Time travel back to 500 years !!

Blog post written by our very own Grade 5 students on their trip to Delhi and Agra.

We flew on wings to see the forts of kings…

With kachoris, kebabs and scrumptious naan

We got to know Jahanpanah Akbar and Shahjahan!!

We, the adventurous grade 5 students have just returned from an expedition, time travelling through the history of Delhi and Agra! But it wasn't just the history that amazed us, it was the fact that we had just set foot in a place that had once been ruled over by great emperors.

As soon as we reached Delhi, we were bundled in a bus and sped off to Mehrauli.. Ms. Raseel and Mr. Ramit- our humble guides, enthralled us with rich stories throughout our entire trip. They made us play games, giving us titles of  Emperors and Sultans to help us build and understand how the seven cities of Delhi evolved. We saw, ‘Rajon ki Baoli’-the stepwell for kings, close to Balban’s tomb.

Next, we went to the Humayun’s tomb which we learned symbolized ‘Paradise’, hence they were many palm trees planted around. We saw Ferozabad, the fifth city of Delhi.  Here, we could see the Ashoka pillar erected in the fort that was carried by Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

We were very fortunate to meet Leila Seth, the author of ‘We, The Children of India’. Leila Seth was the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court. She spoke to us about the laws and rules of our nation and narrated some very interesting stories to us about her life in the high court.  She spoke about the importance of values to be inculcated in oneself to lead a happy and a successful life.  This visit will remain etched in our memory.

Chandni Chowk took us back in the time of  Nur Jahan and her design and planning of a market place which till today is one of the best place of great attraction to all and sundry . One end of Chandni Chowk has the famous Jama Masjd and  it had the real relics of ‘The Prophet Muhammed’ – one strand of his hair and his footprint.








Rashtrapati Bhavan was our next stop. . We saw our dignified minister’s work place which resides on the either side of Rashtrapati Bhawan and is called the North block and the south block.

The mammoth size of India gate was made in honor of all the soldiers who fought in World War 1. Their names are inscribed and an eternal fire burns twenty four hours a day.
AGRA

A small hamlet tucked away in UP famous for its spectacular architecture –the famousTaj Mahal! Some of the famous places that we visited were Sikandra, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort. We felt that Sikandra was not a tomb but a place that ought to be worshiped. The approach to the main tomb was carefully done with fine work and strong colors. The actual burial place looked nothing like a king’s burial place, least of all Akbar’s tomb. It was a simple white enclosure but had something special about it. It showed Akbar’s true personality: a simple and peaceful man. Now we feel that we actually know Akbar, something we didn't feel in any other monument. The massive Taj Mahal is truly a wonder of the world. It was built entirely out of marble from the outside.  The Taj took 20,000 workers working 20 years nonstop around the clock.

Well, it was not only a great learning experience for the whole class (thanks to the teachers and guides), but it was a chance to step into a whole new place from our life back in Bangalore! We were privileged to witness the times of history with glimpses of democracy practiced by Akbar. Along with the historic part of it we learnt about the colorful culture of North India and were given a great opportunity to indulge in the scrumptious Mughlai food (along with Subways and McDonalds)!! Throughout this whole expedition, we had our adventurous mode switched on and we had a blast exploring Delhi and Agra’s mind-blowing history!!

We conclude with a poem to remember the chronology of the Mughal emperors:

Babur came with a barber, who meant to cut his hair,

But then Babur’s son Humayun, ended up dying on the stairs!

Then Humayun’s son – Akbar, became king at 13 years,

He made the kingdom prosperous, and fought with no fear!

Then came Shah Jahan, who loved marble a lot,

He built the Taj Mahal, which was a successful plot!

Lastly came Aurangzeb, who was so cruel that he could whip,

He followed by the phrase: Kingship knows no Kinship!