Shoko arrives! The 1857 Uprising Walk

First, Shoko came in May!  It was so nice to have an old friend with us and very comforting to say the least.  I know most of those reading started as new friends, and at some point have transitioned into old friends.  So nice.  sadly she is gone now, but we are better for having her here.  Plus we had an interesting experience with a puff pastry. But more on that later.

Second, we made her get up at o dark hundred Sunday to take a walk around some of the sights of the 1857 uprising of Indians against British rule.  (Also commonly referred to as the first war of independence).  I don't know much about this, but it is also the Sepoy rebellion.  Basically the Indians rose up-legend is that they were using bullet cartridges with pig and beef fat in them, which of course goes against Hinduism and Islam.  Spoiler alert, the British won.  This is not my strong suit since it has nothing to do with Akbar the Great, Shah Jahan, or any of my favorite mughals.  So for more info, click here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Delhi

Third, this is the second time I am uploading these pictures, so hopefully they will take, and you will see them soon!

Graveyard from which we started the walk.  A bunch of people involved in British side are buried here.

Us outside the Kashmir gate-a major battle point.

the Kashmir Gate.  The facade was damaged by the in the battle-the rebels were trying to come through the gate to the British.

View from on top of the Kashmir gate.

this is along the Kashmir Gate-a spot for rebels to run back and forth.  design is of course much older.

A mosque on the street on which we were walking.

Typical street view-the architecture from British era.

Messenger bikes ready for the day.

St. James Church aka Skinner's church.  Shout out to Andrew because I am sure he is related somehow.

COL James Skinner was half white British, half Indian (Rajput) so didn't fit in either world.  Still he commanded a part of the East India Army, regimen known as "Yellow Boys," which is still a regimen in the Indian Army.

This is a barber on the street waiting for business.

This is something significant-but I forgot.  Perhaps the house of the British ruler of Delhi?  Maybe Shoko can help?

Ah, so you all remember my favorite Mughal family?  Well. Aurangzeb (son of the guy who built the Taj, Shah Jahan).  Anyway. Aurangzeb has a pretty bad rep-imprisoned his dad, banned music.  Well he had a brother who had a library here.  This is behind the structure above.

Pile of ice on the road

So this is a random place in the middle of a busy intersection.  There was a British telegram office at this site.  When the rebels came, the British officers went inside and sent telegrams as to what was happening.  That meant British in other places in India got warning and were expecting an uprising. 

Oh also on the site-an artillery storage.  These officers blew up that too.  And guess what-none of them died. 

This is typical British construction.  We ate breakfast here.  Lonely Planet said it was a good breakfast and a lovely garden.  They led us a bit astray I must say.

Ok, now we are at Coronation park-it was to be a big park with statues for all the great people in Britain, including the King.  Remember that place at India gate that used to have a statue of King George?  Ok, probably not.  But that was moved here.

Also, they play cricket everywhere in this country.

So this is the glorious park.  You can literally picture how it was envisioned.

Gate leading into the main area.  Secured off because many family members came and stole statues of their ancestors.  Not sure how that worked-oh excuse me, I just have this 20 foot statue.  Move along, nothing to see.

So abandoned.

The King.