Kuchaman Fort

To conclude our trip to Rajasthan, we stayed at Kuchaman Fort for two days of rest and relaxation.

The Amber Fort

In Jaipur we visited the Amber Fort.

Jaipur

There’s a lot to see in Jaipur: the City Palace, Observatory, Bazaar and the Amber Fort.

Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, the Pink City

After a long afternoon spent outdoors in the countryside, we made our way to Jaipur where we stayed in a beautiful residence which used to be the home of an English governor. I was happy that we were staying outside of Jaipur and remembered again why I love India. As beautiful as the Taj Mahal and other sites are, nothing compares to the peacefulness of India’s countryside.

Fatehpur Sikri

Before leaving Agra,we visited Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s home when the capital was outside of Agra.

Itimad-ud-Daulah

The Taj Mahal is inspired by Itimad-ud-Daulah, or Baby Taj as it is fondly known. The Baby Taj is the first building in India decorated with inlaid gems. Not surprisingly, the architect was a woman, Noor Jahan…

Agra Fort

It was amusing watching three Tibetan monks playfully pose for photos with two imams at Agra Fort where Shah Jahan spent his remaining years as a prisoner.

Taj Mahal in Agra

Of course, the highlight of the trip was visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, the most iconic symbol of love in the world. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum for Shah Jahan’s favorite wife who bore him fourteen children. The tomb’s white ivory walls are decorated with calligraphy and inlaid with colored semi-precious gems. There’s a perfect geometry to the Taj Mahal that is romantic by virtue of its discipline.

Sikandra in Agra

In Agra we visited Sikandra, the location of Akbar’s tomb. Sikandra integrates both Muslim and Hindu artistic styles, characteristic of Akbar’s own policy of religious tolerance while he ruled. Deer peacefully nibbled on the grass and monkeys seemed to emerge from nowhere at sunset. They were mostly mothers carrying their babies, swiftly moving through the mausoleum and confidently sitting amongst the tourists. I could see why simians are always the most popular animal at a zoo; their human-like features and behavior provide a “back-in-time” mirror of ourselves. Coincidentally, I was reading Y.M.’s “The Life of Pi” while we were in Agra. The book is about an Indian boy who finds himself lost at sea with some of his father’s zoo animals (a tiger, orang-atang, and zebra), spurring a discussion of where religious faith fits in with the fact that humans are ultimately little different, if at all, from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Qutb Minar Complex in Delhi

It took a while before I remembered visiting Qutb Minar Complex during my last trip to India: that’s how much the grounds had changed. Whereas years ago there were men selling scarves and trinkets and children begging, today the complex is orderly and non-commercial. 27 Hindu temples had been torn down to build the first mosque in India. The Hindu legacy is obvious in the column and stone art that depicts dancing Hindu goddesses and auspicious bells.