India

India

Nemaste

(The traditional greeting means “I bow to you.”)

I did this tour with my sister, Carol.  India was dirty, gritty, noisy, and poor, but it was also colorful, delicious, beautiful, historic and mesmerizing.  We loved it.

Pat May, our tour organizer from Eugene, Oregon, summed it up: "Aw, India! What can a person say?  It was everything I expected and then some, and one of my favorite trips.  What an experience!" 
Pat and her son Tom on one of our rickshaw rides.

The first impact on us was traffic.  A cacophony of horns and screeching brakes blared around us as cars, small trucks, motorcycles, tuk-tuks (small three-wheeled vehicles), bicycles and pedestrians weaved all over the road.  Lane markings mean nothing.  If there were three lanes marked, four or five lanes of traffic undulated down the road with motorcycles cutting in and out.  And then there would be a cow—in the inside lane—relaxing or sauntering along the median.  No one ever hits a cow.  They are sacred.  You scrape the side of the next car instead, blowing the horn, of course.  We saw very few stoplights in the older parts of the cities we visited.

Why let any foot of space be wasted on top of the tuk-tuk truck?

Our guide for the trip was Kush.  We loved him.  I think Elvis must have visited India and sired a son.  The other bus for our group of 46 had Raj, not an Elvis look-alike, but equally entertaining and informative.  

We were honored the first full morning of touring with marigold leis, the national flower of India. 

India’s history goes back to the Indus River and the Hindustan people many centuries ago.  Mongols, descended from Genghis Khan, invaded and established the Mughal Empire which was Muslim.  Then came the British.   Now India shows the influences of them all.  English is the language of education and business, but Hindi is still the common language of the people.

India has many religions, but Hindu is predominant with 80% following it. Next is Muslim with 12% of the people attending 300,000 active Mosques.  Christianity is held by 2.5 %. Smaller numbers of people are Sikh, Buddhist and Jainist which all developed in India as reactions to or variations of Hinduism and then spread to other areas in Asia.

Hindus visit their many temples frequently, some daily. They pray to their many gods and idols, listen to teachings and offer flowers.  People are very superstitious. There are ten main gods, some ancient offspring of the oldest ones.  The three formost gods are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer. Hindus also hold all life to be sacred, so in a way, there are many thousands of gods.

Cows are especially sacred, so they wander the street safely. Most are owned by someone who milks them and keeps them at night.  During the day they meander the streets.  People feel honored to feed and water them, and traffic goes around them.  Dogs are also protected and live on the streets in abundance. The government tries to get to all of the dogs with shots and neutering. There are few cats, probably because of all the dogs. Cats come out only at night when the dogs are sleeping.

The caste system is ancient in Hinduism. The four classes were the Brahmins (priestly people), the Kshatriyas (rulers, administrators and warriors), the Vaishyas (merchants and tradesmen), and Shudras (artisans, farmers and laboring classes). The Dalits are the untouchables or those who are outside the caste. Mahatma Gandhi changed that. He called the untouchables children of God and fought for equality for all. Castes are now illegal; in fact a kind of affirmative action policy is changing the blend of society. Schools, colleges, and work forces must accept a certain percentage of the lowest castes to equalize their chances of improving their economic status. India has two races.  In the south people are darker.  They are Dravidians, the oldest known people in the Indian subcontinent.  They may have come from a mix of Mediterranean and Asian peoples.  In the north people have a fairer complexion.  They are Aryan people whose ancestors came from Southern Europe.  The Aryans are the ones who created the caste system to control the people.

Marriages are still arranged, but with some leeway.  If a couple wants to marry for love, they ask their parents to arrange it the traditional way.  More people still marry within their caste than not, but that also is changing. More women are in professional jobs, so there is more opportunity to mingle with those outside of one’s caste. Occasionally that is disapproved by parents who may break off with their children who leave the caste ranks.  But generally it is becoming more acceptable.

One night a wedding parade passed our hotel.  The groom arrives on a white horse.

