India & Nepal, October to November,2009
There are two narratives to this journal and four slideshows: Nepal, India, Birds, and Non-Birds
Grand
Wildlife Tour of India and Nepal
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19TH OCT Day 01: Arrive at Delhi
20TH OCT Day 02: Delhi – Kathmandu
21ST
OCT Day 03: Katmandu - Chitwan
22ND OCT
Day 04: Chitwan
23RD OCT Day 05: Chitwan
24TH OCT Day 06: Chitwan - Kathmandu
25TH OCT Day 07: Kathmandu
26TH OCT Day 08: Kathmandu – Delhi
27TH OCT Day 09: Delhi / Jaipur
28TH OCT Day 10: Jaipur / Ranthambhore
29TH OCT Day 11: Ranthambhore
30th OCT Day 12: Ranthambhore
31st NOV Day 13: Ranthambhore / Bharatpur
01ST
NOV Day 14: Bharatpur
02ND NOV Day 15: Bharatpur / Agra
03RD NOV Day 16: Agra / Jhansi / Khajuraho
04TH
NOV Day 17: Khajuraho
05TH NOV Day 18: Khajuraho / Bandavgarh
06TH
NOV Day 19: Bandavgarh
07TH NOV Day 20: Bandavgarh
08TH NOV Day 21: Bandavgarh / Kanha
09TH NOV Day 22: Kanha
10TH NOV Day 23: Kanha
11TH NOV Day 24: Kanha / Nagpur / Kolkata
12TH NOV Day 25: Kolkata / Guwahati / Kaziranga
13TH
NOV Day 26: Kaziranga
14TH NOV Day 27: Kaziranga
15TH NOV Day 28: Kaziranga / Guwahati / Delhi
16TH NOV Day 29: Delhi - Home
Sunday, October 18, depart Newark on Continental CO82A at 8:25 PM, terminal C, We were an hour late taking off, but the flight was only 13 hours so we arrived in Delhi on time. Very comfortable reclining seats and delicious lobster. We both slept five or six hours. The drive from the airport was terrifying. Indians drive by horn, not accelerator and brakes. It's smoggy, hot and dirty, but everything is decorated very festively—bright Christmas lights on all the buildings and brilliantly decorated vehicles. It is the festival of Dwali, festival of lights, on the day of 'Amavasyaa', when the moon does not rise and there is darkness all around. Light, being symbol of hope and positive energy, indicates the victory of good over evil. By spreading light in every corner of our premises, they try to destroy the reign of darkness. The Madonna Hotel is fair, rather seedy, but the bed seems comfortable, even though it's early afternoon, our body time. Repacked everything for Nepal. Slept only a little and fitfully. I spent the time looking out the window at territorial dogs eluding honking cars and scooters. Across from the hotel is what appears to be an office under construction, but it is full of squatters, and the hose on the corner is their communal dishwasher and shower. By 6:30, every body is hustling.
Tuesday, October 20: Transfer to airport for flight to Katmandu. Our driver was at the hotel two hours early: 6:30!! We had breakfast in our room at 7:30 then left for the airport. The plane didn't leave until noon (Air India IC414. Depart 13:40, Arrive (KTM) 15:25), so we had a boring wait. Beautiful flight with the snow-capped Himalayas getting ever closer. Our driver and a guide took us on another terrifying drive through dirty slums. The hotel, Vaishali, is quite nice and we have a back room on the top floor with a view of the mountains. Jerry raided the maid's cart for soap, TP, and towels, apparently in very short supply in Nepal (as in India). Went out walking in a vast meandering warren of shops and sidewalk vendors. Got a beautiful green yak jacket and a flute for Devin. My knee started to ache so we came back. Went to the Thamel House Restaurant for dinner. Very nice, all tourists, but it was a 19-course sampling of Nepali and Newari dishes: appetizers, soup, mutton, chicken, wild boar, veggies and dessert. All accompanied by "cultural events", Nepalese dances. We won't go back, but it was lots of fun and well worth an evening, about $12.50 per person. The streets seemed dark when we got home only to find that the electricity goes off for an hour or tow every night. Guess that's why there was a candle in the room.
Wednesday, October 21: Katmandu – Chitwan Breakfast at hotel. Left at 8 for five-hour drive over very rough and bumpy roads to Baghmara Wildlife Resort. Saw one accident, one wreck, and numerous breakdowns.
The Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the finest wildlife parks in Asia and known for its rich and diverse wildlife which includes tigers, leopard, rhinos, crocodiles, deer, boar, monkeys and more than 400 species of rare and exotic birds. It covers an area of 932 square km in the subtropical lowlands of the inner Terai. Established in 1973 this was Nepal's first national park. The park has gained much wider recognition in the world since UNESCO included it on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1984.The name Chitwan has several possible meanings, but the most literal translation of two Nepali words that make it up Chit (Heart) and Wan (Jungle) Chitwan is thus the heart of Jungle. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, cultivation in the valley was deliberately prohibited by the government of Nepal in order to maintain a barrier of disease- ridden forest as a defense against the invasion of disease from the South. Then for the centaury between 1846 and 1950, Rana prime ministers were de facto rulers of Nepal, Chitwan was declared to private hunting reserve, maintained exclusively for the privilege classes. Penalties for poaching were severe - capital punishment for killing rhino - and the wildlife in the area thus received a measure of protection. From time to time great hunts for rhino were held during the cool, mosquito-free winter months from December to February. The Ranas invited royalty from Europe and the Princely States of India, as well as other foreign dignitaries, to take part in these grand maneuvers, which were organized on a magnificent scale, often with several hundred leopards. In 1996, an area of 750 square km surrounding the park was declared a buffer zone which consists of forests and private lands. The park and the local people jointly initiate community development activities and manage natural resources in the buffer zone. His Majesty’s Government has made a provision of plowing back 30-50 percent of the park revenue for community development in the buffer zone.
