On December 18, 2004, Pat and I flew from Los Angels to New Delhi on Singapore Airlines
via Tokyo and Singapore. We then toured northern India with
Escapes Unlimited and returned to home on January 2, 2005. This Web page presents
highlights and impressions of our trip.
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There are at least three ways to explore this site:
n Read from top to bottom as if this were a printed page and then explore the links n Read it from top to bottom and explore the links as you go. n Click on the picture icons to see the pictures The choice is yours, enjoy! |
On December 26, the day after Christmas, there was one of the fourth strongest earthquakes
in the world since 1900 which was followed by a massive tsunami. We mention it here and provide
pictures and additional information simply because it is such a profound marker of when we were in India.
India has some beautiful people and some with very interesting faces. Here is a
selection
of faces.
To return to this report from any
pictures press Alt then Tab or close the page with the pictures on it.
And, interesting people. Here is a selection of scenes with people in them.
And, holy cows. They are almost everywhere. The narrower the street, the more likely you are
to encounter a cow. Most are very docile, but we encountered two that acted in ways that suggested
a hasty retreat would be wise. We were told that in Mumbai (Bombay) cows are only allowed near temples and only
under their owner's control - there the automobile has triumphed over even the holy cows.
We like sign because they often provide insights you just won't find anywhere else. Here's a
sample along with some other material that didn't fit anywhere else: signs plus
Indian history in general and history in Rajasthan, the part of the country that we visited, is heavily influenced by the inter-play between the native Hinduism and Islam that was brought by the Moughals.
We arrived in Delhi with a scheduled one day tour of Jama Masjid Mosque and the Red Fort. Since most forts in this part of the country are built of red sandstone, there are a number of "Red Forts." We visited the Sikh temple of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. We finished the day with a tour of Qutab Minar , the 239ft sandstone tower is an Indo-Islamic architectural wonder of ancient India. We had an evening of folk dancing at a local restaurant.
We were supposed to from to Varnasi in the morning, but fog kept us in the airport until late afternoon.
Our flight from Delhi to Varanasi arrived early in the evening as it was getting dark. Our first stop was Sarnath where Siddhartha Gautama, who had reached enlightenment as the Buddha preached his first sermon in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. We arrived after dark so some of the magic was missing.
We have traveled throughout Southeast Asia and Buddhism is everywhere. One of the surprises of India is that here in India where it all began, we see very little evidence of Buddhism. It may be that those who preached new ideas in the past are like management consultants today: persuasiveness is directly proportional to the distance you are from home.
We were up before dawn to see the sun rise over the Ganges, but of course there was still fog.
We started at Desaswamedh Ghat, which sits directly below Varanasi's old town and walked along
the river. Our guide has arranged a large row boat to take us out into the river. The boatmen
provide little leaf boats with candles in them. We each lower one into the water and make a
with. Even on the river there were "shop keepers" plying their trinkets and souvenirs.
We head slowly south. At an appropriate distance our guide said we could take pictures of the cremation ghat (quay.) There appeared to be a fire or two. A little further along we see another group performing its dawn rituals. Our guide points out a blue line (we have added a red arrow) that shows the high water mark.
We returned to our hotel with the expectation of going to Khajuraho, but fog canceled those plans but only after we had spent several hours in the airport.
After getting back to town, we were taken to a silk merchant where several people bought beautiful bedspreads and other silk items. After dinner, we were taken to the Mother India Temple to view a relief map of India carved in marble. That added perspective to what we were seeing and provided a parking lot for our bus. From there we took bicycle rickshaws back to the Ganges.
A rush hour ride on a bicycle rickshaw is in not be missed. Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, bicycle rikshaws,
tuk-tuks, taxis and automobiles are all competing for limited space while dodging each other
and cows. We seldom slow down and almost never stop; neither does any of the other traffic.
One of the rewards of our staying in Varanasi was the chance to see the
Arti Ceremony on the
banks of the Ganges. The ceremony addresses the five elements: water, air earth, fire and ether
(spirit). Five handsome, young
Brahmans perform the ceremony. For the believers, it is a religious experience; for the
rest of us it is a beautifully choreographed, colorful performance.
Stuart and I decided to visit the Ganges at dawn again tomorrow. The hotel arranged a taxi. When we arrived in the taxi parking at the river, we were met by a young man who offered to be our guide, "no money." He walked with us for a ways and filled in a number of pieces that were left from our prior visit. We walked to the cremation ghat. There were no bodies being cremated but there was activity.
