Whilst in Delhi, we also visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Memorial Site in addition to the place where he was assassinated. This serene, peaceful place was quite eerie and must not be missed… it’s not included in most general sightseeing but is really worth the effort. The site had been Gandhi’s home for the 140 days prior to his assassination and it is humbling to retrace his footsteps and learn more about this great man. Other areas of interest are Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutab Minar so there is plenty to keep you occupied.
We stayed at The Park Hotel which was a great hotel and in an ideal location. We chose to eat mainly in the hotels throughout our stay, conscious of not wanting to become sick as we had a lot to cover in a small amount of time! The food was superb throughout the whole of our journey (and no, neither of us were sick at anytime!). Amazing flavours and all very fresh, the curries were much more fragrant and less heavy/creamy than we are used to and the breads and condiments/pickles were divine. Pork and beef is not served due to India’s religious traditions and the main fare is vegetable and lentil/pea/bean based with lamb, chicken, fish and seafood also on offer.
Less than 100m from The Park is the Janpath Market, one of the main shopping areas in Delhi. Clothing, scarves, shoes, jewellery, silver and brass trinkets are the main items on offer. All are good quality but ridiculously low priced (think $10 for handmade dresses/tops/jackets, $4 for beautiful large scarves), so it was hard not to go crazy. The stalls in the surrounding area sell exquisite tablecloths, hand sewn decorated handbags and gorgeous saris and fabrics in fantastic bright, vibrant colours.
The following day we journeyed to Agra – home of the infamous Taj Mahal, and the main focus of our trip! It takes approx. 3 hours by road to travel from Delhi to Agra, stopping off for a brief visit in Sikandra along the way to break up the journey. Agra was obviously, for me, the major highlight of the trip being home of the much anticipated Taj Mahal; And it certainly did not disappoint!!
Words cannot describe and pictures cannot truly capture the complete essence or beauty of the Taj Mahal. I now know, without any doubt whatsoever, that the only way to fully embrace and feel all the Taj encapsulates is to actually ‘be’ there to experience. And not only be there in person, but to actually just ‘be’ there and take it all in. It is a monument like no other (and I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited a number of colossal monuments including the Pyramids) and I don’t believe anything can give it the justice it deserves, or compare to the sheer beauty of this amazing building.
To give you a very quick background… the building of the Taj Mahal commenced in 1631 and took over 22 years to complete. Shah Jehan built the Taj for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was to be her final resting place and the 20,000+ craftsmen, labourers and architects worked around the clock to complete. Known as the most beautiful building in the world, this amazing building is primarily made of white marble and is completely symmetrical throughout (well it was until the addition of Jehan’s remains upon his death) and captures the light and moonlight at all sorts of angles, making it change colour before your eyes. Precious stones and other materials that were also used in the making were of the highest quality and brought in from ‘far away’ lands. In addition to the main building, there are four elaborate gates, the Mosque and the Taj gardens which feature stunning fountains and water features. Within the matter of a few minutes the Taj Mahal can be glistening pure white one minute and matted grey the next. It also appears pink and/or orange when the sun is rising and setting and is really a photographer’s dream!
The Agra Fort is also majestic and located on the opposite bank of the Yamuna to the Taj Mahal, another attraction not to be missed.
I’ll leave you in Agra this week, and if you are enjoying the ‘happy snaps’… I shall be uploading an album onto our Facebook page over the weekend (not all 620+ of them, but there will be a few!) if you are interested.
And next week we’ll journey onto Jaipur and the Ganges to complete our journey!!