The resort is just outside the park. Buffet lunch. Very basic, but clean.
Oscar, a young Swedish man, arrived also today and will be with us for the next
two days. Unpacked (on the floor, as there is no dresser), birdwatched for an
hour from the deck of the dining room, and went for a dusty 1.5 hour walk guided
by Ram. We saw some village houses and people. Little girls loved Jerry. Saw a
few more birds. Back for a bit of native dancing, then a buffet dinner. (We both
may lose weight). Tomorrow up at 6:30.
Thursday, October 22: Didn't need a wakeup call and were o the porch at the
dining hall by 6:30, looking at birds. It was very foggy till the sun came up.
Right after breakfast we walked down to the river and took a dugout canoe ride
to see crocodiles. Then walked through the jungle for a couple of hours and saw
lots of birds, but no animals. Visited the elephant breeding center. We went
back to the river to see them give elephants a bath. Just before lunch 125
Nepalese teenagers arrived for two nights. After lunch we went on our elephant
safari for two hours through the jungle. Three of us climbed a ladder to a
platform and got into an open-sided box with our legs hanging over at a corner.
The driver was on the elephant's head. We rode for two hours through the jungle
(literally, we were not on paths) with the elephant knocking down trees as
directed by the driver. My arms will be heavily bruised from hanging on. We saw
a few birds, lots of spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, rhesus macaque
monkeys and a mother and "baby" one-horned Indian rhinoceros (sleeping in the
mud). We were given dinner at 6:30—the teenagers dine at 7. A wonderful shower
and we're ready to turn in, but they had the cultural program (dancing in the
center court of our lodge) so we watched from our balcony
Friday, October 23: Walked by the river before breakfast. Several new birds and lots of prickers. Went to the Wildlife Museum: formaldehyde and eggs. I sat on the deck and photographed birds. Oscar and Jerry took a walk and got chased out of the park by a ranger. After lunch, we went on a wonderful jeep safari to Bishazari Tal where we saw many birds (including the rare Collared Falconet), spotted deer, monkeys and two rhinos. Dusty and tired we ate, cleaned up and packed.
Saturday,
October 24: Chitwan - Kathmandu
After breakfast we had Naran drive us to the carver shop at the river and got
two rhinos, one for me and one for Devin. Naran had asked Oscar to ride back
with us. We stopped at Thamel and I got a Ganesha and Oscar got a rhino. Then a
very long and dusty trip back to Katmandu on unbelievably pitted, washed-out
roads for six hours.
Although Nepal has over 8000 mountains, only eight keep snow year round and are called "Mountains". The rest are "Hills".
Found we had been upgraded to the Shankar Hotel which is very nice. We walked back to Katmandu's Thamel market area and found a green and brown hat for Devin, then went to the Kaiser Mahal, Garden of Dreams, a neo-classical historic garden and had dinner at the restaurant there (Western food—pork chops, mashed potatoes and pasta alfredo). Watched CNN for our first news in a week. The electricity goes our for an hour or two every night.
Katmandu is situated in a bowl shaped valley within central of Nepal, The territory is about 19.6 square miles and holds over one million people.. The city was built by king Gunakamdev in 723AD. It is said that it was a lake in the past and was made habitable by Manjushree, who cut open the hill to south to allow the water to flow out. Katmandu boasts one of the largest congregation of magnificent historical shrines ever built, duly recognized as a world heritage side by UNESCO.
Sunday: Met the driver and guide at 8 am only to find we had been scheduled for only one night at Shankar. We had sent laundry out and now had to pack up and leave. Jerry got angry. Off to the tour program. The guide (licensed) was not as good as Naran. He couldn't understand us and we couldn't understand him. There are three districts here: Bhaktapur, Patan, and Katmandu itself. We visited them in that order.
Bhaktapur:
(population 74,200):
Durbar Square has
many beautiful palaces and temples. The Palace of 55 Windows built in 1754 is
situated on the left through the city gate. The palace entrance, the Golden
Gate, is a masterpiece in repousse art. In front of the palace building is a
medley of temples of various designs. Among the three Durbar Squares in the
Valley, the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur is the best preserved one. There is an
entrance fee of 500 for foreign visitors.
Taumadhi Square
lies to the east of Durbar Square reached by a narrow brick-paved lane. The
towering five-roofed Nyatapol temple presides over the square. The stairway
leading up to the temple is flanked by stone figures of deities and mythical
beasts, each 10 times more powerful than the one immediately below.
Dattatreya Square
takes its name from the Dattatreya temple dedicated to a three-headed
combination of the Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. If you want to
experience the feel of the traditional urban layout of Bhaktapur, Dattatreya
Square is it. Set in a maze of streets lined with richly ornamented houses, the
square is famed for its many ornate Hindu monasteries known as Math.