We were invited into the area by several people including an Indian who spoke very good English. After a few welcoming remarks, he said:
He proceeded to give a a twenty minute description of the cremation process and practices. The ceremony addresses the five elements of life:
He told us there are five types of bodies that are not burned:
Animals are never burned because they belong to God.
If someone is bitten by a cobra, they are placed on a raft made of three bamboo trees, a sign is fastened to their clothing with their name, age and the fact that they have been bitten by a cobra and then are set afloat on the Ganges. If a holy man sees them within three days, he will use his power to bring them ashore and revive them. [We suspect that the bite of a cobra may make it difficult to know whether or not person is alive. This gives them three days grace.]
He told us that for men part of the rib cage is left and for women part of the pelvis. These are thrown in the river as part of the ceremony. There were people who work at the site collecting burning charcoal. We were told some of them take it home to heat their homes and cook breakfast; others were pouring water on it take home for later use. Waste not, want not. They also collect all of the ash and sift it for jewelry and bits of gold that were on the bodies.
If you have an opportunity to go to the cremation ghat in a small group, two to four people, around dawn, we think you will find this to be one of the highlights of your trip. It was for us.
We continued to explore and our young guide continued to fill in the gaps. He took us to a roof top where we could look down on the Golden Temple. He pointed to adjoining roofs where soldiers were stationed. The day before our guide had explained that there is contention in the area between Hindus and Muslims that is serious enough that the area is guarded by the army. There are pictures of some of the soldiers in the pictures of people noted above. Our tour ended with a brief visit the silk merchant he represented; we each bought something.
We have some time the next day, after our second pre-dawn visit to the Ganges, before we need to return to the airport for another try. Our guide takes us to a local village that was the home of Premchang, a famous author. I had a lot of fun taking pictures and showing them to people; lots of willing subject, many of whom are included in the faces and people galleries above.
We were supposed to fly from Varanasi to Khajuraho and from there to Agra. Instead we went to the Varanasi airport, waited and then flew to Delhi. There we met our bus and drove to Agra. The bus had air conditioning, but no heat. It was foggy and very cold. We had a terrific driver and it was very cold.
Agra, and it is still foggy. The Taj Mahal is spectacular, but taking pictures of a white building in dense fog produces lack-lust results at best. We then went to the Red Fort, which is just along the river with a good view of the Taj. This one was a palace in addition to a military fort. Then we went to It-mad-ud-daula, sometimes referred to as the Baby Taj. And, then back to the Taj Mahal for an evening view with a full moon in the background -- through the fog. It could have been spectacular; it was worth the second trip.
In the morning we are off again by bus. There were signs in the hotel in Agra protesting the mistreatment of dancing bears. For the next hour or so we saw men along side the highway with performing bears. We didn't stop and we didn't any others who who did.
Our hotel this evening is the Laxmi Vilas Palace . Before being converted to a hotel, it was a residence for the at princesses. Truly a charming hotel, even to the brass padlock on the door. After checking in, we were of for a visit to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Some did it in bicycle rickshaws; some of us rode bikes.
During the trip, we saw a number of examples of wealth gone wild. One of them was a stone monument in what is now the bird sanctuary showing daily record kills by "sport" hunters. The all time record was 4,273 ducks killed by 50 gunners in the first shoot of the day, 41 in the second and 39 in the third.
In the morning, we are off to Jaipur.
Jaipur is also known as the pink city. The pink color was used at the time of making to create an impression of red sandstone buildings of Mughal cities - and repainted in 1876, during the visit of the Prince of Wales. In the heart of town is the walled city, but this one is relatively new with relatively wide streets.
Jantar Mantar, is one of the five observatories built bySawai Jai Singh. One is near the Desaswamedh Ghat on the Ganges in Varanasi. This was his largest. It has two large sun-dials. One can be read to an accuracy of 5 minutes, the other to an accuracy of 20 seconds. A sun dial for each sign of the zodiac. There are two dials that show when the sun moves from the northern to the southern hemisphere and an assortment of other devices for measuring the position of the earth and heavenly bodies. All of this to support astrology, which we are told, is very important to most Hindus.
Visible from the observatory is the Palace of Winds. This is a very thin, long, tall building that was build to allow the ladies of the palace to observe city life during those historic times when women were not allowed to be seen in public. They could peer out through curtains and stone latticework. India went from the freedom of the Kama Sutra to strictest restrictions imposed by Muslim rulers to the secular country it is today. Some women wear head scarves and we saw a few veils, but very few.
