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Published: October 23rd 2008
Chandigarth Shopping Centre
Definitely more Basildon than Blue Water
Our blog remains weeks behind and so a hasty run through of our remaining weeks in India is needed, else we’ll never catch up with ourselves. Jude said to describe India you need every adjective in the dictionary and then some, which is so true.
Chandigarth
After the beautifully damp (and cool) mountains of Himachal Pradesh we reached the Punjabi plains and found that not only was it still really humid but also really hot. Oh well.
Chandigarth is a new town, commissioned by Nehru after independence and widely held to be the most significant urban planning experiment of the twentieth century, with Corbusier, no less, as its principal architect. It’s built on a grid system with a shopping mall at its centre and it was there that we immediately headed. It may be of huge architectural significance but we took one look and both thought “Basildon”.
That said it’s clean and surprisingly green but soulless; two things impressed us, seeing the original hand signed Indian Constitution and the drain covers imprinted with a town map, handy as it’s a very difficult town to negotiate!
Dharamsala
There was little
Mcleod Ganj:
Mountain Peaks eventually peek out from behind clouds
The valley is hard to describe as it was shrouded in cloud for the week we spent there, except for the last evening when the clouds lifted to reveal massive mountain peaks and the true glory of this area
to keep us in Chandigarth and we moved quickly on, heading back to the cool mountains and to Dharamsala (home of the Tibetan Government in exile) and the nearby hill station of Mcleod Ganj.
They are in the first mountain range that rises up from the Punjabi plains and so have even more rain than Shimla but we spent a happy few days there, the people were so friendly and seemed genuinely happy with their lot.
The plight of the Tibetan people is in evidence everywhere but it doesn’t have the same Buddhist feel as Ladahk. In one of the short breaks in the weather we took ourselves off to St John’s-in-the-Wilderness, a Christian church set peacefully on a wooded hillside a little way down the valley and was surprised to find the grave of Lord Elgin there.
Amritsar
Having said a fond farewell to Mcleaod Ganj and at the end of yet another long journey we arrived in Amritsar, home of the Sikh’s Golden Temple.
It was nudging 40 degrees when we arrived. India is plagued with power cuts and Amritsar has daily cuts for at least five hours a day,
McLeod Ganj
A sunset to say farewell
every day, including our hotel, so air conditioned restaurants provide the only escape from the suffocating heat. Imagine our delight when we discovered the next day everywhere was closed for a one day strike - called by a religious group to protest at recent police action. Thankfully, by late afternoon we realised that some places were open even if heavily shuttered and were able to cool off just before we melted.
The next day stories emerged of shops being burned down for opening during the strike and we had seen a small group of young men (looking like thugs) roaring around town on motorbikes brandishing their swords!. Such strikes were commonplace across the towns we visited, with trades people just shrugging and giving in to them.
We wouldn’t, however, have missed Amritsar especially visiting the Golden Temple, around which you can freely stroll and also visiting the Pakistan-India border closing ceremony, which was theatre in the extreme.
Indian Trains
Once out of the mountains we could use the excellent Indian Trains, which don’t come much better than the Shatabdi Express from Amritsar to Delhi. Spacious, air conditioned, free food and newspapers. Even better
Amritsar: Golden Temple
The Golden temple is a small but beautifully formed sited in the centre of a lake but the surrounding complex is huge and formed from gleaming white marble. The lower half of tiny temple itself is also beautifully decorated with delicate patterns of coloured marble inlay.
Its the Sikhâs most important religious shrine but the atmosphere was overwhelmingly calm, friendly and welcoming. A free meal is available to all who want it and the organisation behind the provision of 1000âs of free meals per day was something to behold.
it completed the five hour journey bang on time.
India is justifiably proud of the train system. The booking systems underwent a significant overhaul a few years ago and most journeys can now be booked on the internet, even though the website has to cope with up to a million people accessing it any time it functions really well. (www.seat61.com gives and excellent overview of the trains and booking system in India or anywhere worldwide). Only Indian credit cards can be used for on line payment but once you know which train you want it’s a simple matter to get it confirmed by a travel agent. We found it beneficial to sort out the train routes and times ourselves before approaching an agent as they tend to only tell you about routes that they want to sell you. (Remembering our first visit to Delhi!)
It was at this time that an Indian marksman won a gold medal at the Olympics, it was India’s first ever gold medal and the home reaction was immense with much swelling of national pride. The chap in question was awarded a great honour; a free life time first class train travel!
Amritsar: Golden Temple
One of the joys of the temple was being able to wander in and out and anytime and at night it looked even more inspiring.
Delhi
We’d learned lessons since our first venture to Delhi and after inspecting some dreadful hotels, treated ourselves to some four star luxury during this stay. It made the heat and Monsoon humidity so much more bearable.
