INDIA — Golden Triangle
26 Feb — 09 Mar 2020
Despite having been to so many countries over the years (42), India has always daunted me. At last I saw a deal I could not resist and grabbed it. Rajasthan, Golden Triangle tour. New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.
My dad was born the son of a British Army Colonel based in India. A region called Mussoorie, just near Delhi so, it was great to be very close to there. I could not get to Mussoorie, but was able to do some checking. It was a mountain retreat for officers on leave so, it is most likely, that grandad was based in Delhi. He was the architect of the first suspension bridge over the Indus River (that is now in Pakistan). Dad would have been 100 now so it was great to close the circle.
This was also the first tour I have done as part of a group. That was a concern too as I am so used to travelling as a lone adventurer. As it turns out, it was a great option. We went places you probably wouldn’t go to alone, or, know about. A fabulous group of people. I booked through an American company, Gate1, and I was the only Aussie on board out of 22 people. How great is that? I don’t want to be somewhere like India and be with people I can meet at home. We had Americans (of course), Canadians, Sri Lankans, Cubans, to name a few. It led to so many interesting conversations. Especially the Cuban lady who escaped her homeland when she was 7, by boat, while her father was a political prisoner under Castro’s rule. Wow. A story on its own. At the welcome dinner, there was the slightly uncomfortable introductions. Everyone stands in turn and tells them about who they are. The benefit is that you get to know who people are before you even set off on the coach.
NEW DELHI
We arrived in Delhi and after a quick overnight time adjustment (4.5hrs), we were off on our first day. It was pretty full on all week. Fast paced giving us the chance to get a lot in a short time. First to Old Delhi where you see what India was like. We took a cycle rickshaw ride along an old, very busy, narrow, street, sided by traders of all types of merchandise from food to jewelry. It’s pretty much a local wholesale market. On my own I would not have walked down this street. What a fabulous insight into old India. I would loved to have stopped and browsed.
Next was a visit to Emperor Humayun’s citadel. India has a colourful past. Before the British it was controlled by the Muslims. After many battles, the Hindu’s took back control of their own country. Some of the fortifications make you wonder how they ever succeeded. We will come to that further on. Of course, then, the British seized power, firstly through the East India Company (basically set up to take everything they could from India at minimal cost, a bit like they did in Burma later). Repeating history, Gandhi then decided to work towards the Hindu’s taking back control but without the violence. Albeit, many Indians died during that period.
After passing Indian Gate, War Memorial to Indian and British soldiers, we headed for what turned out to be even a bigger highlight for me than the Taj Mahal was going to be. The house where Gandhi lived for his last 144 days before being shot in the home’s large gardens. It is very spiritual standing by the very spot where he lost his life. It is a magnificent, large, home, not of his choice. He wanted to live like the poor but was convinced to live in this house for security reasons (didn’t help in the end) and also so he had somewhere appropriate to meet dignitaries. Albeit, he lived in one room with just an old wooden bed. After learning the British side of the Gandhi story, it was an eye opener to learn the Indian side. It was a truly inspiring time here.
While in Delhi, we went to a rundown looking area, with closed down shops and not many people. Inside one such building we climbed the stairs which opened into a real 5* restaurant. You would have no idea it was there. Fabulous food. They gave us a taster of different foods.
JAIPUR
Day 3 we set off from Delhi to the desert state of Rajastan. Enroute we stopped at the beautiful, sandstone, Qutab Minar Victory Tower. The tallest brick minaret in the world. Like most of the treasures of India, the workmen of the period were true masters.
I had heard about the “Pink City” of Jaipur. It is really quite more spectacular than I had imagined. Stucco buildings mostly painted pink. At least half the city from original buildings to modern ones are pink (or a pink shade of amber). The city decided to adopt this colour in 1876 when the then Prince of Wales was visiting. It was a celebration which they have continued to today.
Jaipur is famous for its centuries old jewelry and artwork. Marble is legendary. Indian marble is non porous so does not stain. Most other marble is porous. It was amazing to watch how they inset the jewels in the marble so you get a finish that is smooth. It is a very slow process. The workers at Bhandari Jewelry are third generation.
Amber Fort is high on a hill (obviously for defensive reasons back in the day when the Muslims and Hindus were at war). Above Amber Fort, on an even higher hill is a secondary Fort built in case of a successful attack. There is a tunnel between the two. You can go up to it by jeep or elephant. I chose the jeep option. It is so much larger than you expect and would have been very hard to attack.
Interestingly, even though Amber Fort is built from amber coloured sandstone, that is not the reason for the name. In fact, it is pronounced Ambour. It is the name of the area.
This afternoon we had the chance to do our only local market shopping. Store after store of traditional clothing, souvenirs, jewelry, handbags and so on. I am not a great bargainer and you wonder how these shop owners survive when it is so competitive and everyone is trying to bargain down to next to zero. A very tough life.
