After breakfast we depart for a day trip to Hampi, the seat of the famed Vijayanagara Empire, which was the capital of the largest empire in post-Mughal India, covering several states. Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins of Hampi of the 14th Century lies scattered in about 26 sq. km area, amidst giant boulders and vegetation. Protected by the tempestuous river Tungabhadra in the north and rocky granite ridges on the other three sides, the ruins silently narrate the story of grandeur splendour and fabulous wealth. The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tell a tale of man’s infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.

We walked the site the entire morning and as a treat before lunch we had another surprise. We took a ride on a Crocle, which is a circular boat made of Bamboo. It was pleasant on the water and a nice break for us. The massive ancient ruins speaks of another example of a conqueror.

 

Sculpted out of solid rock, the temples are adorned with dwarfs, an 18-armed Shiva, a Nandi bull, Lord Vishnu and the goddess Durga. The famed Durga Temple represents the blending of southern and northern styles of architecture.  We make a stop at Aihole. The seventy temples at Aihole exemplify Hindu medieval art. The Durga temple with its pyramidal roof has some remarkable sculpture, and the Jain Meguti temple is composed of 630 small stone blocks. We also visit Patadakkal, the place where the Chalukuan kings had their coronation ceremonies. The ceiling of the Papanath temple, built around 680 AD, has a carved smiling Shiva, appearing to bless with his outstretched palm from whatever direction he is viewed. The Virupaksha Temple is a curious figure — an elephant on one side and a buffalo on the other.

Goa…a beautiful spot on the Arabic Sea! Our hotel accommodation could be in Hawaii; it was so relaxing and almost seemed out of context because it was so different from what we have visited thus far. Here we had a short tour to old Goa and visited to Christian churches. This part of India was controlled by the Portuguese and the Roman Catholic influence was very noticeable. It was a relaxing morning and here, low and behold, we finally could get into a bank and exchange our old Rupee for the new ones. Only 2000 each and our fingers were marked just as in an election.

The picture says it all!

Afternoon we just relaxed by the sea and pool area.

The next day we travelled to Badami on on the way we stopped and took some pictures. Farmers cutting rice for harvest, visiting some locals at a pee stop and the highlight of our trip…a local wedding!

Ok, nobody should crash a wedding but we did! We stopped to take a peek but we soon became guests of honor. Including pictures with the bride and groom! Then they insisted we eat with them, of course it is by hand but we soon fit in!

The flights again compromised our visit to Mumbai but we were still able to view a couple of important, and interesting, sites. Particularly the gateway to India arch, but of course the slum areas, (slum dog millionaire) and the Taj Mahal Hotel were the terrorists took many lives not to long ago.

Before sunrise we take a boat ride on the sacred Ganges River, where devout Hindus can be seen performing their daily ablutions. The bathing ghats, over 5 km in length, lead down from a steep bank to the river, are the soul of the city. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Later we walk through an inextricable maze of small streets and alleyways, hiding in disorderly array no less than 2,000 temples and shrines. Domes, pinnacles, towers and derelict 18th-century palaces dominate the left bank of the Ganges River. The streets are noisy, colour is rife. Varanasi is the religious capital of the Hindu faith since the dawn of history. Known as Kashi in the 7th century BC it constitutes a microcosm of Indian life. No one knows how old it really is — when Buddha came here in 550 BC, it was already a flourishing ancient settlement. Visit some of the more important temples such as the Bharat Mata Mandir and the Durga Temple. Go past the beautiful Tulsi Manas temple. Take a walk down Vishwanathji Ki Gali — the ancient alley which is home to some beautiful temples.

Because our flight was moved up we only had time to take a boat trip and witness the cremation ceremony. Every Hindu would like to be cremated and have their ashes put into the Ganges.

The Corpse is brought down to the rivers edge wrapped in ceremonial attire and dunked into the river by relatives. After the dunking they each take turns pouring water down the throat of the deceased. Then the body is lifted back up to wait for the cremation. The fire is built from  exactly 360 kilograms of wood, body, obviously, is put on the top, and then the fire is lit from the eternal fire pit.

This goes on continuously 365 days a year; we were told that there are about 80-100 in a 24 hour period.

Down river people are bathing, brushing their teeth and drinking from the very same Ganges, a show of unbelievable faith.

After a late flight we rushed down to the Ganges to sit on a boat and watch the religious ceremony on a boat, a Gnat, I hope you expand the pictures to see what this looks like. Not a festival, this event goes on every night 365 days of the year and is performed by young priests. Hindus come from every part India to witness this ceremony. Every Hindu has the desire to witness this once in a lifetime.

This posting is restricted to people over 18!

