.....

but once used for swimming and diving !

in ancient times that is....

from the baoli we walked...

into Merhauli Archaeological park and to the next step well...

which was about 150 meters in

very jungle book like environment

 the Rajon ki Baoli was bigger but not as deep I guess...

this three storyed step well is believed to have been built by Daulat Kahn during the reign of

Sikander Lodi in 1516...

yes, it is deep when you stand at the top of it...

I think they are kind of cool constructions...

and only 10-15 have survived urbanisation...

there used to be a 100 of them in Delhi....

so far I have seen three.. 

 I guess we need to find the other ones too Kathy !