Last days in India

This is my last post from India. I hope to continue this blog once I get back and after I am over my jet lag. I hope you all continue to check in now and again.


These last 2 weeks in Bangalore have been busy visiting, eating, shopping, relaxing and eating again. We have had parties with the cousins, ben to art shows and the jewelry shops...again.


The weather has become extremely hot and humid for Maya and I.  Everyone here thinks it is pleasant! The summers here are unbearably hot. You can't even go outside at noontime- everyone just takes naps! That I could get us


Maya is helping me pack up and our flight leaves at 2 AM on Thursday. We have to be at the airport by 11;30 PM on Wed.


Here is a photo montage of some of the sights we have been seeing these last few weeks.(I will spare you all the pics of the many aunt,uncles and cousins we have spent time with)


Maya in her new Sari! She loves it.

We finally took a safari outside of Bangalore and saw Lions and Tigers and Bears!

This safari was in a  big bus with cages on the windows. Apparently last year they sed to let the windows open and 2 children who were trying to feed the wild tigers were dragged out of the bus and mauled! I was told this after the safari.

Here is the rare and elusive White Tiger, which was really special to see :

Tiger cubs were crossing the road as we drove up!

The Indian black bear, the nose seems to be shaped differently than our black bear.

This is a termite hill! I have seen them all over India, so are quite tall. After the termites are done with the house a snake will come an occupy it as it's home!

My mom and Maya  standing in front of  road named after Maya's great-great grandfather. He was an top advisor to the Maharaja of Mysore and well-known in his day.

My father the house where my dad grew up in Bangalore. It was also the place where Ghadhi's wife came  to visit and recognize Maya's great-great grandfather who was a freedom fighter. 

Nrityagram is a  residential school where dancers can live and learn Indian Classical Dance It is built in the form of a dance village,^[The residential school offers training in Indian classical dance forms,  They train eight hours a day, six days a week for seven years, The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble performs across India,and abroad. They are leaving for a tip to the USA on Feb 25 and will performing across the USA until May. If you have a chance go see them. 

We were able to see a class as well as a practice session of the master dancers who will be traveling in the USA. They re really good.

It is such a peaceful and wonderful village to live in:

The Big Banyan Tree :It is the fourth largest Banyan tree in India and is over 400 years old. The tree is totally fenced and protected and maintained by the Government. The tree spreads over 3 acres!  It is also home to several monkeys. Now,the main trunk of the tree is separated from the rest of the large tree. Yet,the tree is growing by spreading its branches and lateral roots. 

                                    

All around Bangalore we have seen the Bird of Paradise in Full Bloom. 

Delhi Tour

After saying good-bye to our 2 attendants Raj and Maharaj from the Palace on Wheels...

We spent 2 days in Delhi tooling around and seeing some sights. Being the capital, the roads are wider with traffic lights The cars seem to obey more rules than normal! The traffic is so congested. We spent more time in the car getting from one place to another. This was very frustrating at times.


Maya got a lesson in some of the different types of religion found in India:


The Lotus Temple, the Baha i House of Worship, has one a lot of art and architectural awards. It is built in the shape of a lotus flower just about to open.The temple is open to everyone regardless of religion. It is a House of Worship where all religions may worship God.Only the holy scriptures of the Baha'i and other religions can be read inside and in any language. No pictures are permitted inside. The hall is immense  and extremely serene with rows and rows of benches. We sat for awhile in silence and meditation. It was a very calming place.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple: This temple was built after 6 years and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi He gave the  condition, that the temple was not to be barred for entry to anyone on the basis of caste and every individual especially the untouchables would have as much a right of entry to its sacred grounds as people from other castes. The temple has frescos and paintings showing stories from Hinduism.

Hanuman Temple/Statue  This temple  is shaped and dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the monkey god. It stands at 308 feet tall and is something to see. We could not go inside and stopped in the roundabout so I could snap this picture quickly.

Rajghat is the cremation site of Gandhi who is  the Father of  the Nation.  You walk trough green lawns, fountains and it is surrounded by trees. It is a very peaceful place in the middle of Delhi. creating a serene ambience. Mahatma Gandhi was cremated here on January 31st after his assassination while walking to his customary prayer meeting. The memorial is very simple.  The brick platform where his body was burned, a black marble platform surrounded by a  marble fence. His  last words  'Hey Ram' are inscribed on the memorial platform where there is an eternal flame.

