"In India "cold weather" is merely a conversational phrase and has come into use through the necessity of having someway to distinguish between weather which will melt a brass door knob and weather which will only make it mushy." Mark Twain said this of India during his trip around the equator. It was true then, true now and most likely be true until the end of the world.
At four o'clock this afternoon we went to view The Agra Fort, one of the finest Mughal forts in India. The Agra Fort (a.k.a.: Red Fort) is massive and constructed of red sandstone. The fort was originally constructed as a military fort, turned into a palace and eventually the gilded prison which Shah Jahan spent the last eight year's of his life , after he was deposed and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. I think I failed to mentioned that after Shah Jahan's death his son did allow his body to be buried next to his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal.
Enough of my new found and limited knowledge of Indian Mughal history.....THE HEAT, oh my gosh, I can't believe how hot is was outside. Kristin walked (or I should say "tried to walk" she was surrounded by Indian's wanting their picture taken with her, wanting their children to be photographed next to her or just wanting to talk to her.....she was more popular than a Bollywood star) with an umbrella shading her and DFO gave me his hat to wear as we toured the fort. Doug, again, was our guide (for those of you who don't know, DFO studied a lot of Indian history in graduate school and he has brought his Rustic Pathway student's here for several years) and provided us with a good history lesson. The problem with getting there at four was that the fort closed as sunset, that fact, coupled with the intense heat made it impossible for us to see more than a quarter of this massive structure.
Speaking of the heat again......D and K are at the pool enjoying the last full day at the Taj. Tomorrow morning we are going back to Delhi and then unfortunately I leave on the midnight flight back to Chicago. We are having the driver drop us off at the hotel where D&K will spend the night before taking a train back to MG. It has been a dream come true as far as I'm concerned....India remains on my bucketlist.....there is just too much to see in one visit.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Prayer Flag's flying over Leh
Before sunset Doug, Kristen and I climbed to the Shanti Stupa, a large Buddhist shrine which was erected by the Japanese, Nipponzan Myohojia. This group plans to erect similar Buddhist shrine's all around the world. They will all be identical and presently there are now twelve in the world. Perhaps fifteen feet below the Stupa is a place where Doug flew prayer flags for David in 2003. We brought prayer flags and a bold, black magic marker to write the names of several of you on the flags and fly them above Leh. There is a monk, who was on a retreat living near the stupa and he was standing near the flying flags as we approached the area. Doug and the monk tied the flags in the same location he did six years ago. He also asked the monk to say prayers and to bless and consecrate the names we placed on the flags. As he prayed and chanted, the monk waved incense over the flags. It was a very spiritual and emotional experience and for those of you who's names are flying high above Leh, I hope the God of us all will remember you.
When the monk was finished (Kristen and I both crying) praying, he asked us if we would like some tea and to see the temple. He took us into a small temple, built only ten years ago and then asked if we would like to see the relics of The Buddha, which was given to the temple by a benefactor from Singapore. He stepped on to a small stool, put his hand around a crystal container about eighteen inches high and handed it to Douglas. I think Kristen and I both stopped breathing at this point, afraid that DFO would drop the container! The monk climbed down, took the container and then proceeded to open it. He told us that what we were looking at was a small piece of The Buddha's brain and bone fragments. He then closed it up, had DFO (we stopped breathing AGAIN) help him put it back in it's place. After thanking him for showing us the temple and relics, we went to the shelter where he lives and had black tea (I was worried that it would be butter tea) and cookies. After a nice exchange we took our leave, thanked him and then continued to climb up to the Shanti Stupa.
Once again, I have been given an opportunity that is not afforded to the average tourist......This was the perfect ending to my introduction and stay in Leh. Like MG, Leh is not what you would think of as India. The best example of this is comparing New York, LA or Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin, Colorado or Vermont.
When the monk was finished (Kristen and I both crying) praying, he asked us if we would like some tea and to see the temple. He took us into a small temple, built only ten years ago and then asked if we would like to see the relics of The Buddha, which was given to the temple by a benefactor from Singapore. He stepped on to a small stool, put his hand around a crystal container about eighteen inches high and handed it to Douglas. I think Kristen and I both stopped breathing at this point, afraid that DFO would drop the container! The monk climbed down, took the container and then proceeded to open it. He told us that what we were looking at was a small piece of The Buddha's brain and bone fragments. He then closed it up, had DFO (we stopped breathing AGAIN) help him put it back in it's place. After thanking him for showing us the temple and relics, we went to the shelter where he lives and had black tea (I was worried that it would be butter tea) and cookies. After a nice exchange we took our leave, thanked him and then continued to climb up to the Shanti Stupa.