Potter’s Square.
A two-minute walk south of Durbar Square brings you to Bolachhen, also known as
Potter’s Square because of the many potters seen here moulding wet clay into
different kinds of earthen ware. This place can be approached from Taumadhi
Square. The elephant-headed Lord Ganesh is the patron of potters, thus the Jeth
Ganesh temple in the square.
Patan
(population 160,000), the city of fine arts, lies at about
8 km south of central Kathmandu situated on a plateau across the Bagmati River.
A substantial portion of its population is engaged in traditional handicraft and
cottage industries.
Durbar Square
is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic
courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. Listed as a World Heritage Site, the
former royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life,
and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects.
There is an entrance fee of Rs. 200 per foreign visitor. One remarkable monument
here is a 17th century temple dedicated to the Hindu God Krishna – Krishna
Mandir built entirely of stone with rare stone carvings on its walls depicting
the epic wars from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Iba Bahi
is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Kathmandu Valley and reflects the
sophisticated architecture of the Malla period. A two-step platform leads to the
courtyard with a hall called Dalan. There is a shrine dedicated to Shakyamuni
right across the entrance.
Kwa Bahal,
also known as the Golden Temple, is a Buddhist monastery courtyard dating to the
12th century. The monastery building is embellished with exceptionally fine
wood-carvings and repousse work. Artistic images are scattered around the
courtyard, and devotees can be seen offering worship at the many shrines here.
Entrance fee Rs. 25.
Mahabouddha
is a Buddhist monument and an excellent example of terra cotta art form which
points to the skill of Patan’s ancient craftsmen with a variety of building
styles. The 14th century monument’s obelisk-like design is also unusual in a
city of pagoda roofs..
Oku Bahal
is one of the best known Buddhist places of worship in Patan. The stone-paved
courtyard is enclosed by a two-story building with gilded roofs. The
wood-carvings on the roof struts are especially attractive. The place is
peppered with sacred images and other small shrines.
Pashupatinath temple is located 3 km northwest of Kathmandu, it is a Hindu temple dedicated to a manifestation of Shiva called Pashupati. Everyday thousands of Hindus go to the temple. This temple was built in the 6th Century. Non–Hindus are not allowed inside the main temple. We had a good view of the temple complex from the other side of the Bagmati River. There are many Ghats (a series of steps leading down to a body of water) on the bank. There are also many small houses where people go to die, as dying beside the river is almost a guarantee for betterment in the next life. After death, the ritual of cremation is started immediately.
Back to Katmandu and Durbar Square: On the right is a red gate, inside which lies to Nepal National Treasury. All the gold and silver belonging to the temples of Nepal are kept in this treasury. Two stone lions on either side guard the entrance. On the right side is the palace with its beautiful wooden carved windows. There are different kinds of intricately carved windows on the south side of the nine-storied palace. There are flying birds carved in the windows. In the left corner is a wooden strut which has the face of man, horn of a ram and the wings of a bird- a combination of man, beast and bird. The strut supports the roof and guards the temple.
Kumari(The Living Goddess): Long ago King Jaya Prakash Malla used to play dice with the goddess Teleju. Since the goddess was very beautiful, one day the king tried to touch her. She got angry and disappeared. The king then heard a voice that told him he would never again see her in her original form. The voice also told him that if he wanted forgiveness, he should build the temple for the goddess where she would take the form of a virgin girl. The living girl (now aged three) lives in the three storied Kumari Bahal, which was built by jaya prakash malla. The entrance is fully of carefully detailed wooden windows with horses, lion and birds carved on them. The topmost middle window is glided because that is the window from where the kumari sometimes looks out. We were fortunate and actually saw the goddess! A young girl is chosen from a sakya family to be the living goddess. She has to go through several difficult tests before she is chosen as the kumari.
Kasthamandap:
‘Kasthamandap” literally means “The wooden pavilion” The word "Kathmandu" is
derived from kasthamandap. It is the oldest and biggest building of its kind,
believed to be built from the wood of a single tree. Long ago, it was used as a
resting place for a traders going to Tibet. Long wooden pillars support the roof
and it is vary airy with balconies on each story.
Monday: Checked out and packed up. First we stopped to see a new (2002)
Buddhist monastery, then drove to
Swyambhunath, a
holy memorial site stoup representing typical Buddhist architecture. Its main
feature, a white dome, symbolizes the spotless pure jewel of Nirvana. A
thirteen-tiered golden spiral in a conical shape tops the dome. Underneath the
towering structure, a pair of all-seeing eyes of Buddha is painted on all four
sides. We climbed 360 steps to the top, where heavy smog hid most of the a
magnificent view of the Kathmandu valley and the breathtaking panorama of the
north eastern Himalayan range.
Boudhanath, one of the oldest and the biggest Buddhists monuments ever built in Nepal, this is an imposing structure standing some 36meters. The stupa stands on the massive three level mandala style platforms surrounded by colorful private family houses. This stupa was built in the 5th century AD. The site is considered very much like Mecca for the Tibetan Buddhist and every year tens of thousand pilgrims from all over the Himalayan region visit it
Arrived at the airport at 1:15 after a horrendous traffic jam. Check in is extremely disorganized and slow. After many suitcase searches and pat downs we finally got to our gate about 2:30. No air conditioning and many bodies. They called our flight but then, after we had gone all through the line, sent us back. When we finally got off the bus to the plane, they went through our bags and patted us down yet again.