We took ourselves off to the Jama Masjid (Mosque) in the heart of old Delhi. Its one of the few buildings remaining from the splendid city that was Delhi during the Mughal Empire, which was pretty much being destroyed by the British after the Indian Mutiny. Unfortunately, we managed to arrive at 12.30 on a Friday, which as Friday Prayers is the most significant of the prayer time of the Muslim week is the only time that the Mosque is closed to non Muslims.
Instead we took a stroll around the Mosque and as ever in India were treated to the sights from bizarre to heart stopping. Goats sleeping on the staircase to the local post office and then a few steps later a food stall with a number of goats heads in the street.
Driving around Delhi is truly not for the faint hearted, however, the city has an excellent, modern and air conditioned metro
Amritsar Golden Temple: Cooling off
To reach the temple itself you have to walk along a covered causeway, which at times has massive queues; so the masses are cooled by masses of fans.
The debate continues as to whether the temple should be air conditioned.
system covering parts of the city that most tourists visit. We enjoyed reading the do’s and don’ts of travelling the Metro, which expressly forbids anyone from riding on the roof of the underground trains.
The Problem of India?
India is the most diverse of countries, but clearly there is unity in that diversity underpinned by a strong democracy, national language and even more so the devotion to Bollywood!
However, local divisive political agendas and corruption go a long way to holding back a beautiful country. Once the chain of “payments” have been made, projects essential to the development of a modern infrastructure can end up under-funded (and we’ve travelled the roads which are testament to the poor quality work which results.) It’s been said that backhanders to oil wheels are commonplace in many countries, but in India there is a chance that even after payment the wheels still may not turn.
Once we’d learnt that taxi drivers expect a commission of up to fifty percent of your first night’s rent from the hostel owners, Terry started a personal vendetta on all Taxi/Tuk-Tuk drivers, determined not to be part of it.
Sadly, violence
Wagah. Pakistan Border Closing Ceremony
The ceremony itself lasts about 20 minutes but is preceded by half an hour of carnival, with Indian girls dancing Bollywood style to Bhangra music. The Pakistanis' had the chap from their test matches waving his flag.
also seems to be accepted as inevitable. The conflict in Kashmir is well reported internationally but other violent episodes such as the bombings in many cities, including Delhi, were widespread. Religious conflicts are not just between Hindu and Muslim but also in the south the majority Hindu population is increasingly concerned that the Daglit Caste (formerly known as untouchables) are converting to Christianity. Sadly these concerns are all too often expressed in pointless and brutal violence.
I wont even start to comment on how the ancient Indus civilisations had developed a complex and covered drainage system (reference the excellent national musuem in Dehli) and yet here newspapers report almost daily on children dying from gastro-enteritis.
Yet life continues and the economy still grows, bringing hopes of improvement in the lives of the 1.2 billion people, who are proud to be Indian.
Agra
From Delhi it was a short train hop to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. I confess to mixed feelings about visiting the Taj, it’s just so hyped that I had doubted that it could possibly live up to it’s reputation. But it does and more so; it’s an unbelievable monument.
Wagah. Pakistan Border Closing Ceremony
Every day the only open border between India and Pakistan is closed at 6pm. Its a serious affair but has been taken over but the high drama of the troops of either side trying to out do each other with theatrical stares and high kicks. The chap in the photo was almost kicking his own head!
An extra special treat was going to the Oberoi hotel, described in Lonely Planet as possibly the best hotel in India, and having a gin and tonic whilst watching a glorious sunset on the Taj.
Agra town is less than average but we spent a couple of days enjoying the Fort and other mausoleums dating from Mughal times. Then after a quick visit to Fatepur Sikhri, an amazing well preserved Mughal village (and well worth three hours of anyone’s time) we were at last on our way to Rajasthan.
Rajasthan
By now we were keen to get to Mumbai and thence to South India and so decided to limit the towns visited in Rajasthan. In Jaipur we were too jaded to do it justice, instead moving quickly onto Pushkar.
Pushkar, is an important site for Hindu’s and home of the only temple to Brahma, who tops the trilogy of Gods, which in turn top the enormous pantheon of Hindu deities. By enormous think really huge, there are hundreds of millions of different Hindu deities as it seems everyone can chose who the pray to. The chosen god is not as important, as
New Delhi - Connaught Place at Night
As taken from our hotel room, which had the fluffiest of white towels.
The skyline around Connaught place in New Delhi could be any modern city but side by side with the towering modern buildings there are people in abject poverty. One of the contrasts of India.
the prayer itself, which really does make some sense.