The bindi is the mark, usually red, in the center of the forehead.  It is applied when the person goes to a religious site. The Hindu god Shiva had a third eye in the center of the forehead.  The bindi is meant to calm that third eye and make things go well.  A colored mark down the center part indicates that the woman is married.  

People wear western clothing for working in modern offices and businesses, but traditional dress is still worn frequently, even for working in the fields.

Jama Masjid, meaning Friday mosque, in old Delhi, is one of the largest in India, accommodating 25,000 worshipers for holy day services.  It was built by orders of Shah Jahan, the great Mughal emperor, in the mid 1600’s.  This was the first of many times we had to remove our shoes, cover our heads, and/or robe our entire body.  Here men wearing shorts had to wear a wrap-skirt.

L-R: Me, Kathy, my sister Carol, and Barby 

We bounced through Old Delhi in bicycle rickshaws.

 I am not sure how the electrical system can stay working..

The Red Fort in Delhi was the imposing fort and palace of Shah Jahan. 

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is a large Sikh temple in Delhi with a holy pool for ritual bathing.  The Sikhs emerged late in the 15^th century, somewhat of a blend between Hindu and Muslim faiths.  They practice a faith in one creator, divine unity and equality of all humankind, selfless service, and social justice.  They hold to teachings of ten gurus.  Men always wear their uncut hair under a turban.

Langar is the Sikh practice of meals prepared by volunteers and given freely to anyone who comes, all castes mixed together.  Here they serve 25,000 meals a day.

Making the naan (bread).

Feeding the masses.

New Delhi was built by the British during the colonial years and served as the capital.  It looked like many modern cities as we drove through.  

The Lotus Temple is a Bahai House of Worship, built in the 1980’s.  Bahai faith is universal, welcoming all spiritual beliefs. 

Agra became the Mughal Empire capital of the great Akbar, grandson of the first Mughal emperor Babar.   Akbar built the magnificent Agra fort and palaces. 

 Raj with the umbrella was the guide for bus 1.

Akbar's long-awaited first son Jahangir was foretold and born in Sikri, near Agra.  In thankfulness, Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri, a beautiful village with palaces and temples.  

Akbar's bed

We saw the Taj Mahal first from across the river late in the day.  Children tend their goats along the river.

Then we arrived at dawn to see all of it, luminescent the the rising light.

The Taj Mahal is the greatest monument to love in the world.  Shah Jahan, Akbar's grandson and one of the greatest Mughal emperors, had enormous wealth and an appreciation for beautiful architecture.  The love of his life was his wife Mumtaz Mahal; the two were nearly inseparable.  She even accompanied him on military expeditions, and it was on one of these that she died giving birth to their 14th child.  She asked him to build a monument to their love.  He mourned her the rest of his life and devoted himself to the task of perfection for her mausoleum. 

 It took 20,000 craftsmen 20 years to build the most beautiful building in the world.  The architecture borrows from the Persian and Mughal styles. The white marble is from nearby Rajasthan and is among the finest marble in the world--hard but translucent.  Red carnelian, agate, chalcedony, blue lapis lazuli, bloodstone, jade, garnet and other semi-precious stones are inlaid in lovely lotus and other designs. Calligraphy inscriptions are inlaid dark jaspar: "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."  

The main building is flanked by matching local red sandstone mosque and guest house.  Four minarets frame the Taj, adding to the symmetry. 

We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I found one online of the two tombs.  In the center is Mumtaz Mahal, and to the side, but larger is Shah Jahan.

I wandered around, stroking the pure marble the color of moonlight, marveling at the perfection of the tomb and the grand love that inspired it.  It was one of those rare moments when I say, "I can now die a happy woman."

In one day we went from the glorious to the gritty.  The Old City Agra walking tour took us though the dirty lanes and bumpy, narrow streets where the locals shop. Throngs of people and motorcycles impeded our walk, making it a bit scary, especially when our guide temporarily lost us. People were wary or curious or friendly, watching us because we clearly did not fit in.  Children smiled and waved.  Our guide explained various businesses as we went along. 

