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Published: November 29th 2006
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Vishnu statue in the National Museum of India in Delhi
Vishnu is recognizable by standing on the coiled serpent Shesha and the four things held in his hands. In one hand he holds a conch, the second hand a disc, the third a club or mace and the fourth he holds a lotus flower. India has made us realize that we will need a minimum of another 4 or 5 trips back here to see at least most of what we want to see in this amazing country.
We arrived in Delhi from Jodhpur and explored Delhi with new found confidence from our experience in Rajasthan. Delhi was still very smoky and hazy but it helped having a little experience of bargaining with auto rickshaw drivers. Delhi allowed Corey and Chris to connect with Corey's mom, Bonny and her tour group who had just returned from Bhutan. The three of us took a taxi to the Arts and Crafts Museum from Bonny's hotel and explored the museum for the majority of the afternoon. The Museum had many highlights but the main draw was the artisans. Several weavers, painters, statue builders and other craftspeople were working on pieces that would later be sold by them or the museum.
We returned to see Bonny the following morning and went exploring the streets of Delhi. We found a flower market and enjoyed seeing all kinds of varieties of flowers in bundles and arrangements for the coming Diwali festival. We bid Bonny and Delhi adieu and took
Elephant armor
Also located in the National Museum of India were many historic weapons and armor. The most impressive of these was a full scale War Elephant model. a train to Roorkee where Amy, Ankur and Ankur’s father Arvind were waiting for us at the train station. We spent several days in Roorkee with Ankur’s family and made a day trip to Rishikesh to see the ashrams and temples that have offered inspiration to many of the Hindi faith. One memorable part of the Diwali festival was performing a quiet prayer ceremony or puja with Ankur’s parents. We then had fireworks and visited many other friends of Ankur’s parents. Diwali is the festival of lights and it is hard to miss the Christmas like lights that light up both homes and businesses for the holiday. Electric light strings as well as traditional lanterns with candles and clay bowls that have been filled with flammable oil and a wick light the way for Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu, and goddess of good fortune to come to the homes and offer good luck, health and fortune to the families. We certainly felt fortunate to be part of this special celebration with Ankur’s family.
With Amy and Ankur at our side, we were able to appreciate a lot more of the architecture of the cities of India. Both of them are
Textile from early 20th Century
The artwork and textiles of modern Indian culture are on display at the India Arts and Crafts Museum in Delhi. trained architects and if you have never traveled with an architect I highly recommend it. The four of us explored the markets of Delhi from spice markets, to paper markets to many commercial and produce markets. We also wandered through Lodi Gardens in the south part of New Delhi and even had time for one of Ankur’s cousins to invite us to a birthday party for his one year old son. Krish turned one in style with a birthday celebration that reminded me of a scene from several Hindi movies. Everything was to the maximum. Food, lights, decorations, music and celebrating were all amped up a frenzied level. The party was more for Krish’s family and allowed the family members to connect and celebrate the good fortune of having a healthy baby.
The following morning the four of us were off for Agra and the famous Taj Mahal. Many monuments do not live up to their reputation or hype, but the Taj Mahal is an amazing structure of perfect proportion and scale. While we were in Agra we visited more of Ankur’s family, who shared many home cooked meals with us. We saw Agra fort and also made a
Weaving in Action
At the Arts and Crafts Museum, there were many craftspeople sewing, painting and even weaving silk. side trip to the city of Fathepur Sikri. This has a palace that was abandoned after the death of the ruler because it was not close enough to a reliable water source. The palace remains a fascinating collection of historic Mughal architecture. While in Agra, we also admired Akbar's masoleum which is another amazing example of geometric shapes, proportion and scale.
We took the train from Agra to Varanasi, our final stop with Amy and Ankur at our side. Varanasi is a very imporant place for those of Hindu faith. It is a very holy place and is the site of many offerings. The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga (Ganges River) and its religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of years with the belief that the god Shiva founded the city about 5000 years ago.
Varanasi is a walking city especially the closer you get to the river and this in itself adds to its special energy. The textiles of Varanasi are very famous and all of us were tempted by the fine scarves and cloth. Ankur also introduced us to the best
Festive Bullock Cart
Used for a wedding procession, this cart and coverings for two bullocks was an interesting highlight from our trip at the Arts and Crafts Museum. lassi in the world. The yogurt lassi is made right in front of your eyes with simple ingredients and then is poured in a clay cup. This earthern vessel adds to the flavor and texture of the drink. An experience I am not sure we will be able to duplicate anywhere else.
We parted with Amy and Ankur as they returned to spend more tiem with Ankur's family and we took the train east to Kolkata. We spent a very short time in Kolkata and then caught a plane to Bangkok, Thailand.
Our next entry will feature our volunteer experience in Northern Thailand and our close encounters with a new language, Thai!
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Carole
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Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos of your travels! You will have to frame many of them. I'm sure a gallery would also appreciate them! Bisous. Carole