The town is built around a small lake, (apparently formed when Brahma dropped a lotus flower) and we found a small town swamped by tourists, both Indian and Western. Yet the numbers of cows roaming freely easily outnumbered the tourists and were even more revered and boy did these cows know it. I swear they had a serious attitude problem.
Jodphur: The Blue City.
Meherangarh, dominating Jodphur’s skyline, is a magnificent fort. Its currently being carefully and lovingly restored by one who would have been the Rajah of Jodphur should Rajasthan have declined to join India following the departure of the Raj.
On the wall by the inner gate are the hand prints of a number of widowed wives of Maharajahs. The prints were made as they were on their way to be burned on their husband’s pyres, it was a touching sight that still stays with me. Suttee is of course illegal now.
On the route from Jodphur to Udaipur, we stopped off at the incredibly ornate Jain Temple at Ranakpur. A massive confection of white marble, which sadly none of our
Children in Old Delhi
Why pay entrance fees when you have an elder brother!
photographs have really done justice to.
Udaipur
On entering Udaipur it had a really good feel; touristy yet also elegant.
Sadly, despite all the rain in Himachal Pradesh, the area around Udaipur had been dry and the central Pichola lake was drying out, having only just enough water to reflect the “Octopussy” Hotel, situated on one of the Islands.
Mumbai (Bombay)
An overnight, air conditioned train sleeper took us effortlessly to Mumbai. I love Indian trains and we arrived feeling refreshed and well rested after the 14 hour journey.
On a tour of Gallipoli last April we’d met a lovely Indian couple who (lucky for us) were not only free to meet up but were kind enough to give up a whole day and take us on a personal tour of Mumbai. Even better we arrived for Independence Day, an Indian national holiday and so were able to easily travel streets empty of the infamous Mumbai traffic.
We’d been told by a young student we’d met travelling around India that Mumbai is “just like London”; when we queried in what way, he’d thoughtfully replied that there
Roadside in Old Delhi
There's a good few miles left in this yet. Just like Terry's diving gear!
aren’t any cows!
We loved Mumbai and experienced a kind of sensory overload being overwhelmed by things that had previously been so familiar. The following description stolen from the Lonely Planet sums it up perfectly.
“Take one part Hollywood; six parts traffic; a bunch of rich power-moguls; stir in half a dozen colonial relics (use big ones); pour in six heaped spoons of poverty; add a smattering of swish bars and restaurants ( don’t skimp on quality here); equal parts of mayhem and order; as many ancient Bazaars as you have lying around; a handful of Hindu-ism; a dash of Islam. Throw it all into a blender (adding generous helpings of pollution) and hey presto: Mumbai” (Reference Lonely Planet Guide to India).
It’s a coastal city and we loved being next to the sea again, which we’d missed so much travelling through land locked central Asia and northern India, Its also, of course, the home of the Bollywood film industry and so a Marsala Movie was a must (Terry strangely was a little reluctant). “Singh is King” was the offering of the week and off we trotted. The ticket seller looked puzzled and pointed out at
The Taj Mahal
Us seated on that chair!
least three times that the movie is in Hindi, without sub titles. We’d taken the view that it probably wouldn’t make that much difference and were right, except that there were clearly some rib cracking jokes that sailed right over our heads. It was all of twelve minutes before the first song and dance routine and the seats throbbing with the bass and volume translated into any language.
Moving On
India had entertained us for ten weeks and yet we’d only managed to visit about one third of it. The decision to leave came on us suddenly whilst doing the very the British thing of standing in a queue for a train ticket. The train we were planning to take would have taken us to Kerala when we realised that Kerala, renowned for its beautiful water ways, would be running brown with post monsoon debris.
We’d been in India for ten out of the twenty weeks since leaving home and travelled for nearly one hundred and fifty hours, mostly by bus and mostly in cloud or mist. We’d enjoyed the most wonderful food having had curry every day but ten weeks of overcast skies
Jodphur â“ The Blue City
The walls of homes in the old city are painted with Indigo, it apparently deters mosquitoes and helps keep the homes cool.
combined with 98% humidity and rain would have been enough for anyone. So we stepped away from the train queue and straight up to the internet and booked a flight to sunny Kuala Lumpur.
I confess to shedding a tear when we left and I miss it still.
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charuavi
Anuprita Avinash Kadam
Hi from Mumbai
Dear Christine and Terry, Read your blog. India has gotten into your blood now as it has a way of doing. I am sure you will come back for more. We also saw our photo with you. It has come out very well as have all your other photos. Even more enjoyable is your commentary on the photos. So, where are you now? Setting sail for South America? My offer of being an Indian cook (with limited experience) on the yacht still stands. (Just kidding.) Bye and take care. Charu and Avi