Visiting India - Part Six

On the way from Agra to Samode, we stopped to see Fatehpur Sikri, "The Ghost City."  It was constructed by Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, and served as the Mughal Empire's capital from 1571 until 1585 when it was abandoned because the water supply was unable to sustain the growing population.

Getting ready to leave the Taj Gateway Agra Hotel

and go to Samode.  Our bus driver (left) is walking

with Gloria and Richard Howell, who are fellow travelers

from Pocatello, Idaho.

 The load of bricks these donkeys are carrying brings to

mind the familiar expression, "beast of burden."

Sam took this picture and the next two photos from the bus

as we traveled along on our way to "The Ghost City."

Riders peddling along and on motor bikes is a familiar scene

on the roads.  These women have dried cow "pies" used for fuel

in their bundles, which the next photo shows drying in the sun.

Cow "pies" used for fuel.  
Would you want the job shaping these into circles
to get ready to dry?  Yuk!

 Once the driver comes, the women will be on their

way joining the conglomeration of available transportation.

Jodhabai's Palace in Fatehpur Sikri.  It was built by
Akbar for his Hindu queen, Jodha Bai.  Akbar also had
a palace for Mariam, his Christian queen.

In the center of the background can be seen the 
Hall of Private Audience
(Diwan-i-khas).
These children were on a field day excursion and
seemed happy to have their picture taken with us.

This central pillar is in the Hall of Private Audience.

It is believed Akbar sat on the circular platform above

the pillar and his ministers sat in the four corners of

the elevated crosswalks.  It was here that Akbar had

representatives of different religions discuss their faiths

and gave private audience.

Diwan e Aam
(The Audience Hall for the General Public)
It was used for celebrations and public prayers.
Ornate screens on either side separated the ladies 
attending the court who could watch without being seen.

Several of these school children came up to us with their hand

extended for a handshake as they smiled and said, "Hello."
The school girls we saw in other places did not have uniforms
matching the boys as these were, but rather wore dresses that
were unlike their mothers' saris and more western in style.
Although Fatehpur Sikri is now a "ghost city," there is a
population currently of over 28,000 people; 19% of the
population is under six years of age.

The open courtyard at Fatehpur Sikri.

Panch Mahal is the five-storied structure open on all sides

and built of local red sandstone.  Some think it might

have been built for the ladies of the court.  Others have

suggested it might have been where Akbar was available

for those assembled in the courtyard to worship him and

receive his blessings.

Back in the bus again, we were on our way to Samode where we were greeted like royalty with a welcoming band and taken to the Palace Hotel in a camel caravan.  Here are some things we saw along the way:  

Our bus passed by this camel pulling a load on the highway.

Sam was interested in the local blacksmith.  

He has a unique forge and anvil.

We passed by what appears to be a goat auction.

The welcoming band was enthusiastic if not melodic. 

Camels and carts ready to take us to the hotel.

Part of the welcoming ceremony.

It was dark when we reached the Palace Hotel where

a garland of fresh marigolds was placed around our

necks and a red spot "bindi" was painted between our eyes.

The hotel was outlined in miniature lights.

Upon entering the hotel, we were greeted with the traditional

Indian greeting of "namaste" and given a warm, wet

washcloth to freshen up with and a small glass of juice.

The Palace Hotel

The Palace is about 400 years old and was originally a fortified

Rajput stronghold, but early in the 19th century the castle 

began to be transformed into what has now become a 

prestigious hotel for tourists who are lucky enough to stay here.

"Fun for Less Tours" knows the prince who owns the palace,

which we were told gives them priority for reservations.

This is a view looking out the front entrance of the hotel.

 The Durbar Hall in the Palace Hotel.

Since it had been a former palace for noblemen, the rooms 
for hotel tourists have a variety of looks and are not uniform. 

 This sign had been prepared for our tour group and

was made completely from rice.  It was there to

welcome us as we went to a nice dinner that

was especially served to our tour group.  One member
wasn't watching and stepped on the sign.  This

necessitated some rearranging of the rice.  

We are going to the evening's dinner.

 

We shared a table with Kay and Julee Anderson,

Steven and Jean Habel, and Rodney and Avis Chandler.

The evening's entertainment included music, dancers,

and a man performing with a torch of fire.  As a finale,

some of our group were included in a large circle dance, 

including myself.  Makayla Ericksen and Sue Lemmon are

in the photo standing next to the ladies in their saris.

