These women are carefully cleaning and restoring some of the old stones - in some places the powers that be are trying to reconstruct the buildings - though with the jigsaw of some old Hindu and some old Muslim it proves a bit more than just challenging.  The complex is quite large and there are extensive efforts being made to preserve and restore.


This shot is of the tallest minaret in India.


This is a closer shot which shows the beautifully engraved bricks used to face the minaret.  Before we left the bus at the complex, Karni said he could get from the bottom of the minaret to the top in less than five minutes and did anyone wish to race him?  Several of us, being the sort who normally exercise, said sure, we'd see him at the top.  Now, when each of us tried to find a way in we discovered the door was locked and fenced off.  So, knowing we'd been had, we simply all agreed next time we saw him we'd let him know we'd made it to the top in less than three minutes and were was he?

He just laughed and pointed to this little pagoda -

This is the top piece of the minaret that has been removed and set off to the side of the park - just a couple leisurely minutes walk from the bottom of the minaret - ha ha Karni, very funny.

Karni was full of jokes and entertaining stories.  We learned to think twice about pretty much anything he had to say...

A later ruler wanted to out-do the builder of the first and tallest minaret so he began the minaret shown here - determined that it would be twice as tall as the first.  This ruin shows that often pride goeth before the fall.  The attempt failed because the technology and building practices of the time would not support the planned tower and it collapsed under its own weight before barely getting off the ground (comparatively speaking)

Here is Karni explaining the history of the area and that the builders of these mosques used bits and pieces from previous Hindu temples - which can be seen in the pillars which were formed by stacking disparate bits.  Did I mention that I love the OAT method of having a knowledgeable  native guide who speaks excellent English for each of their tours?  I've only done two OAT tours myself (the hub also did China with OAT) but so far they are perfect for first quality guides.  Love it, love it, love it!

This photo shows two pillars, one that has been cleaned of the centuries old dirt and sand build up and one that has not yet been cleaned and restored.  It is a daunting and delicate job.

Here you can see the bamboo scaffolding being used in the restoration effort and it shows the stacked bits of different columns the Muslim builders used to build the new. It was very interesting to see the mix of the bits with Islamic geometric and script design combined with the Hindu bits with depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses as well as animals and flowers all stacked together into a single piece of architecture. Beautiful and fascinating. I loved the bamboo scaffolding, especially when it was being used to build modern steel and glass skyscrapers....

Another thing Karni explained was that the Indian builders of the time did not yet have the knowledge necessary to build arches as we know them,  the idea of a keystone.  So, the way  the look of these arches was achieved was through the use of post and lintel construction.  After forming the post and lintel frame, the builders would fill in underneath then carve out the arch that was desired.  I love the way the sandstone brick formed the colorful ombre effect and the way the craftsmen carved beautiful geometric patterns and script into the brick faces.  It was simply stunning.


A closer look at some of the carved brick.

I just liked this shot.

There were so many intriguing and beguiling angles, vistas, and ways to frame pictures - part of the reason we ended up with nearly 4,500 photos...

Color was added to the complex by these parakeets - this guy was the first time we saw, but by the end of the trip we'd seen hundreds.  The parkeets had fantastic long tails and a distinctive screech as they flew, we learned to look more by the sound than by seeing them first.  Tending to be rather shy, it was difficult to get a good picture of them before they would fly off.
  
More color was added to the scene by our fellow tourists.  The women of India, ah color.


I thought this is tomb was in a gorgeous setting.  Not exactly the Taj (oh yes, that is some sight but comes much later in the trip), but still very lovely.

Only the beginning of this day, but already sixteen pictures up so I'll continue the day with the next post.  It is proving to be very difficult to chose a reasonable number of photos to show and share...

I can see by looking through our pictures that this second day is going to take at least two more posts to complete.  You guys up for it?