Fatehpur Sikri. India. 28.07.13

inside the first courtyard at Fatehpur Sikri

Situated a short drive of about about 38km from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is a Mughal era fortified city made of local red sandstones. It runs along a ridge that at one time was in its entirety, part of the walled city complex. Only the central part is rebuilt and part of what you will see. I started to get excited when while driving up, as I started to see ruins from a few kilometers away. I'm sure you can walk the perimeter of the 5 mile long wall, but much of the wall is now in ruins.

you can see where a decoration was chipped away

Started in 1571, it was built by Akbar the Great and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire until 1585 and has many features that make it stand out from most other Mughal era architecture. Unique and intricate water features can be found all over, and as always, Hindu and Mughal design elements are spread throughout, as was the habit of stonemasons sneaking in sculpture of their own here and there. Some Hindu elements had been chipped away over time. Most of the design elements though, are geometric shapes and repetitive patterns.

sculptural detail is second to none

You will notice that the entire place in made of red sandstone, from the blocks under your feet, to the huge thin flat plates that make up the roofs of the buildings. Some have specs of yellow in them, which is a variety of sandstone known to come from this area. There are some buildings with minimal decoration or carvings, while others are extremely ornate, leaving you to stop and really take it all in.

One of the many buildings left in the complex

these stalls, are where many of the workers and servants lived, each having their own niche

central water channels moved water throughout the complex to the many pools and cisterns

part of the wall now

A look back. Munnar, Kerala, India. 03.19.2011

March 19, 2011 Munnar, Kerala, India

While in Kochi, we met a man who owned a travel agency. We knew we wanted to go to a hill station for our next stop and experience the tea fields and he told us he had just the place. He actually owned the house we were to stay in, a kind of bed and breakfast if you will, for there was a couple from Australia there also. He gave us the directions and told us the housekeeper, Dahs, would meet us and take care of us. The house was about 5km outside of Munnar and we could see many things from there, he said.

The house was situated on a steep hillside in a cluster of small homes, and we had to drive through some tea fields to get to it from the main road. The views were fantastic and we were welcomed with open arms.

the view from the rooftop

The area has a lot to see so small day trips can keep you busy. We visited a Tea factory, where they showed us the entire tea-making process.

Our guide showed us the furnace used to dry the tea leaves

One day we drove to a place called Top Station, elevation 8000 ft and we could see over the border into Tamil Nadu. The views from there were stunning and it was nice and cool! There were not that many people visiting that this time of year and it made for a nice quiet afternoon.

The view from the road to Top Station

Beautiful flora everywhere

Having a snack at 8000 ft. Nice and quiet getaway

This area is known not only for its tea, but for tons of other spices and herbs that grow here, some only grown here at this altitude, like cardamom. They also grow coffee here. There is a self-titled "Spice Museum" along the road before you get to Munnar. We drove back to see it one day. The owners gave us a guided tour, told us what we were looking at and even took photos of us in the gardens. This was about 1-2 acres of forested area, growing all kinds of trees and plants in a natural setting. Have you ever wondered where cloves comes from? Pepper, vanilla or cinnamon? They have all in their natural settings. It was quite educational.

a resident of Munnar

The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular here. This is a sunrise that greeted me one morning from the rooftop of our house

this little boy lived across the street

Kolam is a form of sand painting that is drawn using rice powder  or chalk by female members of the family in front of their home. Kolam are thought to bestow prosperity to homes. It is widely practiced by Hindus in South India. A Kolam is a geometrical line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots.

Every morning in Southern India, millions of women draw Kolam on the ground with white rice powder. Through the day, the drawings get walked on, rained out, or blown around in the wind; new ones are made the next day. Every morning before sunrise, the floor is cleaned with water, the universal purifier, and the muddy floor is swept well for an even surface. The Kolam are generally drawn while the surface is still damp so that it is held better.

Less than 100 yards away, we stepped into the tea fields

Munnar was one of my favorite places in India. It was a huge difference from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, and much more laid back and quiet than even some smaller towns. The lush greens, the cool air and the sounds coming out of the forest canopy at daybreak was unique. I can't wait to go back.

A look back. Bangalore, India. 03.14.2011

This is a look back of my first trip to India in 2011. I had started a blog then, but somehow I lost track of it and when I found it again, I could not add anything to it. Since then I have had more insight and more adventures and I thought I would try to revive some of those early installments. I will be adding these here and there, along with the trip from this year.

Casa Piccola Cottage

Before we departed for our 3 week trip through South India, we stayed for a couple of days in a wonderful little oasis in the big and bustling city of Bangalore called Casa Piccola Cottage, near Johnson Market in the Richmond area (how fitting). Casa Cottage is more like a B&B and is quite popular with travelers from all over the world. When we were there, there were students from Japan, a couple from Germany, one from Sweden. The rooms are nice, they have an outdoor cantina and serve a simple breakfast to start off the day. Some of what I will be talking about is for those of you who haven't been to India. Just some insight on how things work. 

