TRAVEL > INDIA
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Mention that I was planning a trip to India often begged the question - "But why?" For in the minds of most, India conjures up images of poverty - beggars everywhere, cows, dirt, noise and so forth. The truth lies somewhere in between. True India do have her beggars but rest assured they don't descend on you in droves. It's the vendors at the tourists sites that one is besieged by. True there are cows on the streets but not everywhere. In the smaller towns one in fact find other animals too like camels, buffaloes, elephants, donkeys and certainly not in the big cities.
India is indeed a land of Cars, Colours, Contrast and Contradictions. - Poverty aside Opulence; Colourful women and Drab men; Order amidst Chaos; Beautifully restored forts in run down villages and so it goes on.
My brush with India took place in February 2006 when I arrived in Delhi to commence a 16 days tour of the forts and palaces of Rajputana and then head down to the former Portuguese colony of Goa, followed by a few days in Aurangabad before finishing off in the big smoke, Mumbai
Here then are the places I visited together with a selection of photograph [click on photo gallery links above]:
OLD DELHI
Shah Jahan founded the city of Shahjahanabad now referred to as Old Delhi, in 1648.
The famous Red Fort in the heart of Old Delhi was once the most opulent fort of the
Mughal Empire and it boasts the Diwan-i-Am, Hall of Public Audience, and the
Diwan-i-Khas, Hall of Private Audience. Opposite the Fort is the Jama Masjid, one of the
largest mosques in the world, built by
Shah Jahan to dominate his city. The Raj Ghat is the location of Gandhi’s
cremation.
NEW DELHI
When the British chose Delhi as their capital in 1911, they appointed
two architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, to plan and build a new city to rival the fabled cities of the
Mughals. New Delhi was thus built in true colonial style with tree-lined
avenues, colonial bungalows, the Parliament House, the War Memorial Arch and the
Vice Regal Palace, now the official residence of the President of India. Alongside these British
architectural gems are several monuments including the tomb of the Mughal invaders
Humayun and the pre-Mughal Qutab Minar.
AGRA
Akbar began Agra Fort in 1565, with additions to the citadel being made through
to the time of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan. The citadel consists of marble palaces, ornate alcoves and terrace
pavilions. It was here that Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son anf from
whence he could look across the river to the Taj Mahal where his below wife
laid, dreaming of the time when he would be reunited with her in eternity.
The ‘Baby Taj’ was the tomb built by the Empress Noor Jahan in memory of her father, Itimad-ud-Daulah. An exquisite building, the Baby Taj is thought to be a forerunner for the Taj Mahal. Although different in appearance, it too was built largely of marble and beautifully inlaid with semi precious stones in the Italian style call Petra dura.
The Taj Mahal, built as a monument of eternal love by Shah Jahan to his bride Mumtaz Mahal, still retains the "Wow" factor, despite one's familarity with it. It was built over a period of 20 years by 20,000 labourers and craftsmen displaying superb craftsmanship. and looking amazingly graceful from almost any angle. The close up detail of the Taj Mahal is as exquisite as the overall architectural design with semi-precious stones and beautiful patterns covering the marble surface.
FATEHPUR SIKRI
The magnificent deserted red sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri with its forts, palaces and mosques is
located 37 kms from Agra. The city, designed as a tribute to the Sufi saint, Sheikh Salim Chisti, who had
predicted the birth of Akbar’s son and heir, was begun in 1571 and was
abandoned just 15 years later due to a shortage of water. It is amazingly intact
for a deserted city.
AMBER FORT [pronounced Amer fort]
The ancient Rajput capital is
located on a hill 11km north of Jaipur. Amber was the capital of the Kachhwaha
Rajputs from 1037 until the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh founded Jaipur in 1727, but
the majestic fort-palace was not begun until about 1600. The building was added
to by successive Rajput rulers, however the architecture displays many Mughal
influences in addition to the traditional Rajput designs. The
palace has lots of intricate chambers and hallways, a maze
of passages and courtyards and wonderful views of the Jal Mahal
water palace below.
JAIPUR.
Known as the Pink Palace of Rajasthan, since so many of its buildings are painted in a lovely pink hue.
The Palace with its museum, is still the home of the Maharaja of Jaipur. On show are an extensive
collection of art, carpets, textiles and weapons, all beautifully preserved.
Across from the Palace is the observatory or Jantar Mantar, a curious collection of sculptures each of which
has a specific purpose such as measuring the position of the stars, altitudes
and calculating eclipses. It is the best preserved example of the original five
observatories built by Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. It was the Samarkands
who first built and documented the workings of these giant observatory and the
idea was copied by Jai Singh
'Hawa Mahal', known as the Palace of the Winds was built in 1799. It is a remarkable facade structure, constructed of red sandstone overlooking one of the main streets of Jaipur, specifically designed for the ladies of the royal family, who would sit behind the trellis screens and comfortably observe the activities on the streets without being seen.
ALSISAR
The Shekhawati (or Garden of Shekha) region of
Rajasthan was named after Rao Shekhaji of Amarsar and was an independent state
between 1471 and 1738. Today the area is primarily associated with the rich and
colorful frescoes that decorate the Havelis, or mansions, of the local Marwari
merchants. The colourful frescoes
adorn both the exterior and interior of the Havelis and cover a diverse subject
matter ranging from sacred to secular and folk to historical scenes. The
villages of Mandawa, Alsisar, Dunlode, Nawalgarh and Fatehpur have reputed to
have some of the
finest art work and collectively form an "open air art-gallery" that
claims to have one of the largest concentrations of frescoes in the world.
We were privileged to be able to visit the village of Dunlode and to have lunch at Dunlode Fort as our tour escort was none other that Randeep Singh Shekhawat, whose family owned the fort for several generations.
