As we pulled up to the temple, we were all impressed with how huge it is. Pulling into the parking lot it felt like part Disneyland, part Vegas, and part religious center. They do not allow cameras so I couldn't take any pictures, but it was incredibly impressive (you can see it on their website). There were beautiful stone carvings all over, and a huge temple complex. Along the back of the temple was a musical watershow, which seemed to be like what they do at the Bellagio. There was also an IMAX theater, boat ride, and guided tour explaining the religion. On one hand, I was certainly impressed and admired the beauty of the temple. But on the other hand it was such a contrast to everything outside the temple I couldn't help but think how nice it would've been to spend all these resources improving the overall community instead. The temple was by far the cleanest and most pristine area I've seen in Delhi, but just 100 yards away you were back in the crazy urban Indian mix.
After visiting the temple, we met up with our guide, then went to McDonald's for lunch. They have a number of veggie dishes, and we tried the McVeggie combo which was pretty good. It was also quite cheap, around 70 Rs. for a value meal! Then we headed off for Qutab Minar.
Qutub Minar was a hindu temple site, but was razed by the moguls. In its place was a mosque and a large minaret (the largest brick minaret in the world). There were really interesting ruins all around, and the minaret itself was quite amazing in detail. Then we headed back to the Park Hotel to wait for our evening meetup with Ranju.In the evening Ranju treated us to an awesome dance performance. The group was from Calcutta, and fused traditional Kathak dance with various dances from around the world. We saw a mix of Flamenco, Jazz, and even acrobatics like Cirque du Soleil to Indian beats and movements. I really enjoyed the show, and thought about how it illustrates India's opening up with the rest of the world. Here's the Pictures.
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