The Golden Triangle: Part One

The most grateful I've ever felt to see a familiar face was when our driver, DK, met us coming off the train car in Delhi. DK had driven us around Delhi for a day and a half before sending us to Amritsar. Coming back from Amritsar, we were fine on our own until the mad dash to exit the train car became the mad dash to enter the train car, and we were forced to push as hard as possible to simply be let out. DK was waiting, whisked us to his car, and took us for lunch at a local thali cafe. This means you have a divided plate for chapati, rice, and various gravy-type dishes, and was all-you-can-eat. Eating here is meant to be accomplished with only your right hand, so we have mastered a two-finger plus thumb pinch action where you pull off some bread, then dip. They totally think we are locals.

We drove to Agra on February 22nd, and got to watch the Taj Mahal while the sun set. I learned that the marble can be different colors based on the light, so the color is slightly different at sunrise, sunset, etc. The next morning, we were in line to visit the Taj in the dark, and were through the gates very early. As our guide kept telling us, the Taj Mahal is a "place of love". In 1656, the Emperor built it for his favorite wife, who died in childbirth with their 14th child. 

 

We simply enjoyed the beauty of it, the carvings with inlaid stones, the flowers, trees, and stars on the ceiling.

After the Taj, we were off to our next destination, Jaipur, with a stop at Fatehpur Sekri on the way. Rajasthan, we were told, is named because it has always been the province of kings or rajas. This ruined city was once the capital, circa 1580. First we visited the Jama Masjid mosque, next to the palace buildings. As Emperor Akbar settled his capital here after the prophecy that he would be granted a son, childless women visit his tomb to tie a thread on the windows in prayer.  

In the palace complex, we walked through servants quarters, audience halls, gardens, treasury, an ornamental pool, palaces for various wives, and courtyards.

It took some wandering, but we also found the Hiran Minar, a tall tower featuring stone tusks. According to our guidebook, this is said to be the place where Minar, the emperor's favorite execution elephant, died. The place is a lot more charming if you overlook the word "execution."