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is a famous  Sikh pilgrimage center. It is one of the most important historical and sacred pilgrimage destinations of the Sikh community. Inside the temple is a huge holy pond where Sikhs bathe and drink the water.

The legend of the prophet is an interesting story: Raja Jai Singh’s chief queen was greatly impressed by the spiritual powers of the child prophet, Guru Hari Krishan. During his stay in Delhi, diseases like small pox and cholera had broken out in the city. The Guru served the poor and the needy, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. With his spiritual powers he distributed sanctified water to the ailing people, which had a miraculous healing affect on their bodies. The Guru died at a young age as he took all the diseases in the city upon himself to stop the endemic.

Our last stop was an outdoor Delhi market, which was PACKED. below is a look at one of the streets and a picture of Maya pretending to have a good time. We couldn't take the crowds and left after 1/2 hour of battling the people and vendors. I guess we are to use to the ese of New Ham[shire  Shopping!

Taj Mahal- finally!

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum just outside of Delhi in the town of Agra. A mausoleum is a building that holds a burial tomb. It was built by the famous Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She was his favorite wife and this building shows his eternal love.


This is my second time seeing it and it is still breath taking as you walk up to the entrance gate.


First look:

Getting closer....

There it is:

The Taj is a  UNESCO World Heritage Site, as were many of the palaces and forts we visited on our trip. It is one of the most famous buildings in the world.It was built between 1632 and 1653 and thousands of artists and builders worked on the project.


Thousands and Thousands of people visit everyday. The security is very tight.

The white marble is used both inside and outside. The large dome is about 120 feet tall! The decorations are done with paint, precious stone inlays,carvings and mirrored tiles. The architecture,carvings and design are all influenced by Persian architecture.


No pictures re allowed inside the Taj Mahal and everyone has to wear shoe protectors or tke off their shoes.:

The garden surrounding the Taj is equally beautiful and set out in the typical Mogul square pattern. The garden is divided into 4 quarters and then each quarter is divided into sectioned flowerbeds. Here is a view from standing in front of the Taj:

Here are some close-ups of the minarets and stone inlay work:

The stones are all precious and semi precious stones

Maya and I playing in the doorways of the gates of the Taj:

Jodhpur

Home of the famous riding trousers and more. This was by far the most organized city in the tour of Rajastan. The fort and palace were set up like a museum and it was a nice change. We didn’t have to battle the vendors and hawkers to get into the fort and could enjoy the structure and all the items inside without huge crowds swarming around us.

Jodhpur is known as the “Blue City” Many of the homes are painted blue because they feel it keeps the homes cooler in the hot summers. The city is surrounded by a very thick strong wall.

It was a very profitable city and made lots of money from trading silk, coffee, copper and opium. Now the handicrafts of Jodhpur is widely known especially in silk, cotton dhurrie rugs and furniture.

Jodhpur is also very close to the Pakistan Border. We could see fighter jets taking off quite frequently for border patrol as well as several helicopters who also did border patrols. It was quite noisy.

Here is a peek inside the palace fort:

The meditation room!

The audience hall for the Maharaja:

Here are some of the weapons used in battle:

Looking out from the queens and  ladies quarters:

The Maharaja's Coronation Chair. It would have been carried on a golden platform and decorated with jewels and silks:

The last and current Maharaja's Baby Cradle!

Jodhpur welcomed many traders in the palace.  The people had exposure to the wider world. Many new styles of art are seen in the place and  local tradesmen visited quite often.

Dancing Girls!

After our camel ride we had time to freshen up on the train and return to Jaisalmer. There we went to an extraordinary hotel where we were treated to a fabulous dinner and entertainment late into the night.

The place as all lit up with torches and lights and we ate ate outside under great big canopies. It was like we were in a luxurious desert camp of the Maharajas and Maharanis.

Here are the dancing girls( and boys) see if you can pick out who is who!

Maya had so much fun learning the traditional dances with all her new friends:

Even my mom got up and went dancing! They tried to get me but then who would take the pictures?

So if you haven't figured it out, this was the guy and look what he can do! He balanced these pots on his head and danced on top of many objects. It was pretty amazing:

First a dish

Then stacked silver cups

Now swords, still with the pots on his head.

Finally cut glass! It had to be a guy, look at the feet!

The dancing lasted late into the night and here is  the one last twirl of the evening: