Visit to India - Part 3 - Shimla

Delhi and Agra gave us the first feel of India. These two days helped us to get ourselves adjusted to the country. We got up early and started the journey to Shimla without even having the breakfast. On the way we stopped for breakfast. The road from Delhi to Shimla was long and winding. Some of my friends became nauseate because of the bumping road. When we reached Shimla, it was already night. But on way we were lucky to experience dusk from the car where the sky gave shades of orange, red, yellow making a beautiful art. We were to stay in Shimla for 2 days. We all were tired and went to sleep as soon as we came to the inn.

The following day, after breakfast we went to engage in adventure activities. This was our first experience of snow. Either side of the road were covered with ice and here and there were piles of snow. Our driver advised us to go early as possible as there would be a queue for the adventure park.

The scene we experienced was totally unexpected. There were individuals that sold adventure packages such as zipline, confidence jump etc. We had to take a ride on a mule up to the park. The road was covered with snow and muddy. We were given separate snow suits to wear like that of Eskimos and shoes. We got into the mules and then the animals started taking us uphill. That was one of the worst experiences ever because of the torture on the animal. It had to climb uphill bearing the weight of the human on muddy snow. I wish that they had cable instead, but this was a source of income to the owners.


We got down near the gate and were asked to phone a number on the ticket once we were done with the activities. Off we went into the park first time walking on snow. There were yaks and Angora rabbits which were common in Himachal Pradesh and people can take photos holding or riding on them for money. Another common product in the region was Kesar (Kind of orangish spice that is believed to give beauty and good for pregnant ladies). This is mixed with Biriyani to give that special flavor. I wanted to buy one and one of these guys were coming after me to sell it.  The genuine one is about the smell and colour. The sellers try to sell the product by rubbing it on your hand and then asking someone else to touch the hand and smell the aroma. I didn’t buy from there but instead brought from Manali.

Everything there was about money. Even having a view from a summit point you need to pay something extra. We had booked an adventure package and a 4 wheel took us to the starting point where the activities took place. First, we walked on snow and entered a snow filled area which was a kind of play and rest area for people to enjoy snow. Many were throwing snowballs, so we also did through small one like as if it was customary to do so. I really wanted to take off my shirt and experience the cold but did not want to take a risk and get sick as it was only the beginning of our journey.

After spending some time enjoying the snow, we engaged in other activities like zipline and parallel rope crawling.  The space was known as the apple garden as it is covered with apple trees during summer. The scenery would be I am sure an entirely different one and indeed something to look forward to.

After the adventure activities we headed back again on the same mule which was now downhill. The crowd was mainly local, and most were shouting because of excited and some because they were scared. From there we went to observe the green valley which was a viewpoint of green trees and valley. We had our lunch from a restaurant and headed towards the inn.

After a small break we went to bazaar which was the marketplace. Although the inn we stayed was in a gloomy dark location, the bazaar looked bright and glamorous. It had two regions one with ordinary shops and one with branded ones. You get all sorts of brands of clothing, shoes, food items. As it was Christmas people were getting ready. There was a church which was unfortunately closed when we went. We also visited a temple of Kaali and even at that time of the night people were singing Bajan. The town also had monuments depicting its history. I saw notices saying not to spit specially as many Indians chew betel this was a measure to keep the city clean. The crowd was mainly locals.

It was such a pleasant view to see the lit city of Shimla at night like a series of bulbs on a black canvas. The town showed a festive look and many shops offered discounts for the season for their products. We had some peanuts and coffee on the way and headed towards the Inn where we stayed and had our dinner and went off to bed to get up early to prepare ourselves for the journey to Manali the following day.

Some thing to note for those that plan to travel. If it is winter get your winter clothing depending on how you can withstand cold. The condition of the hotels vary for deluxe to super luxury and what you consider as deluxe is not what is expected in Sri Lanka but something below. So if you want to have better conditions go in the higher range. Most rooms are not heated. You can either buy a heater for a small value or rent it from the hotel for extra money. Most of the booking in the hotels are with breakfast and dinner but they are vegetarian and mostly Indian food. Sometimes you will get sick of them. But there are enough shops and restaurants from which you can get a decent meal.

If you really want to experience snow try going after December. The next article will be on Kullu Manali and until we meet again stay safe..

Chitta

Visit to India – Part 2 – Agra Site Seeing

Our stay at Agra was not so exciting and enjoyable. There was no hot water when we needed. It was not a Raj Mahal as the name indicated. We had to get ready and do the site seeing as early as possible so we can reach Delhi soon so to avoid issues of Hindu Muslim struggles. No Internet was there (Like our ex-president they have also removed the network connectivity in the region). We had Poori for breakfast. We had to dip it in kind of curd-based dish. And we had tea/coffee along with it (This was included in the package). When we went to Checkout, we had to pay in cash as the systems were done our travel agent could not transfer the money. Sanjeev (Our driver) was waiting for us. Like the previous day, he packed all our luggage on to the vehicle and off we went.


We had two sites in our itinerary for the day. The world-famous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. All were excited for the Taj Mahal visit as visiting that would mean we are ticking off a world heritage site and in fact it was an emblem of love. We were joined by guy named Mohamed who was to be our guide for the day. He must be closer to thirty very fair handsome man. He was born in Agra, but he doesn’t have a birth certificate and he was worried hence as he would not be considered an Indian (Thank you my t ravel mates for reminding me). India being country with such a large population and ethnicities these issues were common, I guess. We all were happy to have a guide, and this was included in the package. He spoke decent English and had a good knowledge on the history and archeology.