Once again, I have been given an opportunity that is not afforded to the average tourist......This was the perfect ending to my introduction and stay in Leh. Like MG, Leh is not what you would think of as India. The best example of this is comparing New York, LA or Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin, Colorado or Vermont.
Taj Mahal
In order to escape the heat of the day (115 degrees) our driver picked us up at 5:30 a.m. and drove us to the Taj Mahal. The gates opened at 6:00 a.m. and their were no lines and relatively few tourist. The vendor kid's were already there; selling everyting from T-shirts, Taj books, Taj keychains, marble boxes, refrig magnets, you name it they had it! The bulk of these kids probably have never been inside the gates and actually seen the Taj Mahal. They are probably able to hawk their wares in five languages.
Doug was our tour guide and able to give us the history of The Taj Mahal. A brief summary is the building was commisioned by the Mogul Emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the remains of his favorite (yes....he had multiple wives) Muntaz Mahal. The Emperor, Shah Jahan, was able to see the monument completed from his jail cell in The Red Fort (which we are going to later on today). Shah Jahan was jailed and over-thrown by his son, Aurangzeb. The producer's of cable TV Reality shows would have had a field day with this dysfunctional family!
The Taj Mahal was timelessly beautiful, majestic and walking through the first gate and actually seeing it with the linear pools and walks projecting your eye's right to the center of the mass marble structure was a visually emotional esperieince. It is the best example of Islamic architecture in India and all Indian's regardless of their religion take pride in it. During the Second World War the structure itself was covered to try and camofloge it fromm being a possible bombing target, the same was true during India's two wars with Pakistan. There was a security check to get into the park and military protection outside of it as well as on the perimiter.
The backside of The Taj has a river running behind it (I should remember the name, Doug will be disappointed in me that I don't, but it is a tributary of the Ganji River. The river is very low, waiting for the monsoon season to fill it but there were a few water buffalo wading in it's water and an occasional garland floating. Doug said the garland's could be from a burial or perhaps from a morning Hindi Pujab. There were a few monkey's roaming around and we saw two water buffalo pulling a lawn mower cutting the grass. We heard many different languages being spoken and as we were told by our driver, most of the early morning tourist are western. He said Indian's don't want to get up that early in the morning and Kristen commented that the Indian's tolerate the heat better.
I'm back at the hotel right now. We all enjoyed a wonderful Indian/Western breakfast. This is the first time I have allowed myself to eat fresh fruit (I have had bananas) and it tasted really good. I hope I won't be sorry but I figure that a big hotel catering to foreigner's has to be careful about food preparation and sanitation. D&K are taking a nap before they cool off in the pool this afternoon. Their suite has a desk area, a dinning area (we had lunch served there yesterday after arriving here) a nice living room area, a bedroom with a huge four poster bed and a bathroom that is about the size of their entire MG apartment. The living room has a book case with books about India which DFO is enjoying purusing. The furnishing's are what would have been typical of the day's when Britian controlled India with the addition of the beautiful colors and fabric's which are definately Indian. I would love to bring yards and yards of fabric home and use them to accent and decorate my house.
Yesterday, late afternoon, the sky was filled with what looked like birds fluttering in the air. Doug pointed out to me that they were kites and as it got closer to dawn their would be more. Just like in Kabul, Afghanistan (remember the book THE KITE RUNNER) Indian's here in the old section of Agra love to fly kites. I'm looking forward to watching them later on today, that is if the pollution clears up.....we are about a quarter of a mile from The Taj and yesterday the pollution did not prevent you from seeing it.....today you can't.
When we were driving here from Delhi yesterday I commented to Kristen that if you asked an Indian child (from Delhi or Agra and probably other industrial large cities) what color is the sky, they would answer gray. The pollution from gasoline engine's and industry hangs over this area and indeed, the sky is gray. When were were driving through Mathura, India yesterday our driver was telling us that they government made a big refinery cut their production in half because the pollution was making the marble of the Taj turn black. Mathura, the sight of pivotal ancient battles with different empire's during Indian history was about an hour away from Agra.