Rana met us with our new driver, Mr. Singh, and we got to the Hotel Madonna without incident. Our room this time is much nicer, in the back and quiet.
Tuesday, Oct. 27: : Delhi to Jaipur and Wednesday, Oct. 28: Jaipur
Our new driver is wonderful. Very funny and a great talker. Five hours, a good lunch stop, and we checked into a wonderful "Heritage House" hotel, the Shahpura House, originally created for maharajas and with some of the original furnishings and paintings. Met our guide for the city.
The Pink City of Jaipur was founded by Sawai Raja Jai Singh. The magnificent City Palace, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) with its delicate screen facade, Jantar Mantar (the Royal Observatory and multihued Jaipur Bazaar buzzing with people have all become icons of Jaipur in themselves. The characteristic pink color has now become protected by law and is said to symbolize 'welcome'
The Palace
was not open to the public and we chose not to go to the museum, but the
observatory was great. The Maharajah built it primarily to improve the accuracy
of the astrological analysis of birth dates for Hindus.
Jaisingh Observatory (Jantar Mantar): Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II ruled
the state of Jaipur in Rajasthan from 1699 to 1743. In 1728 he founded the
capital city of Jaipur about 200 km southwest of Delhi. The instruments were
large masonry structures equipped with protractors and marked grids to aid in
the precise measurements of the location of celestial objects.
Dinner on the rooftop of the hotel. Dancing and music were very nice.
Wednesday, October 28:: Jaipur / Ranthambhore
Breakfast at hotel. Thereafter check-out from the hotel and then drive towards Ranthambor on the way visit Palace of the Winds and the AMBER FORT. Enjoy Elephant ride at Fort. Continue drive towards Ranthambhor (160 km, 5 hrs). Reach & check-in wildlife resort (Tiger Den Resort). After lunch proceed for jungle safari at Ranthambhor national park. Overnight stay will be at Ranthambhor.
Palace of Winds "Hawa Mahal": Jaipur's signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Sawai Pratap Singh (grand son of Sawai Jai Singh and son of Sawai Madhoo Singh) in 1799 AD and Mr. Lal Chand Usta was the architect. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Hawa Mahal is interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. Named because of the sharp breeze that flows through the stairs of this five-story relic, it’s lined with 953 screened windows so that the women of the royal court could watch processions without being seen by commoners.
Amber Fort: The Amber Fort in Rajasthan built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. Perched high on a barren ridge, it commands extensive views over a deep narrow valley and the wider plains beyond. The building was finally completed in the early 18th century when the threat of Mughal domination was receding. From the 16th century up to the foundation of Jaipur in 1727 the Rajputes, both for defense purpose and as residence, used the Amber Fort. Thus behind the mighty walls you'll find charming gardens and magnificent palaces from marble and precious stones, richly decorated with elaborate stonemason works and paintings, representing royal splendor and luxury. We rode an elephant up to the entry gates.
Ranthambore is
home to a nearly thousand-year-old fortress. Countless battles have raged around
these walls. The Great Mughal emperor Akbar laid siege here and built Lake
Palace, summer gardens, temples, mosques, tombs and hunting towers, all overrun
now by grass and shrubs. Today leopards and tigers prowl the ruins.. Ranthambore
covers an area about 400 square kms. Our Tiger's Den Resort is very nice. We
have a nice duplex cottage with all amenities, The dining room is close and we
enjoyed the food. We watched a film on one of the female tigers.
We had a total of five jeep safaris into the park (three afternoons and two
mornings). It is beautiful and there was lots to see: Sambar deer, spotted deer,
langurs (not a real monkey), a Nilgai (Blue Buck) antelope, Chinkara (Indian
Gazelle—looks like a Thompson's gazelle), wild boar, a sloth bear!!, Three
leopards!! And a tiger!! Many birds. We had asked several times about having a
jeep to ourselves and were told it was impossible. All the parks are controlled
by the government which insists on six people (to limit the number of jeeps in
the park), each with a guide and a naturalist. Three of the five safaris were
spoiled by having six adults and two children, who invariably cried, whimpered,
shouted and screamed. One of the guides just gave up and stopped looking. One of
the children got car sick. The other two rides we had only adults and it was
better, although one of the men wanted to park and look for things instead of
driving about. We then found out we could have had exclusive jeeps, but it was
too late for Ranthambore. We will fix that problem for the rest of the trip. I
had a lovely facial on the last evening.