The City Palace, is the official residence of the royal family who still live in a portion of this palace. The outer courtyards and the ground floor halls have been converted into the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum that is open to public. It has an extensive collection of rare manuscripts, Mughal and rajasthani miniatures, mughal carpets, costumes and textiles, arms and weapons and royal paraphernalia.
In the evening we are guests at a private banquet complete with drummers, horns, dancing girls, horses, camels and fireworks to welcome us.
The next morning we drive to the Amber Fort, the ancient capital of Jaipur. We get from the parking lot to the fort on elephants. This is one of the most architecturally interesting fort/palaces we visit. There are convex glass tiles that are mirrored so the reflect a candle like a sky full of stars or a red rose like a wall of valentines. The are back passages and secret tunnels and tales of intrigue. The ride back down is in the Indian equivalent of a WW II Jeep. Newer, but almost identical in appearance. We have seen them everywhere we have been.
An afternoon back in Jaipur for shopping and street photography. And then hi-tea at the Rambagh Palace hotel. This evening Pat has henna designs applied to her hands, just for fun.
The next morning we are back in the bus and on our way to Jodhpur. We visit one of the largest forts we have seen, Meherangarth Fort. Many of the surrounding homes are painted blue. Our guide and some of the travel books have several reasons for the blue including an indication than a person of the Brahman cast lives there to a form of bug repellant.
The next morning we depart for Udaipur; on the way we the visit the
Ranakpur Jain Temple which
is one of the largest and most important Jain temples in India. The
pictures of people in the Jain Temple were taken in this temple. It was constructed in the
15th century and the carvings are exquisite.
We arrive late in the evening. Our hotel is the Fatehprakash Palace, our second hotel with a padlock on the door to our room. Pat and I have dinner in the Lake Palace Hotel. To get there we take a small boat from our hotel across what remains of the lake; ten of doubt has left the Lake Palace on dry land on three sides. It was a lovely evening a just a bit up-scale from most of our dinners.
The next morning we tour the City Place and visit the Jagdish Temple which is one of the largest and most venerated temples of Vishnu. It was built in 1662. The two photos of people : "Men at Hindu Temple" and "Woman and Child at Temple" were taken on the steps of this temple from a roof top restaurant across the street.
From there we were off for an afternoon of shopping and people watching. We celebrated the New Year in the Crystal Gallery Ballroom of the City Palace. Ellen Herz Silverman, a member of our tour group, sang a song she had written that captured many of our experiences of the trip. My favorite line is "chaos confronts calm." Included with her permission.
January 1 we are up early to catch an 8:20 a.m. flight to Mumbai (Bombay to the British).
We arrive in Mumbai mid-morning. We take a bus across town. It is Saturday and New Year's morning so traffic is light. Our guide is very knowledgeable and gives us a quick but thorough introduction to the city. We stop for lunch at McDonalds but they have a mechanical problem and aren't serving.
We take a boat for the hour and a half cruise to Elephanta Caves. The picture of the monkey included in signs plus was taken on the Elephanta. We complete our bus tour of the city with a stop at a local record store for some Indian CDs. We have a chance to clean up a bit at a hotel, then dinner and then we are off to the airport for a 12:35 a.m. departure for Singapore/Tokyo/Los Angeles.
We have traveled a lot but there is no other country that stands out as "unique" as India. Our best guess that this comes from a mix of history, population density and the conflicts and cooperation between two strong religions: Hindu and Muslim.
A member of our tour group described going to India like going to an action-adventure movie in a foreign language with sub-titles. You simply cannot pay attention to everything all the time. No matter what you pay attention to, you know you are missing something you would like to see.
Three things we expected and did not find:
Three things we did not expect to see but did:
Speaking of food we were forewarned about red hot spices in Indian food. Some of it is indeed very hot. But, every meal but two was served buffet style including breakfasts. There were always plenty of mild to medium-spicy options. We never touched our Power Bars.
Three things we expected to see and did:
Three contradictions:
Two weeks before we left Los Angeles, I purchased my first digital camera, a Panasonic DMC-FZ10. I took almost 800 pictures and erased about 200 of them as I went (I love to experiment and with digital "film" is really cheap and easy to earase.) Part of the fun of the trip was taking pictures, particularly of children, and then showing them to the subjects and their friends. I edited the pictures using Photoshop Elements 2. A great combination.