India Gate

“India Gate?”

The Indian tuk-tuk driver shook his head twice. We paid not more than Rp100=RM7.00 to reach this historical monument.

We hopped down the tuk-tuk and saw longggggg straight road…and wondered “…why we come from this side?”

We got to know that we came from the other side of the gate when we saw no one behind us.

“Meaning…this long road is ours! Woohoo! Let’s take picture!” I made evil face.

“You stand straight. I take your picture.” I instructed hubby.
“One more, spread your legs…” I continued snapping from below, like a magazine photographer.
“Na, Na, here!” I called Chawana’s family.
Hahaha! So kepochi kan?

We walked towards the canopy, a monument before the India Gate. It has been debated to have a standing statue of Mahatma Gandhi under it, but the plan still not been agreed upon. By this time, more and more visitors approaching this area at this time.
Tips : This place is built with a big roundabout that bridges four junctions. Any mode of transportation is not allowed in this area, except for authorities.
Since we visited this gate on Monday, we saw many schools organized learning trip for their students. I saw red-sweater kids, walking in line heading to the gate, like our Malaysian kids who visit Tugu Negara…(except the red sweater la…Malaysia super hot ma!)(Instrument playing familiar Hindi song)

“I know this song! Hmmm hmmm hmmmm…” I hummed according to the song played by one street musician using wooden flute that he is selling.

Tips : There were street vendors selling souvenirs, tea, snacks, water and etc.
While I was hypnotizing by the melody, suddenly I heard “Calana! Calana!”

Few street vendors ran as quickly as they can from the roundabout area, with their goods on head and in hands, straight on the grass are between local and foreign visitors, and HID behind trees!
“WHY? WHY?” We wondered.

“Oooooo they ran from the policeman!” We saw one policeman walked towards us (the left side of the roundabout.) He then walked back to the right side of the roundabout, to chase away the street vendors on that side.

Guess what…just after few minutes he gone, all these hidden street vendors, CAME OUT with their goods on head, smiling at visitors like they had done something funny, and started business as usual. Hahaha!
And the “polis sentry” (police and thieves) games were repeated the whole day!

BUT luck wasn’t always on their side. We saw one street vendor who got caught by one mole (he was wearing normal attire), and got SLAPPED few times, JUST like in Hindi movies! Kidd you not! I can even hear “pelepuk-pelepak”, forehand, backhand, straight on his dark cheeks.

And people just watched…like I said, it was like watching a familiar scene in Hindi movie. Ready for take? Action! Ayomaaa ayopaaaa! Nehi nehi karonggi!

We approached the huge and gigantic 42-meter tall India Gate, a monument to remember the soldiers who died in WWI and Afghan Wars. We started to take pictures of this gate from all views, to avoid from overlooking any beautiful story of it.
There were names engraved on every inches of the wall. Soldiers who died for India...
And there was burning shrine known as Amar Jawan Jyoti, the flame of the immortal soldiers that is guarded tightly.
Tips : You are not allowed to touch the black chain fence around this area. How do you know you have gone too far? A guard will whistle at you.

“I don’t think we gonna meet Aida and Nizam here…” I said to hubby and Chawana.

We supposed to meet my friends, Aida and Nizam, who came to India few days after, at their hotel but we changed the plan to India Gate. Looking at the time constraint and difficulty in updating each other (no India sim card and no FB), we decided to call the meeting off.

“Ok…I’m getting bored…Aqilah, let’s pose and thennnnnn go shopping!”

"How to pose auntie biq?"

"Like this haaaaa...see the leg..."

"Okeh! Hiah!"

Co-travelers:
For history element, read Travelista's version here (in English)
For trip experience, read Chawana's version here (in Bahasa)