Jan 28 in Orccha, after the Taj Mahal

January 28^th in Orccha or Orchha

Jan 27^th in Agra.  Agra Fort begun in 1565 by the third Moghul King Akbar – red sandstone over brick core and the occasional palace of marble by Shah Jahan. Two moats – first with crocodiles, second with tigers….and entry ramped for rolling boulders and dropping boiling oil at attackers. On to Baby Taj, (built 1622-1628) a  gorgeous memorial to father of queen (who kept her husband drunk because he killed her first husband and forced her to marry him so 59 glasses of wine/day kept him in order.)  This was the first example of inlaid marble in India – appears to have come from Italy through Persia.

Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan (1631 to 1653) as a tomb for his wife….who died bearing their fourteenth child.  This along with 400 concubines kept him busy!  The Taj floats serenely in beautiful gardens and ponds, and truly lives up to its international icon status. 

 Today, 28^th, after train from Agra to Jhansi, then van to Orccha, we’re set up in a Swiss tent (really!) in a small village of 7000, beautiful rocky river and monuments/tombs. 

Agra fort exterior

Agra fort moat

Palace at Agra fort sweeper

Baby Taj

Baby Taj

Taj Mahal

View from back of Taj Mahal

From train

Jhansi station

Orccha tombs

Pics from Jan 26, after system crashed!

Amber Fort

Amber Fort, Hall of Victory

Amber Fort walls

Street market

Step well, 29 m deep.  Descend steps on walls to reach water.

Carving at temple near step well

Newspaper article re Canadians at step well

Painted stork

Part of Fatephur palace

Adornments at Fatephur palace

Camel

From Agra Jan 26

Happy 40^th birthday on the 24^th Geoff!!!  Sorry we missed by telephone.

Travel from Udaipur to Jaipur, 400 mi, took 8 hr or not much faster than 50 km/hr after pee and lunch breaks.  Near Jaipur was the magnificent Amber Fort, started 1592, with royal palace inside.  Like most royal construction here, it is mostly red sandstone and white marble.  (We passed  dozens of marble works after Jaipur.)  Photos include the walls, the Hall of Victory with mirrors.  Ropes and pulleys hauled water to the top, where some was heated to provide hot and cold running water and “flush” toilets.  Bollywood movie that night, with lots of screaming teens.

Jan 25 saw the “Monkey Temple” to Hanuman the monkey god, with bathers in the sacred pools.  A highlight was a visit to the Abhaneda step well (see photo) where we were interviewed by the local newspaper. (another pic.)

Today, Jan 26, highlight was Keoladeo wildlife sanctuary near Bharatpur.  (more pics, some including grey and purple herons, painted storks, deer, a wild boar, a 1-m python,…)

Then to Fatehpur, capital of the Moghul empire from 1571 to 1585 until emperor Akbar (a Muslim) died.  He had Muslim, Hindu and Christian wives as a political gesture, with a palace for each.  A large mosque also on the site, red sandstone with terraces slanted and channeled to store rainwater in pools.  Superb engineering.  Total site about 500 m x 500 m?  On to Agra late today; Taj Mahal tomorrow.

Jan 18-23, Udaipur

Been hard to post; computer kept crashing at last hotel.  We flew from Delhi to Udaipur (pur means "city") where we slept 4 nights while visiting there and the environs.  No Delhi-belly in the group yet.  The food has been great and so is our guide.   Photos are in the following order (I hope.)   Monday we saw Eklingi, a compound of 108 temples to Vishnu and Shiva, then to Bas Sedus (early 11th century) a temple to Vishnu with few tourists.

Tuesday to Ranakpun, a Jain temple made of white marble with gorgeous carvings,some quite erotic.  Jainism dates from the 4th century BC, as an ascetic reform movement from Hinduism.  Then to a nature area with lots of birds and crocodiles in the lake.  Waited until dark to try to see a panther without luck, but driving through the blackness with a search light flashing ahead was pretty exciting.  Returned to Udiapur for a boat ride on Lave Pichola, a human-made lake with several islands containing palaces or ritzy hotels.  Could not visit the palace as the prince was being married there the next day.  (Every major region still has a traditional royal family, playing a ceremonial role).

Wednesday to Kumbalgargh fort (built 1448) with a 36-km wall, about 20 feet wide, to protect the region, the longest such wall in the world after the Great Wall of China.  Back to Udaipur for a dance-and-puppets show and supper by Lake Pichola.  Pictures in next post in case this crashes.  See bucket pump, gypsies, brick kiln too.

Jan 18-19

Sunday AM.  Last 2 days in Delhi.  Main impression is a city in jumble: traffic, communications, power lines, but everything works mostly and eventually, if you take your laptop to the room across the hall or wait long enough.  Ages on ages here.  Saw Humayan's tomb (about 1550 AD), Jama Masjid (largest mosque in India, built 1658, holds 25,000 in its courtyard, red sandstone & white marble), the congested & exhiliarating spice market with cycle rickshaws vying for space with loaded wagons and loaded porters, Ghandi's cremation site, the B'hai lotus temple (with melodic chants harmonizing with their own echoes).  The highlight has been helping to roll out naans at the Banga Sahib Sikh temple.  Photos to follow in next blog in case this crashes again! 

To airport by limo, Brussels Grand Place, supper with Jen and Jacques.  Everyone still alive and talking!!

Kathy and Graham are with us and we fly tomorrow (14th) 6:25PM!  Supper with family last night.  Good food, laughs and music.  7 of us (Rosemary Ganley, Gayl Hutchison, Sheil Nabigon-Howlett and we four go by limo, cheapest way) to the airport at 1 PM.  Lorna Devan meets us there.

Still home, Jan 4, 2013

This is a trial posting.