Delhi
Having sorted out earlier tour debacle, my tour starts with my guide in New Delhi. New and Old Delhi is such a vast city, and with the familiar nutty driving and traffic, trying to see all the important sites is virtually impossible. We hit just a few highlights in a very hectic day.
Qutab Minar, Muslim tower or minar. As is the theme in most of India, there are Hindu and Muslim temples abound. Another common theme is the use of sandstone and white marble. Qutab is a mostly sandstone tower, the 2nd tallest in India. The 4th section is marble.
India Gate, a similar structure to the Arc de Triomphe, is a memorial to the 82,000 Indian soldiers who died during World War 1.
Humaynu's Tomb, the tomb for to Mughal Emperor Humayun, 2nd Mughal king. His first wife ordered the construction, made of red sandstone.
Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. In the middle of the park, a black marble pedestal stands with an eternal flame at the spot where Gandhi was cremated. As is custom, shoes are remove prior to entering the area, as visitors walk the surrounding path to pay respects.
Red Fort, the residence of the Mughal emperor of India 1638 - 1857, featuring many buildings you would find in a palace in that period. Of course made of red sandstone.
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, the prominent Sikh Gurdwaras, or Temple. A truly enriching and my favorite spot on the tour is Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. In the Sikh Temple, people from all religions are welcome, and all are equal. I remove shoes and cover my heads with yellow/gold scarf. It's a little cold, especially walking on the marble floors and after dipping feet into the holy waters. Inside no photos are allowed. A band of Sikhs are playing music with traditional Indian instruments. People are sitting all around the central pulpit, praying or meditating. After exiting with a silent prayer, you can walk the circumference of a large pond, or sarovar, said to have healing powers.Every visitor is then offered a sweet called kara-prasaad (made from wheat, sugar and ghee). Volunteers run a community kitchen. The Sikhs insist that no one need beg for food and none should leave hungry.
Old Delhi and Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is India's largest mosque, and prominent in the Old City or Old Delhi. The impressive mosque is also red sandstone. The large platform are can hold 25,000 worshippers. Just getting to the old city and viewing a wealth of activity is an experience in itself. Busy markets selling everything imaginable. Seriously, everything. When we donate things to Goodwill, or the losing Super Bowl teams t-shirts are sent away, they go here. If you ever wondered, "who would want that old flip phone from 2004?", here is your answer. I saw used auto parts, electric wires, phones, stereos, and everyday items like food, fruit, nuts, cigarettes, clothing, live chickens, not-so-live mutton. These streets are narrow and packed with people. It is pure chaos. Sensory overload. Fantastic. It is just normal activity for them, astonishing for me. These are not the tourist markets, this is real India.
Time for a dinner and a good night' sleep in the hotel.
Agra
The second point on the triangle, about a 4 hour drive southeast of Delhi, is Agra, home of the grandest of them all, the Taj Mahal. Here is where having an experienced guide is worth the expense. The time saving alone is immeasurable. There is a ridiculous number of people here. The line wraps around the buildings. And that is after you purchase the ticket and enter the grounds. If you have been to Venice and have felt the crowd, that is nothing compared to the throngs here. Indian citizens can purchase tickets at a much cheaper rate - the cost is subsidized by the government - and many of them are here. As a foreign national, and with the aid of the tour guide, I purchase a high end ticket. We skip the lines to enter the grounds and immediately view the spectacular structure. It really is fantastic. Made of white marble, the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Each side is symmetrical and the 4 pillars are at 90 degree angles and reach slightly outward. Inside the gates, the crowds are still immense, lines wrapping around the building.
After several photo taking opportunities, with the ticket and an aggressive guide, we move past the lines and get into the great hall first in our group. (Groups of about 20 at a time are allowed in to see the mausoleum). What would normally take a 2 hour wait for a 10 minute viewing, we did a 10 minute wait.
Less well known in Agra is the Agra Fort. The Indian army still occupies 80% of this functioning outpost. One of my favorite components of the fort is the double moat system, now of course not in use. The lower moat is the water moat, with allligators. If invaders made it past that, they face the land moat. With tigers. Good luck, invaders. It would have been nice to see tigers and gators.