The evening was spent at a local restaurant in a market area. Great food, as always seemed the case, and, a cultural show where ladies in traditional dress danced while water pots were placed higher and higher on their heads.
Before we left Jaipur, we visited one of the most reknown carpet factories in the world. A small rug here can cost $3k plus. They even make silk carpets. One of the larger, family room size ones, can take 3 years to make with several people working on it at once. And, even a $20k+ carpet will have a small mistake in it. Generally you would never find it, but, it’s there. Reason? Only God can create perfection.
Agra
Enroute to Agra, we stopped at Abhaneri. A small township dominated by a step well. Fortified to protect supply, these wells were built centuries ago to collect rainwater in this dry, desert area. Hard to believe that women climbed down these steps, filled their heavy terracotta pots, and climbed these massive stairs with the water on their heads. All day long. The men and the rich sat in the open building at the top, watching, drinking and socializing.
We stopped for lunch at a beautiful old hotel in the middle of nowhere. Here we had the chance to see how the ceramic bracelets are made. So easy but so creative.
Enroute we also passed this amazing palace. Built for the rich and “famous” and, very secure.
Of course, a trip to Agra is, basically, with one expectation. The TAJ MAHAL.
Hard to explain what it is like to be there because we all have a preconceived idea of what to expect. Did it meet that? Oh yes. Well beyond. Truly an amazing piece of architecture. You could not afford to build it today with the intense amount of workmanship that went into it. One piece of carved marble can take months to make.
It was designed and built for Emperor Shah Jahan as he wanted to use it as the mausoleum for his wife, the Queen. It took 22 years to build and was built during a time of upheaval in India. The rich were the muslims (as was Shah Jahan) at that time. Later, of course, over run by the Hindus, as also happened later to the British.
Anyway, Shah Jahan had 3 sons. He was not happy with 2 of them so declared that the third son (the youngest) would take over as Emperor when he died. The other 2 sons were not happy. They decided to declare Shah Jahan as being too powerful and mentally unstable. They imprisoned him and took control. The small cell was in the ramparts of a fort they built just a short way from the Taj. He was not allowed to leave that cell for his last 7 years of life. Whether the sons knew it or not, his cell had a direct view, over the river to the Taj where his beloved wife was interned. He was able to look out at his treasured Taj and his wife. When he died, his sons relented and interned his alongside his Queen in the Taj Mahal.
The Taj is much larger than you expect. You cannot see that in photos. Perfect workmanship in every way. Built to perfection so that when viewed from any of the four sides, you see exactly the same image. A local family, Kalakriti, became the manufacturer of the inlaid marble work in the Taj. Their descendants, still run a marble business in Agra. It was fascinating to watch them work with tiny stones they would inset into the marble. Not painted on, it is inlaid. Soo time consuming.
Yes. The Taj Mahal did have a big affect on me. You can see pictures and stories about it, but, being there brings a whole new perspective. Seeing the amazing craftsmanship and listening to the stories about Shah Jahan and the people of the time. A tough time to live unless you were at the top of the chain. Even then, danger lurked.
In the afternoon we visited Agra Fort, always referred to as, the Red Fort. It is built from local red sandstone and, like the Amber Fort, is so much larger than I ever imagined. Of course, there is the “workers” area and the “rich” area. Again, the planning of these forts was ingenious. So many ways of protection. Even if you managed to scale the walls, every corridor you ran down had a dead end. You had to turn left or right which, of course, slowed them down.
INDIA. So glad I decided that I should go. If you are like me and love to absorb knowledge of other cultures and places, you cannot go wrong with Rajastan. This was a huge history lesson. On top of that, you get to see amazing people and places. It had a huge impact on me.
On our last night in Agra, I saw an Indian Astrologer. He said, I will live to 92. I will not get dementure. My health will improve. I will travel until I am 80 AND will have a girlfriend this year (2020). I like all that except living till 92. He said my hand shows our family have long lives. He’s right there. Mum and dad were late 90s.
With a population of 1.3b people (yes, billion), of course there is a lot of poverty. No country can feed that many people. One muslim mosque we went too, feed 300 people every 15 minutes throughout the day. All donated.
Roundabouts cannot be small here with the volume of traffic. It is still dangerous to cross the road. This is in Delhi. The other cities, no roundabouts. Road rules — none. Lane marker lines and traffic lights are purely for decoration.
At our hotel in Agra, we were greeted by this gentleman with the amazing moustache.
Farewell dinner in Delhi with new friends.
My top 3 highlights?
The Taj Mahal (of course), but equally, the spot where Gandhi was killed and, the bicycle rickshaw ride through the Chandi Chowk market streets in Delhi.
Bye Bye from Rajastan, India. In the footsteps of my father made it an amazing adventure.