Sunday, Oct. 31: Ranthambhore to Bharatpur, and Monday
Breakfast at hotel. Then we checked-out and then drove towards Sawai Madhopur where got the train to Bharatpur. It was very easy and convenient. We had left most of the luggage with Mr. Singh who was meeting us in Bharatpur. They make no announcements on the train, so we had to pay attention. We met the Mr. Singh and he took us to the hotel, Uday Vilas Palace, a very nice spot with a beautiful pool and lots of gardens with birds. We drove a short distance to BHARATPUR BIRD SANCTUARY (also known as Keoladeo National Park). There we took a two-hour rickshaw ride and saw lots of birds, an antelope (nilgai) and two jackels. The lake is very low due to poor monsoons, and, like most of Rajistan, the country was very dusty and dry. Buffet lunch at the hotel with two busloads of tourists and a business meeting group. In the evening, Mr. Singh took us to a beautiful lake full of wading birds
Monday: Breakfast at hotel. Then a five-hour rickshaw ride through the BIRD SANCTUARY. We stopped several times: once to walk to a lake that was very low, but still had some nice birds, and once to another lake with lots of ducks and wading birds. We climbed a tower, but didn't see any birds, only workers in a field and a huge bees' nest. Lunch at a fancy hotel then back to spend an hour or two at the pool. Dinner at the hotel
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Bharatpur /
Agra (pp394-408)
Monday, Nov. 2: Drove toward Agra, stopping en route at Fatehpur Sikri. This
magnificent fortified red sandstone ghost city was the short-lived capital of
the Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Here
he visited a Sufi Saint, who predicted the birth of a son
and heir. When the prophecy came true, Akbar built a new capital here. First we
visited the palaces and pavilions: Panch Mahal is the five-storey, 84-column
pavilion used by court ladies ; Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of private audience)
dominated by a magnificently carved stone column in the center where Akbar
debated with scholars and advisors from all over the world; Parcheesi, a
courtyard where Akbar played using slave girls as pieces; three palaces for his
wives, the largest for the Hindu wife who produced the son; the Jama Masjid, a
beautiful and expansive mosque, completed in 1571 and containing elements of
Persian and Indian design; the Buland Darwaza, or Victory Gate, the largest
gateway in Asia; and the marble tomb of the Saint where childless women come to
pray (and where the guide tried to get us to buy offerings and make a "wish").
Continued to Agra and checked into the Hotel Howard Park Plaza, we had a very nice room after we rejected the smoke-filled original offering. Met our guide VJ and left for the Taj Mahal. We paid 750 Rps each plus 20 Rps for the bus ride up. It was every bit as magnificent as billed. You sort of expect to be disappointed, but we definitely weren't. They screen visitors, men and women separately, and not much is allowed in, only still cameras, water and money. They give you a little bottle of water and shoe covers. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build by an army of 20,000 men and 1,000 elephants. Our guide said that workers were later mutilated to prevent them from duplicating their work. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum and Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a memorial for his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In 1631, she died giving birth to their 14th child. Supposedly, shortly after the Taj was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son and imprisoned in Agra Fort for the rest of his life. But when he died in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried alongside his adored wife. All four sides of the Taj Mahal are completely symmetrical. If it weren't for the landscape, you wouldn't be able to tell which side is the front. The 40-meter high white minarets on each corner of the platform make the Taj look so spectacular. They were built just for decorative purposes and lean slightly outwards so that in the event of an earthquake, they would fall away. In the front of the Taj are the gardens and ornamental fountains. On both sides are red sandstone buildings. One is a mosque to the west and an identical building to the east, built only for symmetry and probably used as a hotel for travelers. Behind the Taj is the Yamuna River. The most impressive feature inside is the exquisite pietre dure (marble inlay work), which is made with thousands of semiprecious stones from 43 different types. VJ put a mini-flashlight over the stones and illuminated them. The effect is brilliant. Later, he took us to a store where we had the "opportunity" to buy some inlay work. Then we boarded the electric tram back.
Our next stop was two and a half kilometers away to another UNESCO World Heritage site: the Agra Fort, also known as Fort Rouge, Lal Qila and Red Fort of Agra. The Agra Fort is a walled palatial city and was interesting to see. It has 70-foot walls. This was where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son.
Small lunch in the hotel bar. Then a rest. Mr. Singh picked us up at 7:30 for our 8:30 visit to the Taj. It was Purnima (full moon). It turned out to be quite a procedure. We had two pat-downs, two security checks, and they made me remove my camera beanbag because they had never seen one before. Then we loaded onto busses, accompanied by three armed guards, and were allowed thirty minutes at the Taj. A very nice man, Manpreet Sokhi (mansaphotography.com), lent me his lens specially able to take night shots (as I now had no camera support). You can see the results (Photoshopped). We can't get the car into the street where I had hoped to eat dinner, so we went back and ate at the rooftop restaurant at our hotel.
Tuesday, Nov. 4: Agra/Jhansi/Khajuraho: After breakfast we went to the train station for a two and a half hour ride to Jhansi. The new rep met us and we left for Khajuraho. On the way we visited Orchha (or Urchha), a town which was the seat of a former princely state of central India. On a seasonal island on the bank of the Betwa River, which has been surrounded by a battlement wall, stands a huge palace-fort. The fort consists of several connected buildings erected at different times. The Rajmandir is built on a square base and has an almost entirely plain exterior with projecting windows and a line of delicate domes along the summit. The Jahangir Mahal is built on a rectangular base and has a circular tower at each corner surmounted by a dome, while two lines of graceful balconies supported on brackets mark the central storeys. The roof is crowned by eight large fluted domes, with smaller domes between them, connected by an ornamental balustrade. The Jahangir Mahal is considered to be a singularly beautiful specimen of domestic Hindu architecture. Lakshmi Temple, Orchha. There are beautiful paintings, well preserved inside the temples. Numerous cenotaphs or chhatris dot the vicinity of the fort and the Betwa river. Elsewhere about the town there is an unusual variety of temples and tombs, including the Chaturbhuj temple, which is built on a vast platform of stone. The more unguarded and neglected of these buildings are popular hangouts for tropical bees, wasps, and other such excitable stingy creatures. We stopped at a very nice restaurant and had lunch outside under a tent. Then on for about three hours of dusty roads to Khajuraho. Where we checked in at the Hotel Usha Bundela.
