INDIA
March 17-22, 2007… INDIA
Where and how does one begin to describe the depth and richness that is India? The textures, the colors, the aromas, the smiles, the animals, the sounds, the food, the sadness, the happiness, the strength, the history, the religion, the continuity…..so much….so complicated…so memorable.
Arriving in the south of this great country at the port of Cochin I was whisked off to catch a plane to go to New Delhi for a four day/three night overland adventure to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then on to Jaipur. Oh my, what a trip!
Although it was dusk and quickly turning to night we were amazed at the beauty of the capital city of New Delhi. Passing through Embassy Row, we marveled at one special Embassy after another. Wide boulevards and green parks were outlined with cleanly swept streets. There was a stateliness about this part of the city that was surprising. Our evening was spent at the beautiful Taj Mahal Hotel in the middle of the diplomatic section of town. It was at this lovely 5 star hotel that we were treated to a memorable dinner….a dinner with a special name that starts with a “P”…I asked several times and could never quiet get the exact word…but basically a sampling of delicious Indian Curry….presented on a spectacular silver platter with rice, grilled prawns, grilled chicken all surrounded by five or six silver bowls with various curries: lamb, chicken, Dahl, lentils and yogurt. Truly memorable….absolutely delicious!
Morning found us on a quick city tour to see the spectacular government buildings, the parks, and the city in general. Soon we were headed out to Agra and the depths of this exciting country unfurled from behind our large plate glass windows of our bus. The traffic was amazing….the slums were amazing…the children were amazing….the saris were amazing…the vegetables carts…the thousands of cows (many with brightly painted horns of blue or yellow or red or even stripes of these colors!) were amazing…the scooters with husband in helmets driving while their wives sat side saddle holding sleeping babies were amazing…the constant sounds of horns beeping were amazing….the five hour ride seemed like five minutes! The entire ride our excellent guide, Mahesh, explained in very simple and understandable terms some of the complexity of Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions and sects such as Jainism (who wear NO leather and are strict vegetarians including not eating any vegetables grown underground like potatoes or onions for fear that in harvesting them that an ant or insect would be harmed) and the Parsees (sp?) who don’t bury or cremate their dead but leave for nature to care for. Mahesh went into great depth about arranged marriages (90% of marriages are still arranged by parents today) and how astrology dominates one’s life in India. He shared with us his own marriage experience 13 years ago when he had five minutes to “decide” to “accept” his bride. He explained that as a Hindu he chooses the day he worships and to which god (he fasts and worships on Tuesday….his father on Friday and his mother on Wednesday). What a great teacher Mahesh was giving us as much information as he could while his colorful country passed before our eyes outside our windows.
Eventually we arrived at the Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra. WOW! A umpteen star hotel! As we were greeted with flower garlands and beautiful women giving us the red dots for our foreheads and handsome turban clad men offering a cool drink we were astonished to look out the main window to see that the Taj Mahal itself was our vista. You couldn’t have asked for more!....well…not until we got to our rooms and opened the curtains to reveal a private balcony overlooking the gorgeous gardens and pool of this special hotel and once again…the Taj sat there as our backdrop…so close you could almost touch it. Unbelievable! We soon found ourselves crossing the moat of the nearby Agra Fort with its imposing gates and walls of red sandstone that dominates the center of the city and, like our hotel, overlooks the Taj Mahal in the far distance. In the early evening we drove to the Taj itself to enjoy its splendor at the end of the day with the dusk light….what a memory! Although it was Sunday and there were thousands of locals there to pay their respects (The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jehan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal…and where the Emperor himself was later buried as well) seeing the Taj Mahal in sunset was one of those moments in my life that I will never forget. What a spectacular building…what a special site. You can see pictures all day…but there is nothing like being there for real!
After dinner at the hotel we arouse very early so we could once again visit the Taj and enjoy the sunrise over this special building. Mother Nature cooperated even more by providing a partial solar eclipse….so the morning light was even more special than normal…again another moment…and this time the crowds were almost non existent. We donned booties for our shoes to protect the marble floors and proceeded to enter the building to observe the tombs inside. The white marble is interlaced with intricate designs inlayed with tens of thousands of semi-precious stones….beautiful! No wonder this magnificent building took 22 years to construct.
