TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC - DAY 4 - 10-04-10

If you want to take a guided tour of the Capitol you have to obtain a free pass either online (issued in limited numbers) or at the site (again limited numbers). We were able to get passes on line for the tour at 9-30am on Saturday.As this involved a very early start, it was decided that I and Bharathi would go first and make the tour while the other three would join us later. As i was pretty confident of going on our own they let us go armed with Madhuri's cellphone.
We were dropped off at Silver Spring Metro station by Chandu at 7-45am. We took the Red line to Metro center and Blue line from there to Capitol South and reached there by 8-45am. From there it is a long walk to the entrance of Capitol Visitor center.


CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER:
This is located on the east front at First street and East Capitol street. Entry to this is free from 8-30am to 4-30pm , Mon-Sat.This is a very modern construction underground of 58000 sq.ft area with the entry at ground level. After a very thorough security check and trashing all the water bottles that we were carrying we were let in.
We go one level down to the main hall called the 'Emancipation hall. The hall has four skylights which provide excellent light and also a great view of the Capitol dome. The hall has a plaster model of the STATUE OF FREEDOM which rests atop the Capitol dome. Isn't it an irony that this statue was put there by slave laborers!!!! But that is history and America has corrected that.
The hall also has a touchable model of the capitol dome and twenty four statues representing the diversity of USA. It also has a 186' long Wall of aspiration having some historic documents. From there we go to the guided tour of Capitol.

CAPITOL:

We are first taken into a orientation theater and shown a 13 minute film titled "OUT OF MANY,ONE ( E PLURIBUS UNUM), the theme on which America is built. It is something like the Unity in Diversity that Nehru used to talk about. From there we are taken to the Capitol Rotunda and a few other halls that house historic,significant paintings and sculptures.

The highlight of the trip was the visit to the CAPITOL ROTUNDA - a huge circular hall lined with spectacular paintings and 186' above the hall is the Dome. As you look up at the inside of the dome high above you see the fabulous fresco of APOTHEOSIS OF WASHINGTON.This is a 4664 sq.ft fresco that covers the canopy of the Rotunda and was completed in 1865 by CONSTANTINO BRUMIDI.


On the central panel of the fresco is George Washington dressed in white robes, attended by thirteen maidens, and ascending on a cloud to heavens, above mortal men. This is the moment of his Apotheosis ( meaning transformation) into a God. Nearby are several ancient Roman Gods presenting American forefathers knowledge. Minerva giving technological inspiration to Ben Franklin, Robert Fulton and Samuel Morse. Vulcan helping build a steam engine. Neptune demonstrating cable laying and Ceres, Goddess of Food, sitting on a McCormick reaper. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER seems to be the theme. After a one hour tour and several pictures we were back in the visitor center. Visitors are not allowed into the Senate or House of Commons, for which one has to obtain passes well in advance through the Congressman or Senator.

We came out just in time to receive the other three, and, while we took care of Sreeya and played with her, Madhuri and Chandu did a quick tour of the visitor center. We took a cab from there and went to a subway for a lunch of sandwiches and coke. From there we took another cab and went to the White House visitor center.

WHITE HOUSE VISITOR CENTER:
This is located on SE corner of 15th and E streets. It is open all days 7-30am to 4pm and entry is free. A guided tour of White House is only possible if planned at least a couple of months in advance. In the center we sat comfortably and watched a very nice Video that takes us on a guided tour of White House. The video starts with a welcome by the First lady and ends with a good bye speech from President Obama. The Video is wonderful guided tour and also gives us historic tidbits. Across the road is the Freedom Plaza and we took a walk there. From there we
took another cab and proceeded to Lincoln Memorial.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL:
In the National mall, the three great monuments are in a straight line. At the eastern end is the Capitol, at the western end is the Lincoln Memorial and at the center is the great obelisk, Washington memorial.

I have been a great fan of Abraham Lincoln from my school days when i first learned about his definition of Democracy as the government of the people, by the people and for the people. I read with reverence about his role in abolition of slavery and the heavy price he paid for that (his life).
The Memorial is open 24x7 as befitting a great leader of the people. the Memorial is a huge hall at a good height accessed by climbing several steps. In this hall with three walls and the front open is the huge statue of Lincoln sitting on a throne. The view from the top is breathtaking - all three great structures in a line. On the southern wall is inscribed his famous Gettysburg address where he spoke of......government of the people,by the people and for the people..... On the northern wall is his very impressive second inaugural speech.

We were dead tired but had to walk a bit before we got a cab that took us to Federal triangle station from where we took the train to Metro Center and the Red line from there to silver Spring. It being a Saturday, there was no hassle for public parking there and it was free too. We reached our hotel at 8pm.