The next morning, we climbed the many steps to the top of the hill where the ancient fort is located and gives a nice view of the valley below. 

 

Samode Fort at the top of the hill.

 The fort was mainly used at times of trouble, 

having an underground passageway that provided access 

from the palace.  This tunnel was a secret way used 

by the royal family and others, but it has been replaced

by steps now.  Here we are after the climb.

Looking down from the stairs to the hotel below.

From the stairs, we saw these ladies digging a place
to catch water.

On our way down from the fort, we met these goats

coming up.

The goats had some unusual markings.

We also were met by several monkeys on and

near the stairs.

Sam taking a picture of the monkeys,
while I'm taking a picture of him.

This pair did not care about us as we passed by on the

stairs; but I was a little concerned when two other

monkeys started fighting over bananas that a man

was passing out, so I hurried on past.

We went on a camel safari in the countryside to the place

where our lunch was served.  Here we are with

the man leading our camel.

 

Our camel caravan.  

Riding in the cart shown in the

front of the photo are Norman and Sherry Davis.

Here is a close-up of Norman and Sherry,

which was actually taken later at Pushkar.  Early on in

our tour, we found out that Sam had been Norman's

math teacher in St. Johns, Arizona; and it was fun to

spend some time reminiscing and catching up on

things since those long ago days.

(Lance Huddleston is in the background.)

Entering the village on our way to our lunch.

We have arrived at the private garden of the prince

who also owns the Palace Hotel.

This is where we had our lunch.

We shared a table with Steven and Jean Habel.
Notice the canvas ceiling.

After our lunch, we returned to Samode and walked around the streets looking at the shops.  Earlier in the day when we went up the steps to the fort, we had a pleasant visit with a young man who chose to stay with us as we walked.  When we got back down, he said he would like us to come see his little shop.  

It turned out that his "little shop" was a portfolio with paintings on old paper or silk, some of which he said were his work.  The pitch he gave is similar to what I heard others say that his grandfather was the artist for the older paintings and taught his father who taught him.  

I complimented him on the one I liked best, which had three elephants painted on silk, but I said I was not interested in buying one.  Nevertheless, he quoted me the price he wanted.  I thanked him but said I was not interested.  Of course, he asked me what I would be willing to pay.  Fairly certain that he would not accept it, I said I would pay $15.  No, he couldn't sell it for that.  So I thanked him again and said we appreciated visiting with him.  

Well, he continued to walk with us the rest of the afternoon as we explored the town.  He even took us to see a wedding celebration where the ladies tried to get me to join them in the dancing.  When we returned to the hotel, he again asked about buying his painting.  We ended up buying it for $20 and giving him a tip for spending the day with us.  So what shall I do with my painting of three elephants?

The elephant painting on silk and the self-proclaimed "artist,"
although I am quite sure it is a copy of someone else's work;
as there were other vendors selling similar works from
their portfolios.  Still, he was a nice young man.

I bought some bangles here after they demonstrated

how they were made from the resin of banyon trees

and then were decorated.  I have some young

granddaughters who I thought would like them.

We saw several pigs roaming the streets.

Cows and pigs seem to fend for themselves 

and sort through the trash.

These men have gathered to offer prayers for the sick mother 
of the household and are being fed by the family.

(Gem stones and jewelry were sold in several shops.)

I don't know what these men are making, 

but the work place seems quite primitive.

We saw several women carrying loads on their heads.

Sue and Gale Lemmon, our tour escorts, and 

Sabir, our Indian guide who traveled with us.

After spending two nights in Samode, we left the next morning for a short drive to Jaipur where we started the day by climbing up to the Amber Fort by elephant.  That will be covered in the next blog.

Visiting India - Part Five

On the morning of November 3, we began our tour in Agra by visiting the world famous Taj Mahal, which is regarded as one of the "Wonders of the World."

 It was an impressive sight to see the beautiful Taj Mahal.
It is a marble mausoleum built by
emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife,
Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their 14th child.
(Narene)

Here is a closer look at the details in the marble construction of the

Taj Mahal.  The inlaid stones are of yellow marble, jasper,
and jade polished and leveled to the surface of the walls.
Calligraphy is also part of the exterior design.

This is a different view of the Taj Mahal.

We had to remove our shoes to walk on the marble

flooring on the outside and on the inside.