Our bus excursion continued as we made our way toward Jaipur . En route we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the City of Victory, whose audience halls, palaces and mosques are perfectly preserved. This vast imperial capital with over 500 splendid buildings was abandoned after only fourteen years due to lack of a water supply. What a spectacular place. This site is one that needs more publicity as it is indeed a special and unusual place that deserves more attention and visitors.
Like our ride the day before I couldn’t help but be impressed with the depth of humanity that passed before us as we continued on to Jaipur in the state of Rajastan. Hardworking people went about their daily lives eking out a living with every moment. From vegetable stands with their immaculate displays of fresh vegetables and fruits, to stands selling treats, “fast” food, motor shops, and even barber shops (a mirror nailed to a tree and a rickety table with a few scissors and a variety of lotions and creams where “full service” is provided from a shave, haircut, facial, or massage!) everyone was moving and working…the women balancing water jars, rice bowls, even live chickens on their heads. Every moment was more colorful than the last. We passed a small funeral cortège of a peasant man whose corpse was draped in white muslin and sprinkled with rose petals. Mahesh explained that since there were no mourners with only four men carrying the covered body that the person was probably a street person and had no relatives. Regardless the people on the street stopped what they were doing to pause as the body passed before them. Memorable! The further we went the dryer the terrain got and the more mountainous and hilly the landscape became. Camels became more frequent. What colorful creatures these animals are how proud each owner is…they have gone to great pains to “decorate” them with special sheared patterns in their fur as well as colorful “blankets” of fringes and poms on their reins. Nose rings that help control the movement of the animal, like a horse’s bit, were works of art. Many camels appeared to be tattooed…I wondered if it was branding, or just henna that had been applied. Regardless, these animals seem to know they looked special because they walked very erect with their heads held high as they pulled heavy carts laden with all manner of goods and materials. Our beautiful and big and very red Volvo bus maneuvered in and out of this constant caravan constantly dodging the sacred cows that “owned” the roads….what a scene! (I tipped the driver very well….what a magnificent job he did!!!!) The trip was just as exciting as the day before and though long seemed quiet short and enjoyable. We were soon in Jaipur at the Rajputana Sheraton Hotel for another luxurious night.
Day four of our great adventure found us spending our morning at the magnificent Amber Fort. On the crest of a rugged hilltop and overlooking Lake Moata, the fort lends a majestic strength that evokes thoughts of legends and fairy tales. I could almost see the harems (rumored to be as large as 3,000 women!) assembling under the many canopied buildings awaiting the Maharaja. Some of our group rode the brightly painted and draped elephants to the top of this high hill while others bounced their way up in crowded and springless jeeps. In the afternoon we continued to explore by first visiting the Jantar Mantar better know as the Observatory. Built between 1728 and 1734 this outdoor “park” is filled with 18 different marble and stone instruments all designed to tell the time as well as the astrological settings. Amazingly, even today they are accurate to within 20 seconds….truly unbelievable! Before leaving for the airport we were treated to a visit of the City Palace, the home of the last remaining queen of the last Maharaja of Rajasthan. She supplements her vast empire by using part of her palace as a museum as well as a venue for special events. One courtyard, for instance, was being staged for a major party or benefit that was to happen that night….oh to have been a fly on the wall and seen the people that would be at that party! The place was so majestic with white clad men all draped in brightly red turbans guarding the palace. We learned later that these men were the direct descendents of previous guards dating back for years….the only way to get such a position was to be born into it.
My trip to Agra and Jaipur will forever be one of those special times in my life and I am most grateful and humbled to have been able to have such a lively adventure!!!
