Quatb Minar

More World Heritage Sites today...they're almost becoming the norm. If its not a World Heritage Site, I'm not interested. Delhi spoils the traveller really: it is heaving with Medieval tombs, Renaissance settlements and Mogul fortresses. And I have carried out my role as a tourist with a capital 'T', and visited all of the major attractions. Quatb Minar is one of them. It is a 12th Century tower reaching 72 feet, set in the palaces and tombs of some of the leaders who followed its construction. BUT, every brick has been uniquely carved with patterns or writing. In fact, walk around the entire site and every brick has been chipped at thousands of times to reveal intricate and detailed designs in every square centimetre of stone. I found it strange, therefore, that Indian tourists picked a nearby bush, or nondescript rock for their souvenir photos. Stranger still was the lamp post I walked into, situated in the very middle of the tumbled palace, parallel to the tower. But then again, lose cables, old metal and construction work seem to go hand in hand with these precious sites. India is currently celebrating its 50th year of 'looking after' its sites of extraordinary archaeological and historical importance. I'm not sure that would even be a calendar worthy event in England, given how active the National Trust is.

But, that the Indians have only just woken up to the need to maintain these sights is actually an advantage. Walking around all of them- the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb and Qutb Minar included- you will glimpse original tile work, original marble, original mirror work on the ceilings, and even original gold leafing on the pillars. This is what an unmaintained, unpolished site looks like. No one's gone round it to replace the marble carvings with 'replicas'. There are no signs explaining that the original motifs have been taken away for safekeeping and inspection. Yes, these World Heritage Sites are a free for all, and in places they have suffered because of that; but, their true character remains. It all makes the National Trust look rather overbearing, even. And, that iron lamp post I walked into? A FOURTH CENTURY iron work column inscribed with the story of the coming of God amongst men. In England, there's no way you'd walk into it because it would be behind glass, de contextualised, and historically anonymous but for the small plastic placard promising museum goers that its 'genuine'.

Now, I told you I was spoilt with all these World Heritage Sites, but, I should not have complained. So far nothing I have seen (and I've scratched at the tip of the iceberg) hasn't already been relayed to me by you or the media. Except that today, as I was crossing an exceptionally busy T-junction, I noticed someone lying in the dust between the pavement and the cement of the road surface. In Delhi, homeless people are able to make a home for themselves in every nook and cranny: under trees, against walls, between buildings, but centimetres from the wheels of a car was a new one. I'll spare the details but it became very obvious the man had been hit by a driver, killed and left on the roadside. My landlady said that the police will eventually pick him up and hopefully identify him to his family. It was not standing over a dead man that shocked me (as much as I thought it would) more that it had been left, unidentified, and missing to the family. As cars and lorries thundered by, people leaned out of the window and looked at the body as you and I would look at cows in a field. I'm sure these things happen often. And so, that's adds a rather sombre note to the videos I uploaded yesterday doesn't it? I'll stick to the less complicated Heritage Sites therefore and not complain when my vision is neutrally entertained.