World wonders
What's a trip to India without a trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal!
I arrive in mid-day after a nice (and short) train trip from Delhi ... imagine, I used the word nice and train in the same sentence. I sat next to a delightful couple - Agnes from New Jersey and Steven from Ireland - and find we're off to the same hotel, Hotel Sheela. We're starving and chow down in the hotel outdoor restaurant (rather, it's all outdoors). This is such a nice guest house. There's a courtyard with flowers, it's setback a ways from the busy street, and even two resident dogs to play fetch with ... Tiger and Fifi. The room is clean, nice ... with a towel.
Between bites, we plan the next day. What else, but start with the Taj Mahal at sunrise. I've seen countless pictures of the Taj (as I'm sure we all have), but until you see the sun glimmering off the dome, the glittering gold reflection in the water, the immenseness of the structures ... it simply takes your breath away. I find myself just standing and gazing at the wonderous beauty that is the Taj.
In the afternoon, we decide to head to Fatehpur Sikri. This is a sort of ghost city, about 40 km west of Agra, and was the short-lived capital of the Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585 during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Because of water shortages the city was abandoned shortly after his death.
But India has spent efforts in restoring the city to much of its original beauty and it's easy to visualize the day-to-day life in its heyday.
There are many buildings and areas of the city ... palaces for each of his three wives, each having a different religion (Hindu, Muslim and Christian). There was a treasury, astrologer's kiosk, stables, and of course the emperor's quarters.
The Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) is where Akbar dispensed justice. Now for the chilling part. If he found you guilty, you were blindfolded and taken to a large field in back of the hall with an elephant. If the elephant likewise found you guilty he would stomp on your head and kill you ... guess that makes animal communication skills quite desirable!
What a wonderful day with truly wonderous sights! It's back to the hotel, some yummy dinner (knock on wood, tummy's feeling pretty ok), watch the fireworks from a restaurant rooftoop, and time for bed!
I arrive in mid-day after a nice (and short) train trip from Delhi ... imagine, I used the word nice and train in the same sentence. I sat next to a delightful couple - Agnes from New Jersey and Steven from Ireland - and find we're off to the same hotel, Hotel Sheela. We're starving and chow down in the hotel outdoor restaurant (rather, it's all outdoors). This is such a nice guest house. There's a courtyard with flowers, it's setback a ways from the busy street, and even two resident dogs to play fetch with ... Tiger and Fifi. The room is clean, nice ... with a towel.
Between bites, we plan the next day. What else, but start with the Taj Mahal at sunrise. I've seen countless pictures of the Taj (as I'm sure we all have), but until you see the sun glimmering off the dome, the glittering gold reflection in the water, the immenseness of the structures ... it simply takes your breath away. I find myself just standing and gazing at the wonderous beauty that is the Taj.
In the afternoon, we decide to head to Fatehpur Sikri. This is a sort of ghost city, about 40 km west of Agra, and was the short-lived capital of the Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585 during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Because of water shortages the city was abandoned shortly after his death.
But India has spent efforts in restoring the city to much of its original beauty and it's easy to visualize the day-to-day life in its heyday.There are many buildings and areas of the city ... palaces for each of his three wives, each having a different religion (Hindu, Muslim and Christian). There was a treasury, astrologer's kiosk, stables, and of course the emperor's quarters.
The Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) is where Akbar dispensed justice. Now for the chilling part. If he found you guilty, you were blindfolded and taken to a large field in back of the hall with an elephant. If the elephant likewise found you guilty he would stomp on your head and kill you ... guess that makes animal communication skills quite desirable!What a wonderful day with truly wonderous sights! It's back to the hotel, some yummy dinner (knock on wood, tummy's feeling pretty ok), watch the fireworks from a restaurant rooftoop, and time for bed!
posted by CECILIA at 3:55 PM
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