My last two days in India were spent in Mumbai (Bombay!). Located on the banks of the Arabian Sea and sprawling over seven islands linked by causeways and bridges this city is the home to some 17 million people. From double storied slums with small ladders leading to the second story to large and dramatic high-rise apartment buildings that sell for millions of dollars, Bombay, like the rest of India, is a study in contrast. There was much to see in this exciting and busy place: The Gateway of India – an Indo-Saracenic style archway built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, The hanging gardens of Malabr Hill with an assortment of topiary hedges trimmed into animal shapes, Jain temples, the Victoria Terminus Railway station that sees at least 1 million people in and out of its gates daily, Elephanta Island with a huge stone caved carved into the solid rock with multiple pillars of the various manifestations of Lord Shiva. (There were some 125 steps leading up to the cave….surrounded by “friends” (vendors!!!) selling every trinket known to tourists. There were even sedan chairs available to avoid the steep stairs…but I decided the men would faint if I opted for a chair…so I slowly sweated my way up avoiding buying anything!) One of the most unusual sights I have ever seen was a stop at the “dhobi ghats” the open air laundry where some 5000 men rent a small concrete vat filled with what looked to be very dirty water and bring bundles and bundles of laundry they have collected from across Bombay to be soaped, soaked, boiled and beaten. The next day after being aired, pressed, folded and wrapped the bundles are returned fresh and clean to their owners. What an amazing experience…and what hard work for these men!
I was equally amazed to learn from our guide about the unbelievable service provided by the men known as the “dhabawallahs”. Get this!....The men of India are to be revered and respected and their wives insist on providing hot meals for them at work. And as everyone knows a respected man would NEVER been seen carrying his own lunch to work, nor would be seen eating in a restaurant…so what’s a man…or his wife…to do? Hire a dhabawallah! These uneducated illiterate men come to tens of thousands of homes each morning to pick up special lunch boxes (usually with four layers or tiers) filled with the appropriate food for a hard-working professional man. By train, cart, bus and bicycle these dhabawallahs relay and deliver these boxes to their respective owners in time for lunch. Apparently because of the design of the boxes the lunch is still hot! They return after a short time to retrieve the specially numbered boxes and then return the cleaned boxes to the wives so they can do it again the next day. Apparently the system is flawless…no one ever gets the wrong lunch and it is always on time and always hot! I can think of some business that should take note!
As I read this account I am exhausted…and indeed after my return from Agra I slept 12 hours! That said, my experience is India is like non other I have ever had. I experienced every range of emotion I can imagine. My mind is on overload from the colors and textures and specialness of this exotic place. This world is indeed a richer and more colorful place because of India!
March 17-22, 2007… INDIA
Where and how does one begin to describe the depth and richness that is India? The textures, the colors, the aromas, the smiles, the animals, the sounds, the food, the sadness, the happiness, the strength, the history, the religion, the continuity…..so much….so complicated…so memorable.
Arriving in the south of this great country at the port of Cochin I was whisked off to catch a plane to go to New Delhi for a four day/three night overland adventure to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then on to Jaipur. Oh my, what a trip!
Although it was dusk and quickly turning to night we were amazed at the beauty of the capital city of New Delhi. Passing through Embassy Row, we marveled at one special Embassy after another. Wide boulevards and green parks were outlined with cleanly swept streets. There was a stateliness about this part of the city that was surprising. Our evening was spent at the beautiful Taj Mahal Hotel in the middle of the diplomatic section of town. It was at this lovely 5 star hotel that we were treated to a memorable dinner….a dinner with a special name that starts with a “P”…I asked several times and could never quiet get the exact word…but basically a sampling of delicious Indian Curry….presented on a spectacular silver platter with rice, grilled prawns, grilled chicken all surrounded by five or six silver bowls with various curries: lamb, chicken, Dahl, lentils and yogurt. Truly memorable….absolutely delicious!
Morning found us on a quick city tour to see the spectacular government buildings, the parks, and the city in general. Soon we were headed out to Agra and the depths of this exciting country unfurled from behind our large plate glass windows of our bus. The traffic was amazing….the slums were amazing…the children were amazing….the saris were amazing…the vegetables carts…the thousands of cows (many with brightly painted horns of blue or yellow or red or even stripes of these colors!) were amazing…the scooters with husband in helmets driving while their wives sat side saddle holding sleeping babies were amazing…the constant sounds of horns beeping were amazing….the five hour ride seemed like five minutes! The entire ride our excellent guide, Mahesh, explained in very simple and understandable terms some of the complexity of Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions and sects such as Jainism (who wear NO leather and are strict vegetarians including not eating any vegetables grown underground like potatoes or onions for fear that in harvesting them that an ant or insect would be harmed) and the Parsees (sp?) who don’t bury or cremate their dead but leave for nature to care for. Mahesh went into great depth about arranged marriages (90% of marriages are still arranged by parents today) and how astrology dominates one’s life in India. He shared with us his own marriage experience 13 years ago when he had five minutes to “decide” to “accept” his bride. He explained that as a Hindu he chooses the day he worships and to which god (he fasts and worships on Tuesday….his father on Friday and his mother on Wednesday). What a great teacher Mahesh was giving us as much information as he could while his colorful country passed before our eyes outside our windows.
