Ruins ruins everywhere

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again in another month but it's easy to forget how amazing Delhi is. Saturday morning two friends and I went on a photo shoot in an area called Mehrauli (near the Qutub Minar - for those who have been here). When I jogged with the 'Hash' group here a few years ago I had jogged this area but hadn't explored it since. We turned down this road and as seems to happen on these outings, inherited a child tour guide. Raja. Raja first showed us the stepwell, first picture. I'd seen a stepwell similar to this in Rajasthan and there were two here in Mehrauli. They are all dry now - apparently all year, not just in dry season, which is a really bad sign, no? They are incredible structures that were meant as practical devices as well as places for women to socialize. The first one here was fairly simple (relative). The second one we saw was much more elaborate with rooms off each side, tombs and rooftop areas. And way more intricate decorations/engravings. As we continued we picked up more and more kids. The neighborhoods nearby are average low income areas. In the park though, it's the really down-and-out. So a bunch of the kids were covered in mud (maybe you can see the two on the left of this picture of dana). I have no idea why - maybe to keep cool?

Anyways, so the kids ran around the ruins - how cool would it be to grow up with these as your playground? Although in the US they would be walled off and untouchable as everyone would assume kids would fall down. While this park is not the haven that Lodi Gardens is (beautifully manicured lawns and joggers and picnic-ers), it is well used by villagers who were going through with bullock carts and carrying things on their heads. The next picture is Raja leading me up a stairwell. When we got to the rooftop the view was amazing. It's this forest with ruins dotting the horizon for as far as you can see. Interspersed with current buildings. It really is like everywhere you go in Delhi, you turn a corner and there's another ruins.

The final picture is of a guy we came across who hangs out in this tomb (that's not as weird as it sounds, as the tomb is a massive structure with good air flow and a roof). I just thought he was cool looking.

It was a billion degrees out so we cut the trip short. I also played ultimate with a bunch of expats that afternoon and therefore spent Sunday laying on the sofa rehydrating. Well, I did go to the 'American Diner' for pancakes but that's just necessary.