Intense India

A June 2010 trip to India by akakd

First view of the "Taj". Photo - Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Quote: Though I know from someone who was born there that there is much more to India than large, bustling, crowded cities, our brief time there was quite intense. I thought I was prepared for what awaited. I wasn't.

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Sharing the Road

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If you haven't experienced the streets of India, you're in for a real adventure! The theme of the road is "Good Brakes, Good Horn, Good Luck!" And belief me, you need ALL of that!! We were smart enough to hire a driver, but found out quickly that lanes mean nothing in India. The government is trying to get people to drive within lanes with billboards sporting signs such as "Lane Driving is Sane Driving". Sharing the road with camels and elephants and oxen and all the cows is quite a jolting experience. Not to mention tractors, bicycles, motorcycles, and horsedrawn carts. Horns honk incessantly. Tires squeal. Motorcycles and buses run so closely together that many accidents find motorcycles un...Read More

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The Qutab Minar Complex (Qutb Minar)

Attraction | "Ancient Minaret"

Quote:

Qutab Minar in Southern Delhi boasts the tallest brick minaret in the world. Though the minaret is the focal point, many other interesting buildings and ruins are on site.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

The Qutab Minar Complex (Qutb Minar)
Mehrauli
Delhi, India

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Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Temple

Attraction | "Pink Palace?"

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Pink Palace? No...a large temple built in 1938 in Delhi, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the Goddess Lakshmi. Also known as Birla Mandir, this temple was inaugurated by M. Gandhi on the condition that people from all castes, especially "untouchables", could gain ready access. No photos allowed inside.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

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Gandhi Sites

Attraction | "Two Important Gandhi Sites"

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Two important Gandhi sites are found in New Delhi. One is Gandhi Smriti where Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. The other is Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Gandhi. Both are places of pilgrimage. The former has the room where Gandhi was staying, preserved as it was on the day he was killed, as well as the spot where he was killed. The latter has a simple raised square platform of black marble with an eternal flame on the site where Ghandi's body was cremated.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

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Jama Masjid/Friday Mosque

Attraction | "Truly Massive Mosque"

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Jama Masjid, located in the Old City of New Delhi, is the largest mosque in all of India and it is huge! Completed in 1650, after 13 years of construction, the courtyard alone can hold 25,000 devotees. Luckily, the crowds were small when we visited. Perhaps the heat had something to do with that. We were required to wear long flowing robes in order to enter, and shoes must be removed.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

Jama Masjid/Friday Mosque
Old City, Chandni Chowk
Delhi, India

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Connaught Hotel (The)

Hotel | "A Moderate Hotel, Mixing Old with New"

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The Connaught Hotel sits in the center of activity in New Delhi, though protected enough to be fairly quiet. Breakfast in the large restaurant was adequate enough, but began rather late (7:30) for those needing to get out early. Live musicians performed during the dinner hour. Staff were eager to please. Our room was okay and the bathroom appeared to have been modernized, though, as typical in India, we did experience some brief periods of the electricity going out. It came back on quickly, so wasn't much of a hindrance. Overall, our stay there was fine.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

Connaught Hotel (The)
37 Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd.
New Delhi 110001
+91 11 23364225

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Agra Fort

Attraction | "While in Agra . . ."

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As long as you're in Agra, you might as well visit the Agra Fort, though if you visited the Red Fort in New Delhi, you could probably skip on this. Built in 1565 of red sandstone, this fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than a fort, this walled-in structure is more like a palatial city. Look carefully at the details and colors in the red sandstone. Quite a contrast to the stark white of the Taj Majal. Shah Jahan, the Ruler that built the Taj Majal in honor of his wife, was imprisoned here at the Agra Fort by his sons, greedy for power and control, until his eventual death.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

Agra Fort

Agra, India

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Taj Mahal

Attraction | "The Taj"

Quote:

Arriving late at night into New Delhi, we slept only a few hours before waking early for the long trek to Agra. We were ill-prepared for the long, grueling, uncomfortable ride, made somewhat better by our non-stop talking, comedic driver. Arriving at the "Taj", as locals call it, made the long trip worthwhile. I'm sure you know that this marble masterpiece was built by a Mughal Emperor during the 17th century, in memory of his wife. The wife, who knew she was dying, requested a grand memorial be made to her and also that her surviving husband always respect and honor their children. The Emperor kept his promises and planned to erect a similar structure in black marble, just across the river from ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 26, 2010

Taj Mahal

Agra, India