Eventually we arrived at the Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra. WOW! A umpteen star hotel! As we were greeted with flower garlands and beautiful women giving us the red dots for our foreheads and handsome turban clad men offering a cool drink we were astonished to look out the main window to see that the Taj Mahal itself was our vista. You couldn’t have asked for more!....well…not until we got to our rooms and opened the curtains to reveal a private balcony overlooking the gorgeous gardens and pool of this special hotel and once again…the Taj sat there as our backdrop…so close you could almost touch it. Unbelievable! We soon found ourselves crossing the moat of the nearby Agra Fort with its imposing gates and walls of red sandstone that dominates the center of the city and, like our hotel, overlooks the Taj Mahal in the far distance. In the early evening we drove to the Taj itself to enjoy its splendor at the end of the day with the dusk light….what a memory! Although it was Sunday and there were thousands of locals there to pay their respects (The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jehan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal…and where the Emperor himself was later buried as well) seeing the Taj Mahal in sunset was one of those moments in my life that I will never forget. What a spectacular building…what a special site. You can see pictures all day…but there is nothing like being there for real!
After dinner at the hotel we arouse very early so we could once again visit the Taj and enjoy the sunrise over this special building. Mother Nature cooperated even more by providing a partial solar eclipse….so the morning light was even more special than normal…again another moment…and this time the crowds were almost non existent. We donned booties for our shoes to protect the marble floors and proceeded to enter the building to observe the tombs inside. The white marble is interlaced with intricate designs inlayed with tens of thousands of semi-precious stones….beautiful! No wonder this magnificent building took 22 years to construct.
Our bus excursion continued as we made our way toward Jaipur . En route we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the City of Victory, whose audience halls, palaces and mosques are perfectly preserved. This vast imperial capital with over 500 splendid buildings was abandoned after only fourteen years due to lack of a water supply. What a spectacular place. This site is one that needs more publicity as it is indeed a special and unusual place that deserves more attention and visitors.
Like our ride the day before I couldn’t help but be impressed with the depth of humanity that passed before us as we continued on to Jaipur in the state of Rajastan. Hardworking people went about their daily lives eking out a living with every moment. From vegetable stands with their immaculate displays of fresh vegetables and fruits, to stands selling treats, “fast” food, motor shops, and even barber shops (a mirror nailed to a tree and a rickety table with a few scissors and a variety of lotions and creams where “full service” is provided from a shave, haircut, facial, or massage!) everyone was moving and working…the women balancing water jars, rice bowls, even live chickens on their heads. Every moment was more colorful than the last. We passed a small funeral cortège of a peasant man whose corpse was draped in white muslin and sprinkled with rose petals. Mahesh explained that since there were no mourners with only four men carrying the covered body that the person was probably a street person and had no relatives. Regardless the people on the street stopped what they were doing to pause as the body passed before them. Memorable! The further we went the dryer the terrain got and the more mountainous and hilly the landscape became. Camels became more frequent. What colorful creatures these animals are how proud each owner is…they have gone to great pains to “decorate” them with special sheared patterns in their fur as well as colorful “blankets” of fringes and poms on their reins. Nose rings that help control the movement of the animal, like a horse’s bit, were works of art. Many camels appeared to be tattooed…I wondered if it was branding, or just henna that had been applied. Regardless, these animals seem to know they looked special because they walked very erect with their heads held high as they pulled heavy carts laden with all manner of goods and materials. Our beautiful and big and very red Volvo bus maneuvered in and out of this constant caravan constantly dodging the sacred cows that “owned” the roads….what a scene! (I tipped the driver very well….what a magnificent job he did!!!!) The trip was just as exciting as the day before and though long seemed quiet short and enjoyable. We were soon in Jaipur at the Rajputana Sheraton Hotel for another luxurious night.
Day four of our great adventure found us spending our morning at the magnificent Amber Fort. On the crest of a rugged hilltop and overlooking Lake Moata, the fort lends a majestic strength that evokes thoughts of legends and fairy tales. I could almost see the harems (rumored to be as large as 3,000 women!) assembling under the many canopied buildings awaiting the Maharaja. Some of our group rode the brightly painted and draped elephants to the top of this high hill while others bounced their way up in crowded and springless jeeps. In the afternoon we continued to explore by first visiting the Jantar Mantar better know as the Observatory. Built between 1728 and 1734 this outdoor “park” is filled with 18 different marble and stone instruments all designed to tell the time as well as the astrological settings. Amazingly, even today they are accurate to within 20 seconds….truly unbelievable! Before leaving for the airport we were treated to a visit of the City Palace, the home of the last remaining queen of the last Maharaja of Rajasthan. She supplements her vast empire by using part of her palace as a museum as well as a venue for special events. One courtyard, for instance, was being staged for a major party or benefit that was to happen that night….oh to have been a fly on the wall and seen the people that would be at that party! The place was so majestic with white clad men all draped in brightly red turbans guarding the palace. We learned later that these men were the direct descendents of previous guards dating back for years….the only way to get such a position was to be born into it.
My trip to Agra and Jaipur will forever be one of those special times in my life and I am most grateful and humbled to have been able to have such a lively adventure!!!
My last two days in India were spent in Mumbai (Bombay!). Located on the banks of the Arabian Sea and sprawling over seven islands linked by causeways and bridges this city is the home to some 17 million people. From double storied slums with small ladders leading to the second story to large and dramatic high-rise apartment buildings that sell for millions of dollars, Bombay, like the rest of India, is a study in contrast. There was much to see in this exciting and busy place: The Gateway of India – an Indo-Saracenic style archway built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, The hanging gardens of Malabr Hill with an assortment of topiary hedges trimmed into animal shapes, Jain temples, the Victoria Terminus Railway station that sees at least 1 million people in and out of its gates daily, Elephanta Island with a huge stone caved carved into the solid rock with multiple pillars of the various manifestations of Lord Shiva. (There were some 125 steps leading up to the cave….surrounded by “friends” (vendors!!!) selling every trinket known to tourists. There were even sedan chairs available to avoid the steep stairs…but I decided the men would faint if I opted for a chair…so I slowly sweated my way up avoiding buying anything!) One of the most unusual sights I have ever seen was a stop at the “dhobi ghats” the open air laundry where some 5000 men rent a small concrete vat filled with what looked to be very dirty water and bring bundles and bundles of laundry they have collected from across Bombay to be soaped, soaked, boiled and beaten. The next day after being aired, pressed, folded and wrapped the bundles are returned fresh and clean to their owners. What an amazing experience…and what hard work for these men!
I was equally amazed to learn from our guide about the unbelievable service provided by the men known as the “dhabawallahs”. Get this!....The men of India are to be revered and respected and their wives insist on providing hot meals for them at work. And as everyone knows a respected man would NEVER been seen carrying his own lunch to work, nor would be seen eating in a restaurant…so what’s a man…or his wife…to do? Hire a dhabawallah! These uneducated illiterate men come to tens of thousands of homes each morning to pick up special lunch boxes (usually with four layers or tiers) filled with the appropriate food for a hard-working professional man. By train, cart, bus and bicycle these dhabawallahs relay and deliver these boxes to their respective owners in time for lunch. Apparently because of the design of the boxes the lunch is still hot! They return after a short time to retrieve the specially numbered boxes and then return the cleaned boxes to the wives so they can do it again the next day. Apparently the system is flawless…no one ever gets the wrong lunch and it is always on time and always hot! I can think of some business that should take note!
As I read this account I am exhausted…and indeed after my return from Agra I slept 12 hours! That said, my experience is India is like non other I have ever had. I experienced every range of emotion I can imagine. My mind is on overload from the colors and textures and specialness of this exotic place. This world is indeed a richer and more colorful place because of India!
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