Agra

Yes, I made it to the Taj Mahal.

We left Delhi by the early morning train on AC Second class, which is a very comfortable (if perhaps a bit chilly) way to travel the 3.5 hours. We didn't have our return journey booked, which lead to a bit of hassle as I'll explain later.

Agra is one of the most touristy cities in India, and especially after the Commonwealth Games, has institutionalized the tourism. That being said, you can only expect one thing from being so obviously a tourist- you're gonna be ripped off.

Our Breakfast Nook.

We took breakfast in a cozy rooftop cafe (where I had my first peanut butter toast) before heading off to the Taj Mahal around noon. The Archaeological Survey of India controls most of the cultural heritage sites around the country and they institute a differentiated price for all attractions based on nationality. For example, at the bottom of the heirarchy of culturally considered sites, to get into the Buddist caves at Lonavala, nationals pay 5 rupies. Non-national (aka international tourists) pay 50. As one of the biggest international attractions, the Taj Mahal is almost 7 times what all the other attractions are at an entry price of 750 rupies for non-nationals. Which, granted, is $17 dollars and totally worth it, but it's a bit frustrating being so obviously labeled as a "rich foreign tourist".

ताज महल

That being said, I don't really know how to describe actually visiting the Taj Mahal. It was beautiful. यह बहुत सुंदर था। (Sorry, I just have learned to type in Devanagri and may occasionally repeat myself in Hindi just to prove that I can.) It was unbelievable- the symmetry is REALLY that perfect. The cool, white marble screams of a luxury that I can not even process and the eloquent grief remains forever poignant. Although the mausoleum was finished in 1652, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was shortly thereafter confined to Agra Fort across the river after his son Aurangzeb took power. I don't have many pictures from Agra Fort because my camera battery pooped out on me, but I was awed by the majesty of this grandiose palace and fortification. The intricate detailing and excessive white marble evoked a heartbreaking romanticism that was only emphasized by the view of the Taj Mahal across the river.

View from Agra Fort

I couldn't help but imagine Shah Jahan trapped in this marble palace as his love lay across the river, never to be forged until after his own death.

Tour Inside Qala-i-Kuhna Masjid

Sight-Seeing in Delhi: Part II

We started our day by heading over to the Raj Ghat, which is a memorial to Mohandas Gandhi, the Mahatama, at the place where he was cremated. The place was very busy and it was almost disconcerting to see a vast manicured lawn after so much of the urban landscape.


I was fascinated by the Old Fort (Purana Qala), a huge complex of monumental architecture, mosques, and fortification. Since my knowledge of the site is limited by the various plaques around the grounds, let me quote.

"Popularly known as Pandavon-ka Kila, the Purana Qala stands on a mound which may possibly mark the site of the town of Indraprastha of the Mahabharata story. The standing ramparts and other buildings were, however, built by Sher Shah Sur (AD 1538-45). After demolishing and remodelling Dinpanah, a city founded here in AD 1533 after his return from Persia in AD 1555. Humayun resided here until his death in AD 1556 and is believed to have repaired and constructed some portions of the citadel.

Purana Qala is irregularly oblong on plan with bastions on corners and along the western ramparts. Its principal gateways on the North, West, and South are crowned with chhatris and are known respectively as Talaqi, Bara, and Humayun Darwazas. Among existing buikdings inside are Sher Shah's mosque and a tower known as Sher Manual. Originally a moat surrounded the ramparts and was connected on the east with the river Yamuna.

The Qala-I-Kahna Masjid, or the mosque withing the Old Fort, was constructed by Sher Shah Sur in AD 1541. Architecturally, it exemplifies the transition from the earlier mosques of the Lodi period to those of the Mughal period, characterised by a well. The tank in the courtyard was intended for ablution before the prayers.

The Sher Mandal is believed to have been built in about AD 1541. Possibly raised by Sher Shah as a pleasure resort, the pavilion is said to have been used by Humayun as his library and he is believed to have died in 1556 after a mortal fall from its steps."

The medieval architecture was unbelievably impressive and surprisingly uncrowded in relation to the rest of the city. If I could, I would have picnicked there all day. I wandered around the outer ramparts for a while, and some older gentleman asked me how many times I had excavating! I could only mumble that I WISHED I could excavate there, but I was so confusedly happy to be recognized as an archaeologist even in a skirt.


I then made a 180 degree turn around in terms of architecture to go and see the famed Lotus Temple. Completed in 1986, this Baha'i temple gets unbelievable traffic. The line to enter the temple reached to where this photo was taken and the combination of heat and crowd dissuaded us from actually going in the building.

