On Saturday evening we arrived back in Delhi and back to our rental apartment. We decided to spend Sunday sightseeing so we could a) get out of the apartment and b) see a few things we had on our list. During the week it is hard to get motivated/organized to go somewhere in the late afternoon. We started the day with some breakfast, then dropped off our laundry and hopped in an Uber to the Gandhi Smriti Museum. It was fascinating and had so much information regarding Gandhi’s life and death. At first we were able to walk alongside the path where Gandhi walked his final steps before his assassination. It was quite powerful to be in the room where he prayed, walk through the prayer ground where mass congregation used to be held and walk along the path he walked.

From there we went inside the building where he lived his final days, and there were several very good and different types of exhibits explaining his life, his work and his impact on the world, from dioramas to quilts to music, bringing his message to life for those that came after him.

Afterwards we got back in an Uber and made our way to the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple. This was another very unique experience. I thought we would walk around a bit, maybe go in and look around. But it was a whole thing! We arrived and they required us to check our bags, including all electronics, Steffen and I had to put on these cloths/skirts to cover our legs (the first time I had worn shorts in India, of course!), and then we all went through security. We walked into a huge complex of intricately carved sandstone and marble. We followed the crowds to a ticket booth that sold us tickets for three exhibits: a “world of values” that had huge animatronics telling stories emphasizing values of non‐violence, perseverance, prayers, morality, and family harmony; a giant movie screen telling the story of Neelkanth, a youthful Bhagwan Swaminarayan; and finally a small-world style boat ride about ancient Indian history. It was all fascinating and kept the kids’ attention, but also a bit like they were trying to “sell” us something. We all talked about it afterwards, about how when someone is trying to tell you about their religion, it can feel as though they are trying to convince you or sell you their ideas. I think the more you identify with that religion’s values, the less you feel like they are trying to convince you of something. And I have to say, a lot of what they were talking about in the exhibits resonated with me (non-violence, being humble, non-materialistic, being in service) so I didn’t feel as much like someone was pushing an agenda as some other family members felt. LOL Overall, a very interesting experience that I’m glad we did.

I really wish we could have taken photos–I highly recommend clicking on this link to see what it looks like. I did grab a few photos from that site to give you an idea of the size of the place.

Come Monday morning, we were back to our routine. Living life in Delhi in our own unique way. Luisa spent every morning this week at the Waldorf School, even going on a field trip to the Qutub Minar with her class (of 7 students) on Tuesday morning. She had mixed reviews on the school, sometimes finding it difficult to follow along as they speak in Hindi quite often but also enjoying playing with kids her age and not being stuck on a computer all morning like her sisters. Speaking of, we managed to do a whole week of homeschooling for the girls this week! They are making great progress and are focused and motivated (most of the time). Additionally, we dropped off and picked up some laundry, mailed some postcards, organized a small thank you gift for the school from Luisa, did some shopping for much-needed lightweight pants, got haircuts for Charlotte and Steffen, and other ordinary, everyday things that become more complicated by virtue of being in another country. It is always very satisfying for me to accomplish these tasks when abroad!

We also had to do something somewhat ordinary but also not: we went to the eye doctor for Hannah so they could remove a stubborn, very small piece of something or other (a bug maybe) from her eye that would not come out. We were very pleased with the level of care she received. The whole experience lasted about an hour and cost less than €35 (doctor visit plus antibiotic eye drop prescription and eye drops for dryness). The doctor was very kind, explaining everything as she went and reassuring us. It was great to have a good “first doctor visit abroad” experience and maybe (hopefully) it will be our last this year!

On Thursday afternoon, we made our way to our final sightseeing stop in Delhi: the Lotus Temple (also know as “the Bahá’í House of Worship”). It “stands for the principle of the oneness of humankind. People of all racial, religious, national backgrounds, are welcomed to pray and meditate within its precincts.” It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and lush lawns, with a long walkway leading up to the building. It was quite crowded at 5:00pm on a Thursday, but the place was well organized and efficient. We removed our shoes and placed them in a coat check area and then followed the single-file line to wait our turn. They let about 60 people in at a time, leaving everyone plenty of space to sit and pray/mediate/think. No photos and no talking are allowed inside, giving us all a bit of a break. We stayed in for 15 minutes maybe before heading out. It was so calm and the architecture of the building is quite beautiful! I’m glad we squeezed a visit in.

This was the place that the most Indians asked to be photographed with us! It was really crazy. I lost count of how many photos we took!