Blogs from Fatehpur Sikri, Rajasthan, India, Asia
September 13th 2011
Despite having been in India for several weeks, I had not yet grasped the Indian Head Wobble. When speaking to an Indian local, you typically get a slight wobble of the head from side-to-side. This generally translates to an affirmative answer but you are never quite sure. The intensity of the wobble can sometimes help gauge the meaning. A fast and vigorous wobbling can mean that the person understands and is in strong agreement with you. A quick wobble from left to right can mean a simple “yes.” Whereas a soft and slow wobble accompanied by a smile can just signify friendship. But equally, sometimes it can mean “No” or “I don’t know”. You have to live in India for some time I think, to understand the intracacies of the Indian Head Wobble. I have heard ... read more
October 10th 2008
A morning of sight seeing in the deserted Mughal kingdom of Fatehpur Sikri, 40 km from Agra was followed by a visit to the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary now home to more than 400 species of birds. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the dirty cities and spend some time in a more rural environment. The fresh air was so inviting and the calmness of nature therapeutic. ... read more
INDIA: FATEHPUR SIKRI & JAMA MASJID
Published: July 11th 2008Asia » India » Rajasthan » Fatehpur Sikri
July 1st 2008
Me again from India. We were supposed to vist the Agra Fort after the Taj, but again Raju (the nightmare driver) changed our plans ignoring my request to see the fort. In a flash, we were already out of Agra, with him angry that I was firm about not stopping at a marble factory. We stopped at the fortified ghost city of FATEPUR SIKRI next. An "official" guide approached us offering his services for R$600. I bargained it down to R$100 and decided it would be better to stick with him than to be pested by a swarm of unoffical guides. We took an autorickshaw up the hill, to find another amazying Indian site. The large JAMA MASJID mosque is of Persian and Hindu design, has inumerous archways, a huge courtyard and a beautiful white marble ... read more
von ueberlebten Busfahrten und riesigen Palaesten ...
Published: June 26th 2007Asia » India » Rajasthan » Fatehpur Sikri
June 26th 2007
nach Agra Dienstag 26.06. So, heute geht's also nach Agra - zum Taj Mahal (einem der nun "offiziellen" "Neuen 7 Weltwundern" ... naja ... :-)). Zunaechst aber per Zug nach Barathpur - Zugfahrt war wieder sehr kurzweilig, weil der nette Herr neben mir etwas Englisch sprach und sich dann ausfuehrlichst mit mir unterhalten hat ... (auch einen Tee hab' ich ausgegeben bekommen - "ich bin ja Gast hier (in Indien)". Sehr nett alle (waren auch wieder 2 kids mit im Abteil ... die kleinen Kinder hier sind echt goldig ... - was nicht heisst, dass ich deswegen unbedingt eins haben muss :-) ). Vom Bahnhif dann per Autoriksha zum Busbahnhof, dort dann auch durch mehrmaligem Fragen schliesslich den richtigen Bus gefunden (Nummer 822, falls jemand diese Info mal braucht)! Einfach einsteigen, Ticket gibt's drin. Ich ... read more
January 12th 2006
Our day started young and after a quick breakfast we found ourselves at the gate of a real fort! It was the Agra fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and continued by his successors. It was regal, imposing and impregnable with its double layer of walls on the periphery, the outer wall being 40’ high and the inner one being 70’ high. According to the famous historian Abul Fazal, the fort had about 500 stone buildings, but only a few still exist today. Perhaps the most palatial of all today is the Jehangir palace which was the principal zenana palace (palace for women belonging to the royal household), the Khas mahal built by Shahjahan overlooking the specially laid Angoori Bagh (Grape garden- a simple formal Mughal garden). flanked on either side by residences of his ... read more
30) The extraordinary Moghul city of Fatehpur Sikri
Published: May 20th 2005Asia » India » Rajasthan » Fatehpur Sikri
April 26th 2005
We caught an Agra-bound bus at a junction close to our guesthouse in order to reach Fatehpur Sikri, which is actually at very close distance from Agra (37 km). Though the bus was crammed, the ride was bearable because it was short. There we took a horse-cart to our destination, passing impressive fortifications of the old Moghul city. For the first time we had an air cooler in our room, an instrument to cool the air by means of water. A big metal box protrudes from the room, there is a kind of frame at the bottom, the three sides outside the room have metal grids and beneath them mats of coir. A ventilator blows the warm air from outside through this "curtain of water", where it is cooled down and blown into the room. The ... read more
November 30th 1940
Away in the bus again calling at Fatehpur Sikri on the way to see the old Mogul Palace. Very interesting tour but spoilt by aggressive salesmen selling trinkets. ... read more