Nov 5 Khajuraho
Very good tour of the Western group of Khajuraho temples. The guide was very
good. He spent a lot of time at the first, a smaller at the second, and then let
us wander. We also saw the Jain temple at the Eastern site. After the tour we
walked about a half mile back into town, followed by a brigade of rickshaw and
tuk-tuk drivers offering assistance and had .unch/dinner at the Blue Sky
Restaurant across from the temples. Wlaked back in the same parade..
The Khajuraho temples were constructed between 950 and 1050 A.D. during the reign of Chandel Empire. Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree (the date palm tree) which can be found in abundance in the area. These temples are considered the "high point" of Indian architectural genius in the Medieval period.
Originally there were 85 temples, of which only 22 still exist. The amazingly short span of 100 years, from 950 AD - 1050 AD, saw the completion of all the temples, in an inspired burst of creativity.The murals depict the life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being.Their style of architecture was also rather peculiar to their times. Each structure stands on a high masonry platform with a distinct upward direction to their build, further enhanced by several vertical projections to simulate the effect of an overall lightness. The three main compartments are the entrance (ardhamandapa), assembly hall (mandapa), and the actual sanctum (garbha griha).
If the temples of Khajuraho can be said to have a theme, it is woman. A celebration of woman and her myriad moods and facets- Writing letters, applying kohl to her eyes, brushing her hair, dancing with joyous abandon playing with her child. Woman - innocent, coquettish, smiling - infinitely seductive, infinitely beautiful. Depicted in a wealth of detail, sharply etched, sculpted with consummate artistry. The philosophy of the age dictated the enjoyment of the delights of arth (material wealth) and kama (sensual pleasures) while performing one's dharma (duty) as the accepted way of life for the grihastha (householder). Hence, the powerful combination of the visual and sensual pleasures combined with the duty attributed to the worship of the Dieties brings about a powerful transformation of the body and the soul. To include all of these aspects of life in one's early years makes it easier to renounce them without regret or attachment as one moves on to one's next stages of life toward moksha (liberation).
The temples are a world heritage site and belong not just to India but to the world. The Archeological Survey of India's dedicated efforts towards their conservation rank them against the best preserved monuments of this antiquity. Most of the temples are built of sandstone in varying shades of buff, pink or pale yellow. They each belong to a different sect, the Shiva, Vaishnava or Jaina Sects, but are often indistingushable from one another to the untrained eye. The temples are lofty with ample walking space separating them. The interior rooms are inter connected and placed in an East/West line. Each contains an entrance, a hall, a vestibule and a sanctum. Windows were added to the larger temples to add a feeling of space and light.
The openings face East with lavishly carved archways. The interior ceilings are carved with geometrical and floral designs. The roofs are a series of graded peaks that resemble a mountain range and in all probability, represent the possibility of higher levels of spiritual attainment. Erotic scenes represent a relatively small part of the carvings but sensuous eroticism prevails throughout all of the sculptures. In general, lower indulgences appear lower on the temple while the dieties appear near the top. Most of the statues are about a meter high. The goddesses and gods represent the many manifestations of the divine Shakti and Shiva, the female and male principles, the Yin and the Yang.
Pieces of the statues from the temples can be seen embedded in the houses of the village. Statues were used as cheap building material for building the roads too.
The Western Group is certainly the best known, because it is to this group that the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple belongs : the Kandariya Mahadev. Perfectly symmetrical, it soars 31 km high.
Lakshamana Temple: The lintel over the entrance of this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The sanctum is adorned with a three-headed idol of Vishnu's incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha. The latter, the boar incarnation also appears as a nine-feet high statue at the Varaha Temple. There are batallians of soldiers as the Chandels were generally at war when they were not inventing new sexual positions. On the south side is a gymnastic orgy, including one man proving that a horse can be a man's best friend, while a shocked figure peers out from behind her hands.
Kandariya Mahadeo: This is the largest, and most typical Khajuraho temple. There are abput 900 statues. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars 31 m high. The sanctum enshrines a lingam, while the main shrine is ornately carved and depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras (heavenly maidens) in elaborate detail. The entrance arch, the massive pillars and ceilings are adorned with exquisite carvings, that leave the visitor spellbound. Beyond the archway of the Kandariya Mahadev, lie the six interior compartments; the portico, main hall, transept, vestibule, sanctum and ambulatory. The ceilings are particularly noteworthy and the pillars supporting them have intricately carved capitals. The transept's outer walls have three horizontal panels showing deities of the Hindu pantheon, and groups of lovers, a pageant of sensuousness, vibrantly alive.
