A Thousand Years in a Day

July 19, 2025

Saturday. Our last full day in India. Gentle sunshine, breeze, and birdsong greeted us as we strolled through Mehrauli Archaeological Park, a part of the city that has seen 1,000 years of continuous occupation. This lush, green expanse is dotted with archaeological monuments—tombs, mosques, and stepwells—that reflect dynasties, innovations, and centuries of cultural exchange from pre-Islamic times through the colonial era.

It was the first time I’d spent significant time in a true green space since arriving in metropolitan Delhi (home to over 33 million people), and I could feel my whole body relax.

We were once again joined by Dr. Navina Jafa, cultural historian and classical dancer, who brought the site’s layered history to life through musical performance and architectural storytelling.

Our heritage walk included time at Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb Complex, a beautiful example of Indo-Islamic architecture with red sandstone, quartzite, and marble embellishments. The tomb’s interior is adorned with colorful inlaid tiles and inscriptions of the poetry of “Jamali,” a 16th-century Sufi poet and saint. 

We also toured Rajon Ki Baoli, a four-tiered 16th-century Lodi-era stepwell that showcases innovations in water engineering (and also another intricate mosque and tomb!). 

As we walked through the park, we encountered a wealth of urban wildlife—cows, wild pigs, bats, green parakeets, and nilgai, a type of antelope.

Next, we visited Qutab Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site adjacent to the park and the tallest stone tower in India. Built beginning around 1192 CE, the red-and-buff sandstone structure is carved with intricate inscriptional bands that appear to grow more ornate the higher up the minaret you look. Dr. Jafa voiced a question at the forefront of my mind as well: how many people have died in the service of building this minaret?

The Qutab complex also includes the Iron Pillar, constructed during the Gupta period approximately 1,600 years ago, arches and tombs bearing Hindu and Islamic motifs, and ruins from twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples dismantled to build Delhi’s first mosque, the Quwwat-ul-Islam (1192 CE). (See this BBC article on a court case deciding whether these temples destroyed centuries ago should be restored).

Many people throughout our trip have described Delhi as a "melting pot." This morning was a potent reminder that Delhi is a city of layers, not only in the diversity of people who live here today, but in the vibrant and complex histories that continue to shape its present. 

In the afternoon, we returned to the hotel for presentations on Indian arts and crafts—how they can be used to engage and inspire students, and efforts to inculcate arts education in the Indian education system. We had the chance to learn from practicing artists, trying our hand at a form of geometric painting and throwing pottery on a wheel. 

After the day’s official programming, a small group of us visited Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a Sikh temple originally built as a Rajput king’s mansion. It became sacred after Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Sikh Guru, stayed here in 1664. He is believed to have healed people suffering during a cholera epidemic before succumbing to the illness himself.

To enter, visitors must remove shoes and socks and cover their heads. We stepped into a small pool to wash our feet, then joined a slow-moving queue that led us into the prayer hall (darbar sahib), rich with golden arches and floral garlands. The Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred Sikh text, sat beneath a silk canopy, attended by a Granthi (priest) who fanned it with a Chaur Sahib, a whisk made from white yak hair. Devotees sat cross-legged on the ground in worship. 

Afterward, we took a moment to observe the Sarovar, a holy pond whose waters are believed to possess healing properties. In our cupped hands, we also received Karah Parshad, a warm sweet made of wheat flour, sugar, and ghee—symbolizing God’s grace and equality for all. Anyone, regardless of background or belief, is welcome to partake in this and Langar, the community kitchen where free meals are served to all. This kitchen operates 24 hours a day and embodies the Sikh faith’s emphasis on compassion and service to humanity. As we exited the gurdwara, many curious visitors kindly asked to take photos with us. 

The history, arts, and hospitality of the day brought a fitting close to our time in India.