The Taj Mahal in the afternoon sunlight

We were looking forward to seeing The Taj Mahal, the building that is considered to epitomise the love between two people.

We prepared with the assistance of our Grandchildren by constructing a scale model. It took nearly as long as the original especially when Alex was helping!

                                                      Harrison and Rob lay the foundations.

                                             Almost finished and it didn't take 22 years!

The smog cleared and the sun came out. We saw it with the beautiful afternoon light. There were a considerable number of others who shared in the occasion! The entry queues were unbelievable. Eventually we were able to wander the site and take in one of The Modern Wonders of the World.

The Taj Mahal is considered to be the most perfectly balanced structure. Everything is symmetrical, except for the tomb of Shah Jehan that is to the side of his wife’s tomb. As ruler of The Mogul Empire, the leading world power at the time, he was devastated when his wife died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to construct  

                                         There were a few others to share the occasion.

                  There were very few western tourists so we were both popular for photos.

              Everyone has their photo taken picking up The Taj Mahal with their fingertips.

To one side there is a mosque and the other a balancing guest house. On each corner there is a minaret at each corner each with a slight lean away from the main building. In the event of an earthquake they will fall away from the main structure.

We have some great photos that we had taken by a photographer but for now we hope that you enjoyed some of ours.

The Red Fort at Agra

The plan was to start with a visit to the Taj Mahal this morning but the visibility was so poor we had to change plans. We will visit this afternoon and start with the Agra Red Fort.

The smog is as bad as we have experienced and our photos are not great. The Red Fort is still a highlight as it is not only a fort but a Royal Palace as well.

When we arrived we were greeted at the entrance by a troop of monkeys with a small family group sitting around their dead baby. It had obviously been dead for some days. It was a secure fort with design features to protect it from attack. It has a moat and drawbridge, an uphill entry with sharp turns to prevent the use of battering rams and steep sides so that unwelcome visitors could be treated to boiling oil. It was not penetrated until the Moguls moved on to Delhi.

The palace incorporated one of the first structures to combine Mogul Islamic architecture and art with the local Hindu styles. Walls included images of elephants that were significant to Hindus but inanimate objects only were used in the Islamic styles. Walls have semi precious stones inlaid and they were very elaborate. We also visited what is believed to be the most elaborate cell ever. When Shah Jehan was deposed by his son he was placed in “house arrest” in a beautiful section of the palace for his final 8 years of life.

                                                 Rob. Note the Islamic and Mogul structures.  

                                           Rob indicates the location of The Taj Mahal.

                                            Can you see The Taj Mahal? Neither could we!

                                            Gail in front of the  Palace section.

                                                     The detail was very intricate.

The detail in the column on the left was replicated throughout this section of the Palace. Note the detailed carving in the marble walls.

Gail and Rob in the courtyard. The fog was still heavy as you can see.

From Delhi to Agra

Departing Delhi we crossed the river and soon had a stop at the stunning Akshardham Temple. This is only a few decades old but is very elaborate. The pink sandstone and white marble was carved by 7000 sculptors and contains over 20,000 statues. It is a Hindu temple and comprises many different sections. It includes water fountains and different temples for many of the gods. There were strict visiting policies. No leather to be taken inside, modest dress and no photos. We have a few photos that we took from a book that we purchased.

It was late afternoon by the time we arrived in Agra but before the hotel we had a stop at the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah or the Baby Taj as it is called. This is built in marble and embellished with mosaics and inlay of semi-precious stones.  This is not at its former glory as the fountains do not operate but it was certainly worth the visit. It was dark by the time we arrived our hotel that itself is modelled on a Mogul garden.

                                                              At the gate to Baby Taj

                                           Us again outside the main building that contains the tomb

Observations on India

Every country and culture has its unique elements. This is a few observations on India from over the past few days

Currency Crisis: India is in the midst of a currency crisis with the abolition of the 500 and 1000 R notes. Everyone is caught up in this. Since our arrival we cashed a few Australian dollars at the airport and just $40 US at our hotel. There are long queues at any ATM’s that hold cash and deaths have been occurring while people wait both from exhaustion and from being crushed.

Many tourists have cancelled trips and business and commerce is impacted. Even politicians have had to cancel weddings! The old notes cannot be used. We were able to legally use some for entries to major tourist venues. We were also able to pay for a few tuktuk rides at an inflated price. Those remaining are next to valueless. We are enjoying our included breakfasts and have been to some restaurants where it is considered safe to use credit cards.

Traffic chaos: Delhi has incredible traffic, more extreme than Bangkok or Cairo! If the road comprises 3 lanes they manage to fit at least double that number of vehicles across those lanes. Shortage of cash does not seem to have kept cars off the road.

Poverty: People are shocked at the level of poverty. Street gangs of kids begging in the Slumdog millionaire do exist! We have seen levels of a similar nature but the difference between the very poor and the very rich is extreme.

Media Reports: In addition to reading of the people who died in the ATM lines there have been different reports to those we see every day at home. There have been several reports of elephants and tigers killed by trains. Also one of a baby elephant who will not leave her mothers side after she was killed trying to rescue her in a trench. Also a report of the killing of 3 tigers and three leopards as the people had been told that this would double their wealth. In return they gave the “sharman” the paws.