 

Our Auto Rickshaw driver getting us ready for the days exploration of Bengaluru

The resident auto rickshaw driver waited for us to come out in the morning. He was very nice and we brokered a deal for the days travels. We told him where we wanted to go or some things we might want to see. These drivers also have places they want to take you to see. Sometimes you just go along with it, as that is why you might get a deal for the whole day. They get commissions for some of the shops they will take you to. You don't have to purchase anything, they get a small bit just to get you there, and they make some more if you make a purchase. They usually leave these places toward the end of the days journeys. It's the price of doing business in India. We've gotten quite used to it. And who knows, you might just find something you like along the way!

A view from the auto rickshaw at the bustling market area

One of the highlights was the flower market. The colors and activity almost takes your breath away. If you want to see how it really works, you need to go very early in the morning. This is when most of the flowers are bought and sold for use in almost every activity in India. Flowers are an important part of Indian life, especially offerings at the temples. Outside the flower market building, all other items for trade and sale are at your disposal.

 

Color everywhere!

One famous temple is the Bull Temple, or Dodda Ganeshana Gudi. It boasts one of the largest sculptures of Nandi, the Hindu demi-god, in the world. We have been there twice now, and both times it was not crowded, so we could take our time enjoying it. It was built in 1537. There is also a Ganesha temple at the bottom of the hill.

Entrance to the Bull Temple

The area around the Casa Cottage is wonderful to explore and take photos, and I would venture out both in the early morning for some chai, and then again in the evening. There are some decent restaurants within walking distance too.

A coconut walla set up

Another favorite is the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens in the heart of the city. It is a lush green area that is steeped in history and full of specimens with lots of walking paths. It boasts on of the largest known Kapok trees, a type of tropical tree that has cotton-like seeds.

Largest Kapok tree

Bangalore might be the Silicon Valley of India, but it has so much to see and do. It is a very "green" city, with trees and green space everywhere. I've been there twice and still find new things to capture my interest. I can't wait to go back!

Golden Temple. Amristar, India. 30.07.13

The view of the Golden Temple as you enter

I have to say, the Golden Temple was my number 2 on my bucket list, and I am so glad I was able to experience this magnificent and holy place. This Sikh Gurdwara is the resting place for the Adi Granth, the holy scriptures for the Sikhs.

This temple, in keeping with the Sikh faith, is open to people of all religions, race, creed or financial status. You must remove your shoes and men must wear trousers, and women must not be scantily clad. There is a shoe drop off a few hundred yards away from the East entrance and you walk along woven mats to stave off the heat of the pavement. I'm sure each entrance has a place to leave your shoes. Everyone must cover their head. We were sold some basic orange head wear as we parked our car in the nice parking deck a few blocks away. We took a ricksha to the shoe drop off and walked from there.

You are surrounded by whitewashed buildings and marble under your feet, which thankfully stays cooler than you would think even when it was 105 degrees! You must walk clockwise to get to the queue that will allow you to see everything. The queue is long, but moves well and there are fans and a canopy to protect you from the sun.

in the queue

another view of the Harmandir Sahib as you walk around

large carp welcome you to the Sarovar, or Holy Tank

One of the Holy Trees, or bers, signifying a historical event or Sikh saint

As we were able to pay our respects at the Harmandir Sahib, the music coming from inside was inspiring. It never ceases to amaze me that these truly Holy sites are a place where every man, woman or child, no matter what you believe in, should visit to contemplate life and a to be better human being. You don't have to give up your faith, you don't have to start believing if you now don't, you just have to share and respect others. An I thank my Sikh friends for allowing me to share in their lives.

The top of the Akal Takht, which means "The throne of the timeless one"

wonderful architecture all around you

Amritsar, India. Site of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. 30.07.2013

The gardens at Jallianwala Bagh

On Sunday, April 13, 1919 in Amritsar, India, the British opened fire on unarmed, innocent men, women and children. In their wake they left over 1,000 dead and over 1,100 injured. It is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. There was only one way out and the soldiers had it blocked.

This narrow ally is all that stood between the British guns and freedom

The site is preserved and very sacred. The grounds are extremely well kept and there is a palpable sense of sadness as you walk around. There is a monument near the center, and the well, known as The Martyrs' Well, where so many jumped in to flee the soldiers bullets, is preserved. Over 120 bodies were later pulled out of the well. It is hard to take in. It is hard to believe that fellow humans can take life like that and sleep at night.

Around the grounds, there are walls where some of the thousands of rounds fired upon the people, have left an indelible mark. This is but one, of the many instances that the British "Raj", I really don't like that term for them, used unabashed brutal lethal force on unarmed innocent people. The raping and pillaging of the entire region was carried out for an astonishing amount of time unabated, from around 1600 to 1947. It does boggle the mind.

The sandstone monument to those who died

Actual bullet holes in the surrounding walls.

Bullet holes are marked

Jallianwala Bagh Memorial

Surrounding architecture

A view inside the Martyrs' Well. It is very deep.

What gives the right for some humans to think they are better than others?