Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned what is still Delhi’s greatest mosque.
He was also responsible for Agra’s Taj Mahal.
Comments closedCategory: nature and travel
In the context of the Indian subcontinent’s human history, what we now call “Old Delhi” is not very old.
The original walled city was meticulously planned; its foundation stone was laid in 1639.
Then named Shahjahanabad, it was the result of Emperor Shah Jahan’s decision to shift the Mughal Empire’s capital city, from Agra.
What is still Old Delhi’s most imposing structure was built between 1650 and 1656; at that time Jama Masjid was the subcontinent’s largest mosque.
In 2024 it remains one of India’s largest mosques – probably, its second biggest.
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Freshly killed, then crunched: European carp are devoured with great gusto by long-nosed fur seals.
Sans table, sans table manners…
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Of course, as we made our return passage through the Goolwa Barrage lock, long-nosed fur seals were again present.
Both the youngster in the above photo and the young adult pictured below were in “postprandial” mode.
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As we approached the Goolwa Barrage, I noticed an unlucky cormorant.
Courtesy of a careless human, the pictured bird probably had a very short future.
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Whilst much the huger number of pelicans favoured the Coorong’s north lagoon on 13 March 2024, a handful of them preferred to fish in and around the Murray’s mouth.
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On the move: one black swan, three cormorants.
Unmoved: one egret.
Wise advice, in some circumstances: see/hear this post’s wonderful musical bonus!
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Variously, resolutely calm or alarmed: many cormorants.
Cucumber-cool: one silver gull, one pelican.
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I took the featured photo at 3pm on 13 March 2024.
it shows the largest number of birds I have ever seen at one moment on the Coorong – a place I have visited more than a few times, over more than six decades.
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On 13 March 2024 there were enormous numbers of pelicans and cormorants in the Coorong’s north lagoon.
In the middle of the day, roosting was not yet on any birds’ agenda, so “flying high” was likely to be undertaken by pelicans and raptors, only.
i never tire of watching pelicans…
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