Easter sunrise-at the Taj Mahal, India
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2008
1
25
38
Trip End
Apr 22, 2008
Mumbai (Bombay),
India
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Getting to the train was no easy task. Our bus had to drop us off a block away. Imagine 150 tourists wheeling luggage over potholes, trash & sewage & then maneuvering around hundreds of Indians sleeping on the train station floor.
We arrived in Agra 2 hrs. later & drove to the Taj Mahal. The Taj is called a Dream in Marble. It was built entirely of white marble in loving memory of Mumtaz Mahal. After Mumtaz gave birth to her 14th child, she fell very ill. Her last wish was for her husband to build a beautiful monument over her grave as a token of their love. Work began in 1631 A.D., took 22 yrs. & 20,000 workers to complete it. (Yes, Kylie, I bought a miniature marble Taj Mahal for you as you requested).
From the Taj, we took a tour of Agra Fort, built in 1565 A.D. by Mughal rulers. This is another remarkable group of buildings & we were amazed to see the blue & gold colors, still clearly visible today.
After the fort, we toured Fatehpur Sikri where the Emperor & his harem of 300 lived. Numerous buildings include a hospital, stables, baths & a school. As you might imagine, we collapsed in our hotel rooms after the dinner & a Kathak performance. I didn't even tell you about the marble factory tour.
Easter Sunday. We departed the hotel early to see the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Tears came to my eyes as I sat on the white marble steps, thinking of friends & family thousands of miles away. This was a day none of us would ever forget! I hope all of you had a beautiful Easter Sunday wherever you were.
Well, it was a 4 hr. drive from Agra to the Delhi airport on a bus with little a.c. (probably because of the broken window) & no shocks or springs. Ours was the best of the 3 buses. From our original start in Cochin, through New Delhi, Agra & Bombay, we continued to see sights that shocked us. I will skip many of the gross details but filthy & squalor are words we often used. Water buffalo & children bathing in the same dirty water, pigs wallowing in sewage filled ditches, trash strewn everywhere (at least it gave the buffalo & dogs something to eat), water buffalo droppings made into patties & used to build houses (the dung is also used as firewood for cooking) & little children everywhere begging for Rupees. Education is not compulsory in India. Why go to school when you'll work in the fields anyway? Many of the children were severly deformed, often maimed by their parents so they could beg on the streets. The Govt. is trying to entice children to go to school by offering a free lunch. Wow. It was a sensory overload for all of us.
On the flight to Bombay last night, many of us sat next to well educated Indians who feel the rich are getting richer, the poor getting poorer & it will take 50 yrs. to see any improvement. With an avg. of 5-6 children per family & over 1 Billion in India now, some felt there is no hope for India.
From one extreme to another, from Hinduism to Islam, we are now enroute to Dubai.
Linda