The trip to India has taught me many things and first amoung them is about the environment. At home, I TRY and re-cycle, conserve natural resourses, etc. Here, I have seen first hand what happens when you don't. The pollution, the in-ability to re-cycle plastic (which has to be the curse of the third world) and over population would make any skeptic alter their thinking. Garbage is everywhere and living with it becomes as "normal" as living with green grass and flower's in a short period of time.........that is really scarry
Doug was our tour guide and able to give us the history of The Taj Mahal. A brief summary is the building was commisioned by the Mogul Emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the remains of his favorite (yes....he had multiple wives) Muntaz Mahal. The Emperor, Shah Jahan, was able to see the monument completed from his jail cell in The Red Fort (which we are going to later on today). Shah Jahan was jailed and over-thrown by his son, Aurangzeb. The producer's of cable TV Reality shows would have had a field day with this dysfunctional family!
The Taj Mahal was timelessly beautiful, majestic and walking through the first gate and actually seeing it with the linear pools and walks projecting your eye's right to the center of the mass marble structure was a visually emotional esperieince. It is the best example of Islamic architecture in India and all Indian's regardless of their religion take pride in it. During the Second World War the structure itself was covered to try and camofloge it fromm being a possible bombing target, the same was true during India's two wars with Pakistan. There was a security check to get into the park and military protection outside of it as well as on the perimiter.
The backside of The Taj has a river running behind it (I should remember the name, Doug will be disappointed in me that I don't, but it is a tributary of the Ganji River. The river is very low, waiting for the monsoon season to fill it but there were a few water buffalo wading in it's water and an occasional garland floating. Doug said the garland's could be from a burial or perhaps from a morning Hindi Pujab. There were a few monkey's roaming around and we saw two water buffalo pulling a lawn mower cutting the grass. We heard many different languages being spoken and as we were told by our driver, most of the early morning tourist are western. He said Indian's don't want to get up that early in the morning and Kristen commented that the Indian's tolerate the heat better.
I'm back at the hotel right now. We all enjoyed a wonderful Indian/Western breakfast. This is the first time I have allowed myself to eat fresh fruit (I have had bananas) and it tasted really good. I hope I won't be sorry but I figure that a big hotel catering to foreigner's has to be careful about food preparation and sanitation. D&K are taking a nap before they cool off in the pool this afternoon. Their suite has a desk area, a dinning area (we had lunch served there yesterday after arriving here) a nice living room area, a bedroom with a huge four poster bed and a bathroom that is about the size of their entire MG apartment. The living room has a book case with books about India which DFO is enjoying purusing. The furnishing's are what would have been typical of the day's when Britian controlled India with the addition of the beautiful colors and fabric's which are definately Indian. I would love to bring yards and yards of fabric home and use them to accent and decorate my house.
Yesterday, late afternoon, the sky was filled with what looked like birds fluttering in the air. Doug pointed out to me that they were kites and as it got closer to dawn their would be more. Just like in Kabul, Afghanistan (remember the book THE KITE RUNNER) Indian's here in the old section of Agra love to fly kites. I'm looking forward to watching them later on today, that is if the pollution clears up.....we are about a quarter of a mile from The Taj and yesterday the pollution did not prevent you from seeing it.....today you can't.
When we were driving here from Delhi yesterday I commented to Kristen that if you asked an Indian child (from Delhi or Agra and probably other industrial large cities) what color is the sky, they would answer gray. The pollution from gasoline engine's and industry hangs over this area and indeed, the sky is gray. When were were driving through Mathura, India yesterday our driver was telling us that they government made a big refinery cut their production in half because the pollution was making the marble of the Taj turn black. Mathura, the sight of pivotal ancient battles with different empire's during Indian history was about an hour away from Agra.
The trip to India has taught me many things and first amoung them is about the environment. At home, I TRY and re-cycle, conserve natural resourses, etc. Here, I have seen first hand what happens when you don't. The pollution, the in-ability to re-cycle plastic (which has to be the curse of the third world) and over population would make any skeptic alter their thinking. Garbage is everywhere and living with it becomes as "normal" as living with green grass and flower's in a short period of time.........that is really scarry
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