Sunday, June 17, 2012

Loving Taj Mahal

Day 3
March 6, 2012
Agra

Before dawn, we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the ticket booth of Taj Mahal where we found a few tourists already waiting in line. By the time the gates opened at 6:30 AM, there were already 2 very long queues of tourists, 1 for male and another 1 for female. After passing thru a very strict security check, we finally saw Taj Mahal, the main reason I wanted to go to India. Known as the jewel of Muslim art in India, Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, combining elements from Persian, Turkish, and Indian architectures. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his thrid wife.






details of the white marble mausoleum


After taking in all the beauty of Taj Mahal for an hour or 2 (as well as brief tour inside to see the actual tomb - there was nothing else to see inside), we left for Agra Fort, built during the reign of Akbar the Great. It consisted of a wall built in red sandstone and several buildings inside.








As there was nothing else to see in Agra, we headed for Jaipur after lunch. Along the way, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the capital of the Mughal Empire for 10 years. It is one of the best preserved collection of the Mughal architecture. This was where we were tricked by a local guide who insisted that we needed a guide to get to the complex. We ended up paying him 900 INR for the guided tour which we later found out was not necessary. Worse, he had this very thick Indian accent so I did not understand half of what he was saying.

Diwan-i-Khas - Hall of Private Audience

central pillar of Diwan-i-Khas


carvings in Diwan-i-Khas depicting different religions

Panch Mahal





fading frescoes in the complex









After 2 hours, we continued our long drive to  Jaipur. We stayed at H. R. Palace, a nice boutique hotel with very accommodating staff. The only downside was that the hotel only served vegetarian meals so we had to go out to the nearest fast food chain, Pizza Hut, to buy dinner. It was surprising to see that the Pizza Hut menu was customized for India which basically limited my choices (nothing spicy or curry for me).

Namaste Delhi

Day 1
March 4, 2012
Kulala Lumpur

Rissa, Mhae, and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on the night of March 3. We stayed at Corus hotel where we had a nice view of the Petronas tower (without an 's') in our room.


We were supposed to leave the next day for New Delhi but our afternoon flight was moved to 5 am on the following day. We decided that we would just spend the night at the airport to save money. So, after meeting Marlon at the Petronas mall where we aimlessly wandered the whole day, we went to the airport.




At the last minute, we decided we wanted a hotel room after all so we can rest well and freshen up before the flight. Unfortunately, all the cheap hotel rooms around the airport were booked. We ended up staying at Starbucks to rest. We got to take shower at the airport lounge though.

Day 2
March 5, 2012
New Delhi
 
Arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport, I conjured up the following images: streets filled with reek of rotten food, animal waste, and what have you, filthy motel rooms with the mandatory bed bugs and cockroaches, restaurants with questionable hygiene, and other unpleasant things I saw in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.  So, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a huge, modern, and very appealing airport. I already got introduced to the vibrant culture of India and I have not even started the actual sightseeing.




Restrooms in the airport
We wasted no time and asked our tour guide and driver to bring us to some of the well-known places around Delhi. Our first stop was at Qutb Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 73 meter high minaret was built in 1200 AD by Mughals after defeating Delhi's last Hindu empire.


a closeup look of the minaret


some detailed carvings in the complex



We then went to India gate, a 42 meter high monument that pays reverence to the soldiers who lost their lives during World War 1 and Afghan war.


names of the soldiers are written on the walls


Our next stop was at Humayun's tomb, one of the most beautiful Mughal monuments. This was built in 1556, 14 years after the death of Emperor Humayun, the son of the founder of Mogal empire.







At around 2 PM, we started our long drive to Agra, which is around 4-5 hours away from New Delhi. We reached Sikandara complex a few minutes before its closing time at 6 PM. This complex contains Akbar's tomb.



the tomb is laid with beautiful and colorful patterns


After a long day and a good 1 hour looking for the hotel, we checked-in at Hotel Sidhartha, which is a few meters away from Taj Mahal. At 800 INR per room, we were not expecting anything fancy and that exactly was what we got. I think I have seen a more comfortable servant's quarter. But it did not matter as we were dead tired.


dinner at the hotel