Sanjeev dropped us about 1.5km away from the Taj Mahal which was our first stop for the day. From there we had to take a shuttle that takes us near the ticket office of Taj Mahal. It was like a golf cart like vehicle open one operated by the locals. We got in and within about 10 minutes we were taken near the ticket office and we had to pay something as a courtesy, and we paid about 25 Indian rupees one way for all six of us.


Mohamad took our passport and got the entry tickets. For SAARC countries there is a special rate. Along with the ticket we got a, token (That treks our time inside), water bottle and a foot cover to cover our shoes during the visit to mausoleum. We could use the ticket for 4 hours and for addition time we had to pay extra. So off we went and after security check we entered the Taj Mahal.


From the very beginning itself it was prominent why this was considered as such a majestic piece of architecture. We were initially taken through a series of photographs which gave us some significant timelines of the construction/renovations. Then were entered the garden.


Let me tell you a brief note on Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is located on the right Bank of the Yamuna river. It is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife. It encompasses about 17 hectares of land. Its construction began in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD, with the mosque, the guest house and the main gateway on the south, the outer courtyard and its cloisters were added subsequently and completed in 1653 AD. The existence of several historical and Quaranic inscriptions in Arabic script have facilitated setting the chronology of Taj Mahal. For its construction, masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from the Central Asia and Iran. Ustad-Ahmad Lahori was the main architect. It is considered as an architectural masterpiece because of the unique aesthetic qualities in balance, symmetry and harmonious blending of various elements. The complex consists of tomb, mosque, guest house, main gate, garden and the whole Taj Mahal. The colour combination of lush green scape reddish pathway and blue sky over it show cases the monument in ever changing tints and moods. The relief work in marble and inlay with precious and semi-precious stones make it a monument apart.

You can read a lot online about the history and the architecture of Taj Mahal. What I can only try to do it put into words the experience I gained. Entering through the gates and the first view of the Taj Mahal would mesmerize anyone for sure. The white structure seeing through the arch of the gates would drive you crazy. It is an experience that need to be felt. Walking through the pathways, looking at the different features and dimensions of the building was like walking into a different era in the history of India. It was a blend of history, culture, archaeology and architecture. Every stone, every writing, every building, every engraving narrated a story.

As this is known, the emblem of love I saw many couples taking photographs having Taj Mahal at the backdrop. Videography was prohibited near the main building and specially in the tomb no photography was allowed too. Although I could manage to capture some parts I believe that one need to be there in person to experience the real feeling. I questioned myself to rationalize as to why someone spend such money, resources and time to show off the world how much a person loves another. Can you really quantify love for me is an abstract concept. Nevertheless, it indeed was a monument that symbolizes love for many. For me it was more of an architectural marvel rather than a center piece for love and romance. But it was worth the experience.

Luckily, we managed to go out within 4 hours. The girls wanted to buy a souvenir, so our guide took us to a shop where they build replicas of Taj Mahal. These were made from original stones thus more expensive. Two replicas were bought but I later came to know that when they reached Sri Lanka, parts were broken. Apart from that, the place also sold leather items (shoes and handbags) and sarees (These were special handmade sarees made from Banana leaves and have a different quality in the fabric. There were simple designs all handwoven and according them the quality does not fade with washing). They gave some discount but even with that they were expensive, so we escaped with buying only the souvenirs.

The next stop was at Agra Fort another grand piece of architecture. Let me tell a bit about that too.

Agra Fort was built in the year 1573 under the reign of Akbar – one of the greatest Mughal Emperors. It took more than 4000 workers and eight years of hardship to complete the fort. Knowing the significance of its location, Akbar built the fort to make it the main residence of the Mughals. The fort remained as the main residence of the emperors belonging to the Mughal dynasty until the year 1638. The fort houses numerous impressive structures like the Jahangir Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. The fort has been owned by many emperors and rulers in the past, undergoing many changes in its appearance. The fort, when viewed from above, has a semicircular shape. The base of the fort faces the bank of the river Yamuna. The Agra Fort is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone. This wall is about 2 kilometer in perimeter and is interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions. The walls of the fort are a massive seventy feet high. The fort stretches for almost 2.5 kilometers. It has four gates (one on each side). The fort was believed to has secret passages and portray architectural marvels and magic.

This was also a huge structure, and you need to walk from one building to another across beautiful gardens. Each had a specific function and was the abode for a prince, a princess or king or a queen. There are baths and many optical illusions. What fascinated me most was the view of Taj Mahal from there. I am sure that Shah Jahan must have looked at the Taj Mahal for hours to recall him of the memories of Mumtaz.

It is not possible to put in the entire experience and details of all the structures. The pictures attached would give you some ideas of how both places looked like. We said goodbye to our guide and gave him a small tip as well as he did indeed a wonderful job and made us experience both places and filled us with a lot of information that indeed added a lot of knowledge to us.


What was certain that like Sri Lanka, India also had a rich history and was inhabitant by Royals, architects who were strategic, scientific and artistic. Their skills are evident form these great pieces which stands even today magnetically to please the eyes of the spectators.


We all were so hungry after wards and had a wonderful meal on the way to Delhi which took another good 6 hours and we reached the same hotel which we stayed to refresh but at a better room. We were to start our journey early the next day and experience Himachal from there onwards. We exchanged some money and had some coffee from a Coffee Bean at night and went to bed as the journey next day was going to be a long winding one.


Thank you Bhagya, Upeka and Ranheli for filling the missing memories to complete the article.


Chitta