Next is the portion of the tour where you indulge the company a little. It can be a bit annoying, but it is the norm here, so I accept it. They will take you to certain shops in expectation that you will purchase high value items. We visit a marble manufacturing company. While it is fascinating to see how they design, cut, and polish the stones inlaid in the marble, much like what was done in the original tilework for the Taj, this is really a high pressure sales technique. First do a demonstration, featuring old world techniques and tools, passed down by generation, then walk into the showroom where surely you will buy marble furnishings and ship it home. This isn't the street market stuff. It can be very expensive and really beautiful. But, I am not buying today.
I think the tour companies get a kickback for taking you to these places. In Delhi, we went to a high end silk and pashmina store. I am not buying a 4000 rupee (60 USD) pashmina. Later in Jaipur, I was corralled into a precious and semi-precious gem polishing demo and store, and a rug manufacturing operation. Similar procedure here of demonstrating the old world, hand made style of crafting. But I wasn't buying and I didn't ask to go. But it is just part of the deal that you sort of implicitly agree to. I did manage to get some good deals and made fulfilling purchases in other stores we visited in Agra and Jaipur.
But I digress. I still loved the tour and highly recommend using a company or guide, but just be forewarned if you come that they will take you to their friends' places of business.
Jaipur
Another 4 hour drive to the west is Jaipur, third point ot the triangle. A city in the mountainous desert, we meet today's guide, and visit a small Hindu temple. Speaking of acceptance and tolerance, a priest painted my forehead with a tika, the dot Hindus wear. I am an honorary Hindu. In Jaipur we visit the spectacular Amber Fort, built on a hillside. The surrounding walls still stand on the surrounding mountain and are reminiscent of the Great Wall of China. Below, the moat is filled with water from a nearby dam.
We briefly stop by to view the Jal Mahal, or water palace, literally a palace half underwater in Man Sagar Lake, a large man-made lake filled with rainwater collected during monsoon season. Today, the lake is only for a picturesque view and a sanctuary for birds and aquatic life, but not suitable for drinking water.
Next we visit the City Palace. When this was a city-state, kings ruled. The monarchy was passed down to each generation as in other places, but Jaipur today actually has an existing king, who is 15 years old, Kumar Padmanabh Singh, Maharaja of Jaipur. He is officially head of the royal family, but a king in name only with no governing power, but in possession of treasures and palace, in which he is also a resident and student. For a higher entrance fee, you can visit the residence quarters. I opted for the main sections, which has the usual sandstone and marble features. This site, more than any others, is more market than tour. Many artists and craftsmen ply their trade inside the walls. Once again I watched a demo of an artist use a hair thin brush to create an elephant drawing, with great expectation that I would buy something.
Have I mentioned the cows yet? They run this city. I am sure you know that the cow is sacred in Hinduism and in India. It is illegal to hit a cow with your car. Big trouble, my friends. They are everywhere. They even eat the trash scattered about the roadside along with the street dogs (also everywhere), goats, donkeys, monkeys, camels, and pigs. Watch where you step.
The next day is a 5 am wake up call to complete the triangle back to Delhi and a flight to London, an overnight stay, a beer with fish & chips at a local establishment, and a direct flight to Austin!
Final Thoughts
India is hard to describe in a few words. It is at once, modern, rural, technically savvy, impoverished, beautiful, ugly, fascinating, smelly, astonishing, dirty, a growing middle class, overpopulated, welcoming, and wonderful. Is that contradictory enough? Overall, amazing!
I found it interesting that most people cannot tell by the accent where you come from. Almost everyone I met asked what is my country.
In the country, in Agra, Jaipur, and points between, there is still terrible poverty. I was very cold in the mornings when I visited, and people shared spots by the small campfires to keep warm. Many houses are really just shacks with no running water and barely electricity. Slum sections exist in the big cities too, sometimes next to a more modern apartment complex or gas station. A shanty can arise at any point of any sidewalk. Men in every city treat the sidewalk as their toilet.
It really is a feast for the senses, and my cup overrunneth.
Speaking of feasts, guess what? I Like Indian Food Now! One of the best was Shah Continental in Agra. I like biryani, chicken tikka, tandoori, paneer, and it was never as spicy as I expected. The yogurt, or curd as they call it, cools it all down. I even liked the yellow curry. Maybe they aren't doing it right it Austin.
I hope you enjoyed these. I will add photo albums a little later. Visit India. Even if you are frustrated or shocked during the visit, I think when you look back, it is a fulfilling journey. I am glad I came.
Namaste
Darryl
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