India - An Amazing Glimpse - 12 novembre, 2014

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" - Mahatma Gandhi

Wow, where do I start? I was invited by my sister-in-law Kathie to join a tour of India and Bhutan led by retired geography professor John Allensworth. It didn't quite fit into my pattern of traveling independently and exploring Europe while we are living in Italy but it was an opportunity that I didn't want to pass up. My good friend friend Anne also joined the tour and I met up with them in Delhi.

The India segment of the tour was only a week so that is why I describe this tour as a glimpse. A country that is the 7th largest in the world with the second highest population of over a billion people cannot be adequately visited in a week. So we were fortunate to focus our visit on a small area in the north known as the Golden Triangle. We began our tour in New Delhi which is the capital of India and is its most populous city with 22 million inhabitants. 

The contrasts of the city were immediately obvious when our bus left the calm, wide streets of the area around the government buildings and our hotel and headed toward old Delhi where a rickshaw ride took us to the Chandni Chawk, an area jammed with people and vehicles of every imaginable type. Goats were being sold in the street for a religious festival, food was being cooked along the streets and there was not an inch of unoccupied space anywhere. But somehow, the surrounding chaos untangled as we maneuvered through the streets and were able to tour Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India and see temples and the sprawling Red Fort. There is an intense mixture of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians all living together in a this massive, crowded city.

Delhi street

An island of tranquility was the Gandhi Museum that commemorates the site where Mahatma Ghandi last lived and sadly also where he was assassinated. It is clear that he is seen as the "Father of India" when you see the crowds of school children and reverent crowds visiting his memorial and museum. Seeing the display of his simple belongings was quietly powerful.

Students at the Gandhi Smriti (museum)

After Delhi, we headed southwest toward Jaipur in Rajasthan. This more arid, rugged countryside has a rich history of Rajput kingdoms and the Mughal empire with many ancient structures still standing. I was fascinated staring out the window of the bus at the daily life along the road. Camels, elephants, horse-drawn carts .... buses with people sitting on the top, trucks decorated like women, a motorcycle carrying a family of four, one never knew what would go by next. And of course, cows wandering everywhere, protected by the beliefs of the Hindu religion. But the more I watched, the more respect I had for the people as I saw the ingenious and creative ways they were using to carry on.

Hawa Mahal -  Jaipur

View from the bus

Abhaneri Step Well

"shopping strip"

Amber Palace

We visited the fort palace of Amber which sits high above Maota Lake and we had the option of taking an elephant ride up the hill to the fort. Anne and I laughed as we rocked back and forth in our seat atop our our young elephant as we wondered how we would top this experience in years to come.
In Jaipur, we stayed at the Taj Jaimahal Hotel which is a heritage hotel that once was a Rajasthan palace dating back to 1745. As we sat outside on a warm evening enjoying a barbecue, listening to sitar music and watching traditional Indian dances in the manicured (and secure) gardens, it was possible to imagine the British colonial days. But just outside that polo field and vast lawns, it is a very different world now.

(photo by street photographer)

Fatehpur Sikri

Then we moved on to Agra, 150 miles to the east. The high point of any trip to this area is a visit to the Taj Mahal and it did not disappoint. We had the good fortune to visit at dawn so we had soft light and cool temperatures. One can't help but be overwhelmed when you pass through the archway of the outer buildings and see this magnificent structure rising before you. The reflecting pools and surrounding gardens are an integral part of the design and even though there were thousands of other (mostly Indian) visitors, there was a feeling of space and peacefulness. The brilliant design allows everyone to find a bench on which to sit and pose in front of this monument to love. This garden-tomb was built to memorialize the beloved and favorite (!) wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who died in childbirth. 20,000 workers spent 22 years building it with final completion in 1653. The white marble is slightly translucent and it was decorated in a technique called pieta dura where precious and semi-precious stones are inserted into the marble to create flower and pattern motifs. The result is a balanced and sublimely beautiful creation that I feel very privileged to have been able to visit.

Taj Mahal

On our way back to Delhi, we stopped at Humayan's Tomb. This tomb which was built in 1565 for the second Mughal emperor was the inspiration for later buildings including the Taj Mahal. The intricately carved stone screens and geometric details are stunning.

One of my favorite experiences in India was the opportunity to meet and talk with young women. Many of the schoolgirls seemed eager to connect with western women, often asking to pose with us for photographs and eagerly obliging for photos in return. At each of these cultural sights, we met Indian families and groups of students who were friendly and engaging. My week in Indian left me fully aware of the many challenges faced by this country but also so impressed by the openness of the people as well as the beauty and complexity of its culture.

Humayun's Tomb