We saw a shop with all the decorations for a wedding, including money wreaths to put around the groom’s neck.

 Idols and their clothes and decorations for the home shrine.

These green betel leaves are called a breath freshener, but they are a drug, addictive and carcinogenic. Paan is the leaf wrapped around areca nuts, lemon and other plant items which causes a chemical reaction that intensifies the euphoric effects.  They are chewed and usually spat out. 

One important product sold in the old city market is spice for the hot flavorful foods Indians love.  We loved it too.  Some dishes were hot, but many were not.  I never tired of the delicious food.  Here spices are measured out for buyers. The acrid smell made us cough and sneeze and burned our throats.  Tea in bulk is popular too. 

Monkeys are everywhere.  

Pharmacies where people can buy prescribed and 

over the counter medicines.

We were in India just days before Holi, the Festival of Colours, in honor of the god Vishnu and the triumph of good over evil.  People dress in white and throw bright colored powder at each other in celebration.  Here one can buy the colors. 

The whole experience was not exactly pleasant, but we all agreed that seeing real life in India was more significant than any number of palaces and historic sites.  The teeming masses of people plod through life in dirt and squalor, but yet they smile, wearing their bright saris and filling their lives with color.  

Govind Dev Ji is a large important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.  The idol at the center is reputed to be an ancient and accurate likeness of this god.

In other areas we saw how the very poor live.

We brought contributions of linens and art supplies to the “Mother Teresa home Missionaries of Charity.”  Some of the orphans are adopted out, but many of the mentally and physically disabled children simply live there with no hope of leaving.  

We were able to hold the babies.  Oh, can’t we take one home?

I knelt before each of the disabled children and talked a few moments and held their hands.  They could not understand me, but they were delighted at the attention. 

If you wish to donate:  http://www.motherteresacharities.org/index.php#&panel1-1

Bharatpur was a favorite spot for all of us.  We stayed in the Laxmi Vilas Palace, built for the local Maharajah and recently converted into a hotel.  It is rural, peaceful, luxurious, and simply lovely.

 Sitting area in our room.

The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary was where the maharajahs hunted ducks by the hundreds.  It is now Keoladeo National Park to protect the many migratory birds that flock there in winter.  It was a quiet delight.  We rode deep into the preserve in rickshaws pedaled by local men who knew where to stop to see many birds, antelope, Sambar deer, Chital spotted deer, and Nilgai blue bulls which are really the largest antelope in the subcontinent. 

 Nilgai antelope can weigh over 600 pounds.

Chand Baori is a step-well built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village in the state of Rajahsthan.  The water collects from rainfall during the monsoon season.  To reach the pool of water at the bottom, one must descend 3,500  steps.  We didn’t.  We admired it from above.  

The summer palace on one side contained separate pools for males and females.  In between is a water lift system powered by animals, although sometimes female servants carried water up.  The water looks a bit green now with little rain recently.

Galta Ji Temple outside of Jaipur occupies a site that has had a Hindu temple since the 16^th century, although the present buildings date to the 18^th century.  A spring up in the mountains surrounding the narrow valley fills several pools with water considered holy for ritual bathing.  

The original frescoes are amazing.

Galta Ji is called The Monkey Temple because hundreds of macaque and langur monkeys roam the area and greet visitors. We were told not to touch any animals for health reasons, but the temple’s resident monkey whisperer simply invited a few to sit on several people’s shoulders for fun and excitement. Eleanor was not having fun when one peed on her shoulder.

Galta Ji contains several temples.  I was welcomed into a large one by a priest.  

Then he took me down a hall and across a courtyard to a smaller temple that he unlocked to show me the ornate idol.  He put the ritual bindi dot on my forehead to commemorate my visit.

Rajasthan is India’s largest state and is located in the northwestern desert.  Jaipur is the capital.  The old city is known as the pink city because all the buildings (by law now) are painted pink or are constructed of light red sandstone.  