Whilst in Alsisar, we stayed at the Alsisar Mahal, a magnificently restored fort. The restoration had taken all of two years at a hugh [by Indian standard] cost of 40 million rupees [the equivalent of 780,000 US$] and we were its first guest. The fort sits in the little village of Alsisar, where peacocks abound and run-down havelis cry out to be restored to their former splendour.
BIKANER
The desert town of Bikaner was founded in 1488 by Rao Bika, a
decendant of Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur,. Like many others in
Rajasthan, the old city is surrounded by a high crenellated wall and, like
Jaisalmer, it was once an important staging post on the great caravan trade
routes. Bikaner is home to the superb Junagarh Fort, one
of the most interesting forts in Rajasthan, with its sumptuously decorated
interiors. Constructed between
1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of the Mughal emperor
Akbar, it is unusual in the sense
that it was one of the few major forts of Rajasthan that was not built on a
hilltop. Instead, it was built on the desert plains; its rugged sandstone
bastions and graceful pavilions and balconies are silhouetted against the sky.
It was also never conquered.
Our overnight stay was in the converted Haveli Bhanwar Niwas and to get there we had to alight by the Junagarh Fort and put our lives in the hands of our Tuk-Tuk driver as he weave his way through crowded, dusty streets and alley ways giving us an up, close and personal encounter with India's traffic.
JAISALMER
The fort of Jaisalmer, often referred to as the golden
fort because of the colour of the sandstone, dominates the town and seems to emerge
from the desert sands. The fort is still home to many of the town's people who
live in tiny but beautifully decorated houses or havelis.
Inside the fortified town are the Palace and the Juna Mahal, part of one
of the oldest palaces in Rajasthan. The
city also boasts some fascinating Jain temples and exquisite havelis such as the
Badal Mahal, a five-storeyed tower with fine carvings.
We arrived in Jaisalmer towards the end of the 3 days desert festival so unfortunately was not able to partake in any of its activities. Our local guide attended to us in his native costume complete with colour turban.
MANVAR
Manvar is an ancient town in the heart of the Thar Desert and is located in a gently
rolling sand dune belt between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The area is dotted with villages of the
tribal Bishnoi people, where peacocks can be seen and heard amongst the dhanis
(traditional desert dwellings). We were taken on a safari by jeep to some nearby hamlets to learn more about the rural
lifestyles, way of living, cuisine, cultural traditions, customs and styles
of interior decoration of these remote Thar Desert communities.
After some roller coaster rides over the sand dunes, we eventually arrived at the desert camp where we would spend the night. This proved to be the most magical night of our stay. Lounging on pillows and bolsters under the starry skies, being entertained, watered and fed was topped off by the most charming wake up call I have ever experienced. At 6.30am the camp lights outside our tents came on to the soothing sounds of a flute or reed pipe being played. As we poked our heads to investigate we were greeted to the sight of a camel cart doing the rounds bringing us our morning cup of chai - a delicious memory that will linger forever.
JODHPUR
The magnificent Meherangarh Fort is set high on a hill overlooking the blue city
of Jodphur. Inside are some of the most intricately ornamented palaces with
exquisitely carved panels and latticed windows. The palaces all have evocative
names: the Moti Mahal, or Pearl Palace; the Phool Mahal, or Flower Palace ; and the Sukh Mahal, or
Pleasure Palace The ramparts of the Fort offer stunning views of the
blue-painted Brahmin houses for which the city is famous.
From the fort we made our way downhill to the bazaars and had an interesting time foraging through the many tiny shops laden with the colourful clothings, tinware and all manner of handicraft.
ROHET
Rohet is a picturesque hamlet to the south east of Luni, settled by the Bishnoi
tribal community who are famous for their reverence of wildlife and their
careful environmental management. The Bishnoi are potters, weavers, leather
embroiderers and camel herders who have shot into international prominence on
account of their conservationist religious beliefs. They protect their flora and
fauna with a reverence and live in tiny tidy hamlets. They farm large
agricultural tracts where they keep parts fallow for the benefit of wildlife.
Their history and customs are legendary and as far back as the 16th century they
are known to have resisted royal edicts ordering the felling of trees, by
literally wrapping themselves around them. In the 19th century many sacrificed
their lives when defying the Jodhpur ruler from cutting down a forest by tying themselves to the
trees.
The highlight of our visit to the Bishnoi tribe was participating in their opium sharing ceremony. This ancient ceremony is practiced whenever there is a gathering like a marriage or a funeral and used to settle disputes - somewhat akin to the American Red Indians smoking the peace pipe except that the opium solution is slurped from the palm of the server. Drugs are illegal in India but in recognition of this custom, the Indian government allowed the tribes to buy the empty poppy pods, once the opium have been removed for medical manufacture. the pods are grounded and mixed with a sugar solution. It is then watered down further in the ceremony so in truth there is hardly any opium in the mixture.
RANKAPAR
Ranakpur is located 140 km north of Udaipur and is the largest Jain temple complex
in India In the 15th century, Rana Kumbha of
Mewar gave a large stretch of land in a quiet and picturesque valley, deep in
the Aravallis, to the Jains. This area came to be known as Ranakpur, and
although these superb temples are almost 500 years old, they are in almost
perfect condition. The central Chaumukha Temple built in 1439 has 29 halls supported by
1,444 ornately carved marble pillars, no two alike.
UDAIPUR
The City Palace is the largest palace complex in
Rajasthan, comprising many buildings added at different times by various
maharajas. Perhaps the most beautiful are the Moti Mahal with its mirror inlay
and the Chini Mahal's iridescent tilework. At the nearby Jagdish Temple, there is an impressively carved image
of Lord Vishnu, to whom the temple is dedicated.
Contact Nancy on : nancy@caiger.co.nz
All images © Nancy Caiger