Stone work junkyard

Walking between the different sites and findings of Mehrauli, we came across a junk yard. Hundreds of stones that must be the rubble of restoration work lying just outside the Qutub Minar complex in piles.

Even the cement mixer looks ancient.

Metcalfe could have used this stuff in his artificial ancient ruins.

I'd like some for my own decorating. If it wasn't so heavy, I would have stuck one in my bag and taken it home.

Restorers in Agra

These guys and their bamboo scaffold labor above the heads of thousands of tourists a day.

After they finish with their work for the day, the monkeys come to play on their scaffolding.

I always find restoration work fascinating.

All kinds of restoration: buildings, art, and the restoration of relationships, too.
Restoration keeps things beautiful.

Work in progress

The architecture at Jantar Mantar is just as wild as usual.

But right now there is work in progress to keep the monument restoration in repair.

Much of it is being done by this brick carrying lady.

Brick carrying ladies fascinate me.

What's new at Humayan's

Wondering what's new at Humanyan's tomb since the last time I was there?

Well not this lady, she's been here gardening forever.
She told me I could take her picture if I gave her a good tip.
Though she had no intention of smiling.

There was new restoration in progress.
Painting and chiseling of things, making that chink chink chink sound of metal on stone which causes me think of elves.

And the last "new" thing to see there was this funny group of school kids on a field trip. Part of what they got to see on their outing was a couple of foreigners who obligingly shook hands and practiced English with every one of them who dared to be so brave.
One of them also told the gardening aunty that her flowers looked nice. I thought that very generous him.