After breakfast we drive to Khajuraho, renowned for its fine temples. In the afternoon we visit the temples. Built between 950 and 1050 AD, they are among the most creative examples of Indian architecture. Only 22 of the original 85 temples survive today. The most popular theme is woman: reflective, playful, and amorous. The carvings also depict gods in cosmic evolution, griffins, nymphs, beasts, demons in revolt and the several emotions of man — fear, doubt, jealousy, ardent love and consummate passion. The western group, contained within a fenced enclosure, is well-maintained as a park. The large Lakshmana Temple is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the earliest of the western enclosure temples, dating from 930-950 AD. It is also one of the best preserved, with a full five-part floor plan and four subsidiary shrines. The Vahara Temple, dedicated to Vishnu’s boar incarnation (Vahara avatar) faces the Matangesvara Temple and has a huge solid and intricately carved figure of the boar incarnation, dating from around 900 AD. The Kandariya Mahadev Temple is not only the largest but also artistically and architecturally the most perfect. Build between 1025 and 1050 AD; it represents Chandela at its finest. The Mahadeva Temple is small and mainly ruined. However, it houses one of Khajuraho’s best sculptures — a fine sardula figure caressing a lion. The Devi Jagadamba Temple was probably originally dedicated to Vishnu, but later changed to Parvati and then Kali. The Chitragupta Temple is unique in being dedicated to the Sun God, Surya. The Matangesvara Temple, standing next to the Lakshmana Temple, is not within the fenced enclose, because it is still in everyday use, unlike all the old temples.

Every piece of block for these structures was carved at the quarry. The plans must have been very elaborate and well understood by everyone. Now as you can see by the photos there is a lot of explicit sexual acts carved into many stones. Personally I think it was a bunch of workers that decided to get even for all the overtime and poor pay! Probably thought no one would notice until the boss brought the wife over to view the finished product. I am just making that up but the dog scene I just gotta believe that wasn’t on the original plans.

Truely a magnificent group of temples, unearth after many years of deterioration by the British and restores, now a world heritage site.

Some of the pictures are slightly distorted because of the wide angle lens.

After breakfast, we travel to Orchha by road. In the afternoon we visit Orchha. Founded in the 16th century by the Bundela king, Rudhra Pratap, on the banks of the Betwa River, Orchha is a medieval city frozen in time and space, existing even today as it must have done in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was built. The countryside undulates gently between riverine plains and rolling forest-clad hills and the landscape is dotted with palaces and temples, a fortress and cenotaphs. The architecture is a synthesis of traditional Hindu, hybrid Indo-Saracenic and ornate Mughal. One of the finest sights is the view of the cenotaphs from across the Betwa River. We visit the Jehangir Mahal, the most grandiose structure in Orchha; the Raja Mahal Rai Praveen Mahal.

This part of the adventure is way off the beaten track. Few tourists take the time to visit these villages but they have some interesting sites to offer. It was a nice afternoon visit to this village but here is the bonus; we found an ATM that we could get money out of. I know, I know, I know….not a big deal?! But it is if all the Rupee you brought was worthless and the lineups are so long you can’t stop and get good ones. But we did here!

After an early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Railway Station to board the Shatabdi Express train to Gwalior. We are met on arrival and transfer to the hotel. This afternoon we visit the Gwalior Fort. The fort’s walls and buildings were constructed by different generations of rulers. The most notable are the Suraj Kund, a tank built in the 8th century AD, two 11th century temples known as Sas Bahu ka Mandir, dedicated to Vishnu; the 16th century Gujri Mahal Palace and the Hindola Gate, which houses a small archeological museum. Later visit Jai Vilas Palace and Museum, located in the city. The enormous Jai Vilas Palace, built in the 19th century, has a pair of the world’s heaviest chandeliers in the Durbar Hall and a crystal staircase. The dining table is fitted with an electric train made of silver, which carried brandy and cigars around the table after dinner, ( see if I can fit this into our dining living room).

The train ride was uneventful in that it took only a short time and not really a lot to see. Comfortable though and a real nice break from the bus. When we arrived the new bus, (pronounced “different bus” since it was not nearly as nice as the last one) will be with us for three day and we are going to have to get use to it’s little idiosyncrasies, seat backs in the permanent inclined positions, very dirty and unkept, etc.

After a nice long lunch break we visited the fort and the temples; we walked down the road to view the Jain statues and as you can see by the photos they were huge! Time for a little fun that was provided by Norm, Barb and Maggie.

We depart for Agra. En route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted sandstone city, which was the glorious but short-lived imperial capital of Akbar, the greatest of Mughal emperors. Lying on a rocky ridge, it is today a haunting complex of empty palaces, forts and mosques. A variety of architectural styles are found, since craftsmen representing many schools were employed.

The highlight of your trip will be a visit to the Taj Mahal, the greatest monument to love and one of the wonders of the modern world, constructed by Emperor Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. Completed in 1652, skilled craftsmen from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy and some 20,000 labourers worked for 17 years to build this edifice. You have time to explore the bazaars and craftsmen’s ateliers, where you can watch the ancient art of marble in-lay work.

No words can describe the feeling as you approach the Taj Mahal and catch a series of glimpses of the mausoleum through the openings above the walled area.The anticipation made me want to rush forward from the group to experience the full breathtaking structure. Sometimes anticipation is more than the actual site and you become underwhelmed as the real is dewarfed by the mental impression but not this time. It is spectacular!

Afterwards  we visited Agra Fort and observed the various structures, one of which faced the Taj Mahal. There is the rooms where Sham Jehan spent his last days under house arrest. He could still look across the river and see his magnificent creation.