I traveled back in time once more to see the Qutb (Qutab) complex of medieval structures which highlights the Qutb Minar. This wonderfully phallic symbol was first initiated in AD 1199 and remains the world's tallest brick minar! Isn't that nifty?! The whole complex seemed very odd because it had been added to and changed over many centuries and by every conquerer. I really enjoyed how many pieces of earlier structures were being recycled into the newer structures, creating this tapestry of old and older in a jumbled patchwork.

































To end the crazy day of sight seeing, I ended the day in the Lodi Gardens, which is a collection of monuments and tombs surrounded by...well.. gardens. It was beautiful and peaceful in the later afternoon after a long day of sight seeing.

Flowers

I don't have the patience to yet do my post for my second day of sight seeing in Delhi, so enjoy these pictures in the meantime!

Sight-Seeing in Delhi: Day I

As Delhi stood as the beginning and end of my travels outside of Pune, I was able to see may of the attractions (as well as much of the realities) in one of the oldest cities on the sub-continent. Delhi has had 7 historical occupations and is a swarming megatropolis by anyone's standards.

Day I: I started my sight-seeing in New Delhi, at the Arch of India, a true monument honoring India's military in World War I. Many monuments and governmental buildings lie on this central promenade called Rajput, in a style very similar to the Mall in Washington, D.C. I walked from the Gate of India all the way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's House, enjoying the sunset, instituted waterways, and the National Museum (see the sunset photo). Although we could only see in through the gates under constant military survalliance, monkeys wandered freely around the grounds, leaving a very romantic sentiment under the setting sun. This was the only place in Delhi that wasn't exhaustively over-crowded. The streets were so quiet and no one yelled at us "Hey madam, what country are you from?"

From there I went to my first Sikh temple at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. The temple marks the spot where the headless body of Guru Tegh Bahadur was, to the opposition of the Mughal Imperialists, cremated (and by that, I mean that one of his followers stole the body back to his house after his execution and lit his own house on fire so that the body could be faithfully respected without detection from the Mughals). Before entering the temple, we took off our shoes (if you didn't know, this is a common practice across South Asia to take your shoes off at a sacred place), washed our hands and feet, and borrowed scarves outside the temple proper to cover our heads. Inside, three young priests held vigil 24 hours a day, constantly singing and playing classical instruments. Our guide, who was also our rickshaw driver for the day, said that they work on shifts so that the temple is always staffed. We ended the day in a much less picturesque way, wandering in Old Delhi after dinner (an experience, let me tell you).

IndiGo

This will be the first in a series about my 10-day trip across and around Delhi, Agra, and Jaisalmer. Whhhhooooooo!


We flew from Pune to Delhi which was a nice little flight. Security is tight all across India, with passports and photos needed even for phones, and the airport is no exception. The procedure was pretty familiar, with women in one que and men in the other. I traveled, as usual, with only carry-on and my bag was stopped both times. Although I had my metal knitting needles sitting in my bag, they were more concerned with my twissers! When the security officer took out a tampon, looking quizzical, I couldn't help but smile and hide my giggles. It was evident that she had no idea what it was used for, and I had no words in Hindi to try and explain it to her. But she was satisfied to open the small package and see that it was just plastic.

The flight was rather standard, although somewhat modified.
The flight attendants were all very pretty I noticed, which is intentional according to the advertisement put in the on-board magazine. They all sported short bobs, two out of the three of which were artificial. Yes, as in wigs.


In the end, I was very thankful for our air travel, as it was clean, safe, and fairly cheap.

A New Obsession

Today, for the first time, I experienced a truly Indian sensation. And it even included chai break.

I'm talking about cricket. The game seems highly unusual on TV to the American viewer, with all of the players wearing white (I'll never understand those silly hats) and this obsession with the word "wicket". But underneath the seemingly slow game play and vague similarities to American baseball, cricket supports a vary complex series of mental complications that keeps the game in balance.

We played in the back of the hotel parking lot, in between buildings. It was raining, and there wasn't that much room, so we played without runners and shorter rules. Although our professor (and cricket-master) brought a ... bat? Stick? ... we only had one tennis ball, so when that went over the wall, a rescue party had to be arranged in short order to continue game play. A couple of us had played softball/baseball, so we had a slight advantage, but at this stage of competition the most useful skill was quick reflexes/ We all had a lot of fun and, although we may not quite understand all of the rules for scoring yet, have come with a refreshed interest in learning the intricacies of the game.

And it goes without saying that my team won. TEAM DOMINATION!!