Construction began around 1632 and was completed

in 1653.  It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Showing details of part of the marble motifs.

This is the entrance gate we went through to see

the Taj Mahal.

At the left is the Taj Mahal mosque.

To the right is seen one of the four minarets, each of which

is 115 feet tall, and are on the four corners of the platform

upon which the Taj Mahal is built.

The walkways beside the reflecting pool looking
toward the main entrance gate opposite the Taj Mahal.

On the way to see the Baby Taj, we saw a demonstration
where they made and sold works of marble pieces decorated with
inlaid semi-precious stones.  I bought a small marble container
with a decorative lid.


 
Built between 1622 and 1628, before the Taj Mahal,
this mausoleum is known as the "Baby Taj," 
which the Mughal Empress Nurjahan, queen of Jahangir,
had built to pay homage to her parents.
(Narene and Sam)  

  The Baby Taj
It is located on the left bank of the Yamuna River and is
the first tomb in India to be built entirely of white marble.

This colorful decoration is on the ceiling

of the Baby Taj.

 The walls of the Baby Taj are of white marble encrusted with
semi-precious stone decorations of cornelian, jasper,
lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz.

 Cenotaphs (empty tombs) honor Queen Nurjahan's parents.
Her father was given the name of Itmad-ud-Daulah 
(pillar of the state), so the Baby Taj is also
called the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah.

In Agra, we also visited the Red Fort, so called because it is made of red sandstone.  It was designed and built by the great Mughal ruler, Akbar, in about 1565 A.D.  

The gate into the Red Fort.  The walls of the fort
are 70 feet high.

The Shish-Mahal or "Glass Palace" was built by the
Mughal King Shah Jahan as a summer palace in the
Red Fort (1631 A.D.)

Ornamentation in the Glass Palace

The red cockscomb plants border the garden 
courtyard of the Glass Palace.

Inside the Muthamman Burj in the Red Fort.
This is where Shah Jahan, who had built the Taj Mahal,
spent the last seven years of
his life under house arrest by his son Aurangzeb.
The Taj Mahal can be seen from the balcony of the
Muthamman Burj tower.

Jahangiri Mahal

This was the palace for women belonging to the royal

household.  It was used mainly by the Rajput wives

of Akbar. (Akbar was the grandfather of Shah Jahan.)

  The building is made of red sandstone.

According to an online source, this is the most

important building of the Akbari period in the Red Fort.

Jahangiri Mahal

I read that it was built by Akbar for his son Jahangiri,

the 4th Mughal Emperor of India.

(1556-1605)

 

A closer look of the pillars of the Jahangiri Mahal palace.

Jehanger's Bath with steps on the outside and inside.
Spelling of the name for this bath is from the sign on site;
online sources spell Akbar's son as "Jahangiri."

Diwan I Am (Hall of Public Audience) - Red Fort
It was constructed during the reign of Shah Jahan (1631-1640).
The emperor used this place to address the general public 
and nobility.  It was originally built from red sandstone and
later covered with white shell plaster to look like white
marble.  It used to be connected to royal apartments, and
royal wives could observe the ceremonials through screens
without being seen by the assembled crowd. 

The moat outside the walls of the Red Fort.

Tour members used "whisper receivers" with headphones
to hear the guides presentation about the things we
were seeing.  I recall our guide pointing out the decorations
on this building in the Red Fort that had not only the expected
Hindu and Muslim symbolism, but also
the Jewish Star of David symbols seen above the archway.

It was interesting to see these historical monuments and palaces, but it was also sad to see the poverty in the city and the trash that marred the landscape and rivers.

Our bus passed by this open sewer.

Not a pretty sight to see in Agra.

These water buffalo were by the Yamuna River in Agra.

There were no stop lights or signs to direct traffic,
but the varied means of transportation seemed to
move along slowly without signs of "road rage."

These women are carrying dried cow patties 
on their heads, which are used as fuel for fires.  
How would you like the job of forming this excrement
into circles before laying it out to dry in the sun?

Marigold flowers are a popular flower and used
to decorate as garlands for buildings and people.

Monkeys free to roam.

The next blog entry will find us traveling to Samode, approximately a four-hour drive from Agra and about 30 miles outside of Jaipur.  Enroute to Samode, we stopped for a visit in  Fatehpur Sikri, which is known as "The Ghost City." We spent two nights in the ancient Samode Palace and had another memorable adventure in this interesting part of India.