Lots more and might send some more in a few days! A few photos:

Cows are able to walk down amongst the traffic with immunity!

  Advertising on the back of the tuktuk in front of us! It is the farmers and their traditions like burning crop stubble that also results in the smoke in the air and the high pollution levels.

Another Delhi Day

We set out into the Delhi smog. After driving across the city to Old Delhi we couldn’t even see the Red Fort when we passed! Our first stop was the Shahi Jama Masijd or Jama Mosque. Built in 1656 by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan it is the main mosque in the city. Unlike yesterday when our visit was cut short by the call to prayer, today we were able to stroll through this huge complex. We decided against the tower as we could hardly see the top of the tower and presume that the view would not have extended across Old Delhi.

This is a photo of our rickshaw driver's fingers. This is an Indian version of giving you the finger!

There wasn’t much room on the rickshaw after the two of us climbed on board but it was the only practical way or seeing the narrow alley ways of the Chandni Chowk. Clothes abound but we saw spices, butchered animals with others waiting their turn, live birds, auto parts, jewellery, fruits and vegetables of every description and much more. We went on to Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Ghandi. It is located on the spot where his body was cremated. A moving site!

No cameras were allowed in the mosque and this was the case again at the Burla Temple one of the largest Hindu Temples  in Delhi. There were separate temples for the different deities and they were very elaborate and colourful. This is a huge complex.  We drove to the newer sections of the city and stopped along Embassy Row for lunch at the Ethiopian Embassy.

              

                                        They were very strict. Nothing made from leather could be taken inside the temple and no cameras or mobile phones! They didn't seem to mind that our pants nearly fell down after removing our belts but at least no one stole the leather wallet that was locked away.

                            Rob tending the outdoors bar at the Ethiopian Embassy restaurant.

Many of the major Government offices have no provision to stop outside as a way of reducing terrorist risks. We saw the President's Palace, Parliament House and many official administrative buildings. Later we drove past the India Gate War Memorial that is on a grand scale.

Our final stop for the day was the highlight of our visit so far. The Qutb Minar and the complex of buildings is a spectacular sight. The Qutb Minar is India’s highest brick minaret and the complex also houses an old mosque built from materials taken from 17 different Hindu Temples. We also saw the incomplete Alai Minar, A significant tomb and the delicate Alia Darwaga. We could have stayed for a few hours but were also pleased to be back at the hotel in the late afternoon. 

                                                                 The two of us!

                                       It is very tall and straight....despite this photo. It was the only one where the sky looked blue!

                                                 Close up of the detailed stonework.

If you look at the bottom right hand corner you will see a jet in the smog. I hope the pilot could see the tower better than we could see him!

                                       Gail at another structure on the site, the Alai Darwaga

                                   Detail in the stone work at the section between the tower sections.

                                                         Rob at the Alai Darwaga.

 Gail at the Alai Minar. This was left incomplete and was to be covered in facing stone of red sandstone or marble.

This was a very enjoyable place to visit and a spectacular collection of buildings.

First day in Delhi

We arrived in Delhi last night but by the time we negotiated our way through immigration and customs, exchanged a little currency and took a taxi to our hotel, there was little to be seen beyond the blank of smog. Our hotel is superb, one of the best in Delhi.

We woke early as our body clocks are still adjusting.  After a wonderful breakfast of western and Indian foods, we set off for our first day in Delhi.  Our first stop was at the bank adjacent to the hotel.  The ATM was dry (so are all the others in Delhi) and we could not deposit our old currency into our foreign bank account.

We took a tuk tuk to the Red Fort and entered by the Lahore Gate and through the Chatta Chowk or covered bazaar.  The first major building was the Naubar Khana or Drum House where musicians welcomed dignitaries as the Red Fort was the home of the moguls including the one who built the Taj Mahal.

We saw the Indian War Memorial Museum, reception halls and royal apartments, towers, mosques, palaces and gardens.

                                               

                                        Gail at the Naubar Khana or The Drum Hall

                                                    Gail at the main Audience Hall

                                        Rob at the Red Fort Walls. The moat was once the main river bed.

We headed down the Chandni Chowk that houses a huge spice market, markets for clothes and household goods.  We planned to spend time at the Jama Masjia, the great mosque built by Shah Jehan but not long after we arrived, the call to prayer went out so we continued to Humayun’s tomb  built in 1565.  This was a huge complex of tombs with the main one being the forerunner of the Taj Mahal at Agra.

                                      The walls of the Jama Masjia mosue.

                                      The Isa Khan Tomb. Dating from 1547 AD it predates the Humayuns tonb.

                                                  The tomb of Bu Italma.

                                      

                                     Gail at Humayun's Tomb built in 1565

After a short stop at a market, we went on to the Lodi Gardens, a green oasis in the urban jungle.  This was the oldest architectural site we have seen today and it included tombs, mosques and extensive areas of gardens.  The garden was named after the Lodi dynasty who reigned from 1451 to 1526.

                                      The Bada Gumbad A gateway to the gardens and tombs.

                                                The Bada Gumbad Mosque

                                           The Shish Gumbad showing traces of its original colours.

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                                                               Our transport and driver

Today has been an excellent to the history of India and we will revisit several of the places again tomorrow.