Chaunsat Yogini/Devi Jagadamba: The oldest surviving temple in the group (900 A.D.), this is the sole granite temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. Only 35 of the original 65 cells remain and no image of Kali has survived : not surprisingly, since this is the earliest surviving shrine of the group dated to 900 AD. Another Kali temple, which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is the Devi Jagdambe temple.
Chitragupta Temple: Dedicated to the sun-god, Surya, this temple faces eastwards to the rising sun. The inner sanctum boasts of an impressive image of the presiding deity - the majestic sun-god looming 5 feet high, and driving a chariot. The other group scenes depict royal processions, group dances and other scenes of sheer luxury, typical of the Chandela court-life.
Vishwanath Temple: The temple enshrines a three-headed image of Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northern entrance to the structure, while elephants flank the southern flight of steps that lead upto it. The exteriors are profusely carved, and facing the shrine is a Nandi Temple.
Eastern Group has temples of people who converted from Hindu to Jainism
Parsavanatha Temple: The largest in the group of three Jain temples, the Parsavanath image in this temple, was installed in 1860. The sculptures on the northern wall depict everyday activity, in awesome detail. A woman sits bent pensively writing a letter, a lovely young girl removes a thorn from her foot, the master craftsmen of Khajuraho display here their deep understanding of the trifles that make up a human life. Within the temple, a throne faces the bull emblem of first tirthankara, Adinath.
Adinatha Temple: The last of the Jain temples, is dedicated to the Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned with sculptures of yakshis among others.
Thursday, November 6: Khajuraho / Bandavgarh : Enjoyable and scenic five hour drive to Tiger's Den Resort. This is the best quality yet. The rooms are very well set up, the grounds have excellent landscaping, and the pool is lovely (with many gnats). In the evening we had a BarBQ with hors d'oeuvres and then a native dancing show. The staff is very good. Milan has adopted us and decided that I should receive all "special" (ie spicy) dishes. Though small in size (542-sq-kms),it is the national park known for its high tiger population. The former hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa; Bandhavgarh was declared a National Park in 1968 and further extended to the adjoining Sal Forests in 1986. The fine trees of Sal cover half of the Bandhavgarh National Park while the higher hills consist of the mixed forests. The wide stretches of bamboo and grasslands cover the entire northern region. It is more lush than Ranthambore, yet it seems to have fewer birds and animals.
Friday, Nov 7 & Sat., Nov 8: Bandavgarh:This is the procedure: up at 5:30 for tea, then off to the park, which opens at 6:15. Return at 10:30 for breakfast, then rest till 1, have lunch and leave for afternoon safari at 1:45. Return at 5:30 for tea, then dinner at 7:30. Every vehicle needs an official guide and river and the guides are pretty poor. They just sit in the front seat, don't speak, English, and doze. Depend on the driver for sightings and identification. On our fist drive Jerry and I did all the spotting. On drives 2 to 4 we were very fortunate to be accompanied by the excellent hotel naturalist, Jagat, who spoke very good English and was highly knowledgeable about all things natural. Visited a pilgrimage site where devout Hindus come on Holy Days.
Sun., Nov 8 – Tue., Nov 10: Bandavgarh / Kanha
Left at 7:15 for a very pretty drive through well-tended farmland and big fields of mustard. Had a flat tire with lots of roadside managers to help. Our tour company had had bad reports about the lodge where we had been scheduled, so they moved us to Mapple Bundela. We arrived about 1, in time for lunch and a safari. No tigers, but swamp deer, bison and birds. The resort is only one year old and looks and feels brand new. It will be another few years before the landscaping takes hold. The best food and shower yet. We will have a naturalist, Rohit, and a guide-driver for all five safaris.
The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The Park's landmark achievement is the preservation of the rare hard-ground Swamp Deer (Barasingha), saving it from near extinction.
Monday: morning drive with some nice birds. In the afternoon we spent 45 minutes watching a big male tiger. It started to rain as we drove home.
Tuesday: Hard rain in the morning. We put a cover on the gypsy but still got soaked. We decided against an afternoon ride, which turned out to be a good thing, as they closed the park due to slippery, muddy roads. Instead, we watched birds from our balcony. Jerry walked along the river and saw pretty birds. The manager arranged for us to take a short morning safari and have breakfast by a waterfall. It was outside the park, and we could go off-road so saw more than we expected
Wed., Nov
11: : Kanha / Nagpur / Kolkata
After breakfast, we
started off towards Nagpur. The rains of yesterday meant that the roads were
bad and we saw many, many accidents. The truckers don't seem to understand that
tires sink in the mud and trucks turn over or get hopelessly stuck. The hotel
had packed a lunch (rice and bananas) and, after about five hours, we arrived at
Nagpur, a busy market town, not quite as dusty as others we have seen. The
flight to Kolkata was fine. We were met by a driver who spoke no English and
gave us a wild ride to our hotel (Lindsay). It took over an hour (why can't they
find a hotel closer to the airport?) and it was almost nine when we got there.
Had dinner on their rooftop restaurant, went to bed and asked for a wakeup call
at 3:30. Didn't come, there was no breakfast, and nobody showed up to drive us
to the airport. We took a cab through the worst city I have ever been in.
