India….Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambhore (Tiger Reserve), Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi
Bhutan…..Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdue, Gangtey, Paro
We have just returned from a grueling 23 day trip to India and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Our return flight(s) took us from Paro (Bhutan) to Delhi Bangkok, Beijing, Los Angeles and finally after 49 hours home to Phoenix. Now we are digging ourselves out, trying to catch up on business at home.
This was NOT a vacation, it was an education, a test of endurance, a sensory overload! What an astounding diversity of religions, languages, and cultures we found brimming in India. The history, art and mythology was off the charts. Trying to understand the many elements of Hinduism was overwhelming. The food was savory, however the first meal I had back in the states was a whopper!! We were very careful to drink only bottled water and eat cooked food at the hotels and dodged the infamous “Delhi Belly” intestinal infection.
Traveling in India is chaotic and intense…..by bus, train, taxi, rickshaw, “ tuktuk" or airplane, it does not matter, it is an adventure!
The horrible pollution gave us both respiratory issues. Gerry is still recovering. The poverty was disturbing. The dense population was mind boggling. There are 1.3 billion people living in half the land mass of the United States.
However....It also was exciting, enchanting, enlightening and memorable, worth every bit of discomfort, stress and terror on the roads.
The history of India is truly incredible . We visited the home of Ghandi and retraced his final footsteps to the location he was assassinated, at the Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti) in New Delhi. What a remarkable human being that had a tremendous impact on India and continues to generate positive vibrations throughout the planet.
There is a huge contrast between India and Bhutan. We spent the last week in Bhutan, and it was relaxing! Bhutan is so calm and peaceful. Therefore I will do a separate trip report on that Kingdom and just cover India in this report.
One of the reasons we chose to travel to India was to try to see Bengal Tigers in their natural environment. We had our eyes wide open to the possibility of disappointment. After all, several years back we had traveled all the way to Borneo to see Orangutans and were shut out. They were too deep in the jungle at that time of season, where the food was plentiful.
So, we optimistically went to Ranthambhore (Tiger Reserve) optimistic, with our eyes wide open. We went on 2 safaris (morning and afternoon) and saw a lot of cool animals but NOT a tiger. But……at one location our guide stopped and we could hear 2 mating tigers roar in the tall grass not more than 50 feet away. We waited and waited but time was not on our side and the sun set without them coming out. It was frustrating but also very cool!
Of course a highlight of the trip was visiting one of the seven man-made wonders of the world…”THE” Taj Mahal at Agra. It is the most beautiful structure that we have ever seen. The Red Fort at Agra is almost as impressive and a World Heritage Site.
There is such a contrast between Old and New Delhi We walked through the bustling streets in the old quarter, and visited Humayan’s Tomb an elaborate complex of tombs constructed in the 16th century and was a key influence for the Taj Mahal.
In Jaipur we went to the Amber Fort and of course had to take an elephant ride to the top of this strategically positioned fort built in 1592. Jaipur was carefully planned on a grid system and we visited the impressive City Palace at its center.
We took a train to Khajuraho famous for its temples and to Orchha a medieval city.
Our last stop before flying back to Delhi was Varanasi See photos and description of key sites along the Holy Ganges River below. The pictures tell a better story.
We received quite an amazing educational experience on Hinduism in India, particularly on a boat in Varanasi... funerals/cremations on the banks of the sacred Ganges River
The dead body is bathed with Ganga water, perfumed, wrapped in a white cloth
(red for women) and carried to the cremation site - (a pile of wooden logs)on a wooden stretcher like structure to the accompaniment of the chanting
"Ram Nam Satya Hai" (Rama is truth)
The nearest relation, normally the eldest son lights the funeral pyre. Whoever lights is considered the legal heir. Verdic verses are chanted during the cremation by the priest and the next day the ashes are collected and taken to Hardiwar, the headwaters of the Ganges and immersed in the holy water there.
A mourning period of 12 days is observed during which time the sitting room is cleared of furniture and relatives and visitors have to sit on the floor..a condolence visit.
Every year certain days are set aside during which the family members must remember their dead ancestors and relatives and say prayers for the peace of their souls. This is called shraaadh.
We did a boat trip down at the Ganges Holy River while in India. This is the house the Beatles stayed at in February of 1968. Here they attended an advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) training session at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Surely, you must remember the widespread media attention, their visit received and it was one of the band's most productive periods. Led by George Harrison this visit changed Western attitudes about Indian spirituality and encouraged the study of Transcendental Meditation.
The boys brought wives and girlfriends and others that attended
included musicians Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and flautist Paul Horn. While there, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Harrison wrote many songs and Ringo Starr finished writing his first. Eighteen of those songs were recorded for The Beatles ("the White Album"), two songs appeared on the Abbey Road album, and others were used for various solo projects.
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