INDIA 2016
INDIA – April 2016
This trip was an experience and memory that will have lasting memories forever. Incredible India...this country has shown me the colours, diversity of people, languages, architecture, history and the genuine warmth of the people have to offer. So hard to put in words, many things come to mind. On arrival in Delhi, my first impressions were "so many people and the traffic - organised chaos is a good description. 18 million people in one city - how does it all work!! Everyone is competing from cars, trucks, cows, dogs, goats and the list goes on and the continual sound of horns blowing and the end result is that somehow it all works!!
The history from the Mughal’s from street food to imperial Mughal cuisine, food in India covers a gaunt of flavours, styles and ingredients. There are so many different foods in this vast and very diverse country. A visit to the Old walled city and a traditional rickshaw ride in the back streets of Chandni Chowk selling an extraordinary variety of items like dress material, spices, jewellery, perfumes and mouth-watering food delicacies. These tiny narrow laneways are congested with people, food hawkers, rickshaw riders and long narrow shops extending back into a myriad of even smaller pathways. The electric cabling above us appeared to be an unbelievable series of random knots and the constant noise and wafting smells filled your senses. Although a main tourist destination, it is a thriving day-to-day place of business for locals and an insight not be missed.
Our drive to Agra once again was an eventful experience with trucks and horns beeping constantly, bicycles towing cages of chickens, cows walking towards you, the drivers are very skilled and patient. The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is phenomenal not only in its beauty, but in the deep planning and design that went into its making. It took 20,000 skilled craftsmen 22 years to create this spectacular white marble mausoleum and is widely recognised for its external beauty, the interiors and the walls boasts one of the most beautiful examples of calligraphy and designs. This is a monument of love, enchanting people from all the world. I strongly recommend to view this magnificent piece of architecture at both sunset and sunrise. Agra Fort also a remarkable structure in its own right and is considered to be the inspiration for the Red Fort in Delhi. The massive and forbidding reddish brown exterior houses many exquisite and fascinating buildings.
Onto Jaipur – the “Pink City” and capital of Rajasthan and comparatively young, less than three centuries old. It is a bustling capital city and a business centre with all the trappings of a modern metropolis yet flavoured strongly with an age-old charm. A highlight for me was the Jantar Mantar which is the largest and best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh 11 in different part of the country. The observatory consisting of astronomical instruments is still in use. Amber Fort is set in picturesque and rugged hills and is a fascinating blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. With a history as old as seven centuries, this place vibrates with its legendary past.
Next stop was Udaipur, known as the City of Lakes and is often called the “Venice of the East”. Located in the middle of Pichola Lake, the marble palaces, beautiful gardens and the placid blue lakes, enhance the beauty of this city. Udaipur is also the centre for performing arts, crafts and is famed for its miniature paintings.
My final destination Varanasi – the eternal city is the holiest of Indian pilgrimages. An ancient habitation on the River Ganga, Varanasi has been a centre of learning for over 2000 years. At any time of the day the ghats are a moving mosaic of colour, crowded with devotees bathing in the river, performing rituals. A moving experience was an early morning boat ride on the river, witnessing cremations which are performed 24hrs, 7 days a week. At dusk the ambience at the ghats is unforgettable as thousands of little oil lamps go floating into the river as the evening offerings take place.
India is a country to experience – always warm and inviting, a place of infinite variety, one that favours you with a different facet of its fascination. Namaste.