Thousands of people sleeping in the dirt on the streets, with cows and dogs
Thu.,
Nov 12: Kolkata / Guwahati / Kaziranga
We found out there is a 10 am and an 11 am flight to Guwahati, so we don't
understand why we were booked for 6:10 am. We were met on arrival. Rough drive
for first two and a half hours. The Indian method of road-building is unique.
They pave a quarter of a mile, then leave two miles unpaved, then pave another
quarter of a mile. All construction is done by men & WOMEN who carry materials
(rock, cement, dirt) in bowls on their heads from whereve they hadve been
dumped. The second half of the drive was very pretty, with brillilant gtreen
rice fields and tea plantations. They plant acacia trees amongst the te plants
to shade them and protect them from the monsoons, and they plant pepper (black)
plants up the trunks. The Wild Grass resort is sort of pre-war charming with hig
ceilings and fans and screened-in shutter-type shutters. We are on the third
floor overlooking the garden. Our new guide, Konwar, came and took us behind
some houses to see the Indian flying fox (really a bat) and then to his home to
meet his wife,Bineta, his10-year old daughter, Kolpana, and his 4-year old son,
Suroj. Bineta is a weaver who makes the red and white Assam scarves that are
traditional to the area.
Fri, Nov. 13: Located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the far North East of India, Assam, Kaziranga National Park covers an area of approximately 430-sq-kms with its swamps and tall thickets of elephant grass making it the ideal habitat for the Indian One-Horned Rhino. Due to limitless poaching of this prehistoric survivor, the Kaziranga National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1940. We had an early morning (6:30) elephant ride to see hog deer, barasingas and one-horned rhinos. Later a morning safari to the middle section of the park and an afternoon safari to the western. Konwar is an excellent guide, and, by this time, we are mostly interested in seeing new things, mainly birds. Stopped to buy some green tea and black pepper at the company store. Enjoyed a cultural dance program before dinner at 7:30.
Nov 14: Two drives today, the eastern section in the morning where we saw lots of birds. After lunch we went back to Konwar's house and I took pictures of his family. Revisited the central section in the afternoon. Another cultural program in the evening.
Saturday, Nov. 15:
Kaziranga / Guwahati / Delhi
Drove back to Guwahati for flight to Delhi.. Checked in at the Hotel Madonna.
Went to the Sheraton for dinner. Very overpriced, but a good meal.
Sunday,
Nov 16: Delhi - Home
Guide came about 8:30 for a sightseeing tour of Old and New Delhi Had a very
nice lunch at a restaurant near the embassies, then Rana had reserved a place
for us at a rather seedy hotel where we took a shower and changed our clothes.
Went back to the same restaurant for our "Farewell Dinner" with Rana, then to
the airport for our 11:30 pm flight. They served us dinner right away (more
horrible Indian food) and then we both slept at tleast six hours. I watched
three movies.
Jama
Masjid(FRIDAY
MOSQUE): The streets
are completely
chaotic. The constant cacophony of horns and sirens became like an
anthem of the city. Everyone is beeping their horn, there are street beggars,
vendors, whole
families on a moped,
people carrying supplies on their heads, kids pushing
rickshaws,
elephants, animals wandering aimlessly,
funeral processions, wedding processions – you name
it, you might encounter it on the
streets of Delhi. There were children tapping on the car window,
begging for money as they followed us all the way down the street in the
slow moving traffic. It's illegal to give them money and it's absolutely heart
wrenching to turn your head and ignore them. But if you look them in the eye,
you're in for a long, painful goodbye. It's incredibly difficult but because
you're accosted at every turn, it's best to not even acknowledge them
INSIDE THE MOSQUE: Walking up the three flights of red sandstone steps of the
Jama Masjid really makes you feel like you're in a foreign country.
Jama Masjid is also known as the Friday Mosque for its Friday noon
prayer The
courtyard of the mosque is huge and can hold up to twenty-five thousand
worshippers! Jama Masjid is one of the best-known mosques in India and is the
largest mosque in Asia. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who built
the Taj Mahal. The mosque took six years to build and was completed in 1656 AD.
The three black and white marble
domes that cover the prayer hall are majestic.
RAJ GHAT: Our next stop was Raj Ghat, which loosely translates to the King's Court and is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi. Raj Ghat is the spot where he was cremated one day after his assassination. There's a black marble platform that marks the exact spot and an eternal flame. The memorial has the epitaph He Ram, (literally 'O' Ram', but also translated to 'O God'), believed to be Gandhi's last words. The park is free to enter but again there's a 10 Rupee charge to leave your shoes guarded.
Rashtrapati Bhawan: Modern New Delhi centers around this architecturally very impressive building standing at a height, flowing down to India Gate. This stretch called the Rajpath is where the Republic Day parade is held. The imposing plan of this area conceived by Lutyens does not fade in its charm with the numerous years that pass. For lovers of flowers and beauty, the glorious, meticulously tended Mughal Gardens are a bonanza topped by an amazing assembly of roses in perfect bloom.
Old Delhi:
(Shahajahanabad)
Red Fort: Built in red sandstone this imposing fort is 3 km in perimeter with
the ehight of the wall varying from 18-30 m at places. When the Red Fort was
being built Yamuna used to flow on its one side and there were deep moats on the
other. Today the Yamuna flows almost a km away from the fort and the moats have
dried up.
Flight back was uneventful. Slept most of the way. Herb met us and we were home by 7 AM.
