Saturday morning for us normally means hanging out in our PJ's, watching kids cartoons, sheltering from the hot and/or wet weather and nursing mild hangovers..... however since I am pregnant, the hangovers aren't around, plus the monsoon as cooled things down slightly so it's time to annoy my husband, get him out of bed and load the family into the car for Delhi activities. Let's see how long this enthusiasm lasts......
This morning we visited the ceremonial 'Changing of the Guard' Delhi style. It starts at 9am at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (residence of the President of India) and goes for 40 minutes (check the website for timings) . There is a small amount of seating to watch the event, but there weren't many people there this morning so seats were easy to come by.
We got there about 8.55am so the set up and last minute checks were all taking place.
This morning we visited the ceremonial 'Changing of the Guard' Delhi style. It starts at 9am at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (residence of the President of India) and goes for 40 minutes (check the website for timings) . There is a small amount of seating to watch the event, but there weren't many people there this morning so seats were easy to come by.
We got there about 8.55am so the set up and last minute checks were all taking place.
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| Last minute checks |
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| Banners of the Army |
The sun was out (and hot) and there was a mild breeze, so the whole waiting experience was pretty pleasant. Soph ran around spotting monkeys on the roof tops which kept her entertained.
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| Too sunny! |
Unlike many things in this country, this event actually started on time, with much pomp and fanfare.... however there was a minor curveball thrown when this cyclist decided to cut in front of the parade. The cops were thrown into a spin and much yelling and pointing ensued!
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| The troublemaker |
Once this side show was over the real thing got underway - drums, music, marching soldiers and horses - what more could a 2 year old ask for? She loved it!
This event has run every Saturday morning since 1773, so it is not surprising that it runs like clock work - down to the men following behind the horses to clean up the inevitable mess.
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| Meticulous army |
So was it worth the early(ish) Saturday morning? Definitely. There weren't too many people there, it was calm and pleasant plus I really loved seeing the beautiful horses and the handsome soldiers all dressed up in their regal uniforms.
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| So handsome! |
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI went through your blog recently and found it very interesting which is why I am leaving this message here. We soon are launching a web portal on Delhi and would love to syndicate some of the posts from your blog. If this holds your interest then please do let me know on richa@acropoletravels.com. Look forward for a positive response. Thanks.
Interesting post & Great pictures!! Loved it!!
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