The Qutb Minar in Delhi reminded me of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

I always knew that the Qutb Minar would be a stop for me if and when I were to visit New Delhi.  A fascination for that goes back all the way to my middle school days, which is when we started learning about India's history.  Strange is life that while I have been to so many places on this pale blue dot, it has taken me decades since those middle school days to finally go to New Delhi.

The taxi driver nodded his head when I told him that Qutb Minar was my next destination.  We kept driving for much longer than I had anticipated--based on the map of Delhi that I carried with me.  And then, from afar, I spotted the sight that was so familiar from all the readings; I started clicking right through the car windshield.  "Drive by shooting" as my daughter refers to it :)

I was more excited than how my dogs were whenever they heard the sound of the dog food can being opened :)  I couldn't wait for the taxi to be parked and to rush out.

Rush out, I did.

I had no idea that the Qutb Minar complex was that extensive.  The moment I stepped past the ticket gate, I knew it was a good thing that I had an appointment already lined up, thanks to which I would have to force myself to leave by a certain time.  Else, I could have been there for hours on.

As has become my practice, I first walked around the periphery, far away from the main attraction.  I soon came to the incomplete structure--Alai Minar.  If this itself is so fantastic, then the Qutb Minar would be way, way awesome, I told myself!

Oddly enough, when I stood facing Alai Minar, it didn't trigger any imaginations of life a thousand years ago, but ... of Richard Dreyfuss creating a shape like this in the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and, therefore, my memories of incidents from my life when I got to watch that wonderful movie in Chennai more than thirty years ago.

I had to force myself to keep walking.  It is crazy that life is too damn short, and some days are very, very short!

Eventually, I ended up viewing, and taking photos of, Qutb Minar from so many different angles.  Not once did I get bored with the sights.  My favorite of them all was this one:

I looked at the time in my cell phone; it was time for me to leave,  Was reminded, yet again, of Robert Frost's poem, and I, too, had to tell myself that I had miles to go.

I headed out after one final look at the structure one last time.  All good things do come to an end; such is life :(