Amber Fort was built by the Mughals in the late 1500's and added on over the centuries.  It served as fort and palace of many Rajput kings of Rajasthan until the early 1700's.  

We saw stones screens like this in several palaces and the Taj Mahal.  

They are carved by hand from large sheets of marble.

Elephants were historically used for transportation.  

The City Palace is still home to the king of Rajasthan, a young man being educated in England.  Rajasthan is one of the few states that still has a king, a ceremonial position now.  

 Henna tattoos are a special adornment for wedding and special occasions.

Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds with its multitude of breezy windows for royal women to look out but not be seen, is actually the back of the City Palace and was built in 1799.

The Jantar Mantar Observatory was built by the Rajput king Jai Singh II in the early 18^th century according to ancient Sanskrit design principles.  He had researched various horoscope systems.  He wanted exact time and celestial calculations available for people to determine the auspicious time to do significant projects, political or business changes, even get married.  Jantar Mantar contains the world’s largest sundial and other instruments of time and astronomy.  The times are perfect, only seconds off from Greenwich international time standard.  Various of the 20 stone instruments predict astronomical  and celestial events.

Several of our group toured an elephant farm for rescue animals.  It was a bonding experience.  The elephants’ eyes were mezmerizing.  When they looked at you, it felt as though they liked you, felt a connection to you.  Their size belied their gentleness.  Elephants have an acute sense of smell, so when we brought bananas, they got excited waving their trunks around. The banana disappeared quickly when laid on their tongue. After the information and questions, it was time for riding the huge animals. Then bright watercolor painting on their sides and faces, feeding and bonding with face rubs and hugging the trunk, and finally washing them. The great creatures were endearing.  Carol and Barby loved this one.

Free time for shopping in Jaipur was on a busy four lane road lined with shops. If you just look at something the shopkeeper decides it must be yours. They will follow you down the sidewalk, lowering the price.   Marlene and I hailed a tuk-tuk, the three-wheeled auto-rickshaw that take everyone everywhere.  The shop-keeper who helped us looked at the card with our hotel name and assured us the driver knew where to take us for the recommended fare.  Not!  He stopped four times to show the card and ask people where it was.  This was the only time I felt nervous about safety in India.  We were relieved and he was grinning when we pulled up to the hotel.

Sparse early morning traffic gave us a chance to get used to riding bikes in the city of Jaipur. Park land quickly gave way to bumpy, pot-holed streets. A few pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and cars became crowds joined by tuk-tuks and small trucks piled high with goods.  Horns blared. We feared crashing or falling.  It was wonderful.  As we wound through narrow allies, people stood on their door steps or in their windows waving and smiling at us.  They looked bewildered at those strange white people lurching along on bicycles.

We stopped often. This shop is reputed to make the best lassi in Jaipur. The sweet yogurt mango smoothie has become a favorite, and this was a great one. The clay cups are used once and then recycled in the earth to make new clay items.

 We walked around the morning fresh market, vegetables along one street and flowers along another. 

Marigolds are very popular. Here are only the flower heads, no stems.  Most are offered up in the temples where Hindus worship daily or strung into leis.

We ducked through an archway to see several very old cars.  The white one is an old government car.  Inside was a 1930 Aston Martin.

We visited a generations old pakoda shop where they fry the savory fritters the old way over a wood fire.  We sampled them with masala chai, our new favorite sweet hot tea.

After driving back to Delhi, most of us attended a musical at the magnificent Kingdom of Dreams Theater.  

The blue sky here is actually the painted ceiling 

of the restaurant area of the theater complex.

Indus Tours neglected to tell us that the musical play was not performed in English, the language of education, commerce and government. We did not understand a word of the Hindi dialogue and could not figure out much of the plot line.  The song and dance the routines were ok, nothing special. The volume was actually deafening. We stuffed Kleenex in our ears and still had to cover our ears.  

In one shop they wrapped some of us in a sari.  Fun.

Our entire group

 Nemaste