Journey to Northern India
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Northern India was full of fascinating experiences. And February was the perfect time to visit, as the weather was warm and dry.
We landed in our first destination, the vibrant and sprawling Delhi, in the wee hours. We began our touring that afternoon, in New Delhi. Here we saw India Gate, the presidential palace, Parliament House, Humayan's Tomb and Qutab Minar a 12th century minaret. The following day, we viewed Old Delhi via pedicab, our journey made a little bumpier by the city's garbage strike. We saw the 17th century Red Fort and visited Jama Masjid Mosque and the Sikh temple, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. Our second destination, Varanasi, a most holy city, was all about the Ganges. The first evening, again using pedicabs for part of the journey to the river, we observed an Aarti ceremony, a ritual of light and praise. The following morning, the group took a dawn boat ride. While listening to the music of a flutist, we witnessed devotees partaking of a purification ceremony in the sacred waters. We later visited nearby Sarnath, venerated Buddhist site. In Agra, we visited the incomparable Taj Mahal in both the afternoon and morning. Built in the 1600's as a memorial to the emperor's wife, it's the crowning achievement of Mughal architecture. We also spent time at the red sandstone Agra Fort. We made a stop to see the incredible Kohinoor collection of three-dimensional silk embroidery art before enjoying a fabulous dinner at Dawat-E-Nawab traditional restaurant. While in town, we also saw how marble inlay work is done. En route to our next destination, Jaipur, the "Pink City" and capital of Rajasthan, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the incredibly preserved 16th century city built by Emperor Akbar. We also visited Chand Baori Stepwell, over 1000 years old and beautiful. Stepwells were built to preserve water year-round, and this one has 3500 symmetrical steps descending 64 feet. Highlights of Jaipur included the City Palace which still serves as the maharaja's residence, Jantar Mantar Observatory constructed in 1728, and nearby Amer's 11th century fort where we rode elephants before exploring it. We also saw Palace of the Winds and the resplendent Amber Palace, royal residence in the 16th century that's a blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. The next city on our journey was Jodhpur, the "Blue City". We spent time at Mahrangorg Fort which stands on a hill overlooking the city and contains within its walls a collection of ornate palaces. Its museum showcases collections of imperial memorabilia. We took a jeep "safari" to Bishnoi where we spent time with villagers and artisans and observed the wildlife--including quite a number of peacocks. We did some textile shopping in this city. And we enjoyed a rooftop dinner--with lovely views--one evening at Hanwant Majal. Our final destination was Udaipur. En route we stopped to visit an elementary school where the students seemed very happy to have guests. We spent a little time in a middle-school classroom where some of the students knew a bit of English. We sang our respective national anthems to one another. We also stopped to explore Ranakpur Jain Temple with it superb architecture. Udaipur is a picturesque city of lakes including Pichola whose Lake Palace covers an entire island in the middle of the lake. We took an evening boat ride out to see it. We also visited City Palace and had our grand finale dinner just outside it, as the sun set. Two members of our group continued on to Jawai Leopard camp for two days, where they were fortunate to see a number of leopards as well as various other wildlife. Others went on to Calcutta and Goa, while the rest of us began the homeward journey, most of us wishing we, too had one more city to visit. |