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Published: April 23rd 2008
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Right, first things first. Since my last blog I have visited Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand again. I missed out on the Phillippines because of a late flight and subsequently missing the connection and I am now in India. So you may ask why no blogs? Well a number of reasons, the main one being I lost my lonely planet with all my notes I had made on Cambodia and Vietnam. Secondly I met some friends in Thailand and therefore considered this to be the ‘holiday’ part of my trip which didn’t include writing blogs. So I will catch up and you can all read what I got upto in Cambodia and Vietnam however I will have to do some research and re-write all my notes. In the meantime hear is the start of the India blog......
Its sunset and still very hot, I have been sat for the last few hours in total awe. The beauty of this place is overwhelming, it truly is jaw dropping! I am sat on one of the benches looking over the ornamental gardens at this wonder of the world which is now over 350 years old and must look as good today as
the day it was completed. The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his second wife Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Apparently the Emperor turned grey overnight because he was so heartbroken. So he decided to build the fabulous Taj in her honour. The place was very busy as you would expect however it felt very serene at the same time. The detail and quality of the Taj is exquisite and the Cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal which lies directly under the main dome has fantastic screens that are carved from marble and inlaid with some 43 different kinds of semi-precious stones. They surround the false tomb of Mahel and her husband Shah Jahan who was interred here in 1666. This tomb spoils the perfect symmetry of the Cenotaph but takes none of the beauty away. Incidentally the real tombs are in a locked basement room beneath the main chamber.
The day had been a busy one setting off from Delhi at 08:00hrs making the 5 hour trip to Agra where we stopped for a spot of lunch before going to see Agra Fort which lies in the shadow of its
famous cousin the Taj Mahal. The fort is a formidable structure with 20M high walls and built from red sandstone and is a great example of mughal architecture. The fort was primarily built as a military structure before having the palace built within the walls. The majority of the palace still stands however some was destroyed first by the Nadir Shah, then the Marathas and the Jats and finally by the British who used the fort as a garrison.
The Palace is a wonderful maze of courtyards and buildings with the majority being made from White marble. There are several arched halls including the halls of public and private audiences and the mirror palace is a sight to behold. The fort was the prison to Shah Jahan for eight years before his death in 1666 and from one of the palaces and towers he could observe the Taj Mahal and the tomb of his wife.
The following day we (me and my driver Pawan) made our way to Jaipur, the Capital of Rajasthan. It’s a sprawling city with nearly 3 million people and as with many other Indian cities has the old town in the middle with the
outer limits of the city ever expanding. The Afternoon was relaxed and I visited a temple at dusk before having an early night in anticipation of the early start next morning.
Just imagine you are watching one of those films with the Arabian Knights on horseback attaking a fort in the middle of nowhere. Amber Fort could be the set for the film, set in the hills north of Jaipur it is surrounded by what could only be described as a mini Great Wall of China. The fort itself is once again home to a grand palace which is accessed by climbing about 1km up a hill which was made much easier with Elephant power. The Palace is still in the middle of being restored to its former glory however you can get lost in all the rooms and some of the halls and courtyards are exquisite. In particular the Hall of Pleasure (where the Maharaja would make his nocturnal visits) and Hall of Victory are both splendid examples of life in 16th Century Rajasthan.
Next it was to a palace overlooking Jaipur which was occupied by one of the Maharaja’s wifes. The palace was in
a poor state of repair however it did offer some great views over the sprawling city below. Next was what every visitor to India doesn’t want to experience however most do and that of course is a dose of Delhi belly. I don’t know what caused it however it is very uncomfortable to say the least. I struggled on seeing the City Palace museum with its exhibits of Weapons, Art and fashion. All very well presented however no photography was allowed and access to the palace itself is restricted. Understandable considering it is the home to the current royal family of Rajasthan.
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AJ
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Your Alive !
Nice to see that your still alive mate its been that long, beautiful place and very good notes, they're that good its almost looks like you've copied them from a book. Looks a fantastic place so enjoy and have a curry for me. Take care mate.