Namaste from Delhi! I’m home now after the most wonderful 7 day excursion and elated (yet a bit sad now) from a superb albeit brief three-day visit from my very own pita-ji (father)! It would be hard to describe either set of events in full detail but suffice it to say that I am supremely happy and thoroughly worn out.
I believe a brief description of excursion is in order, although my hundreds (yes, hundreds) of pictures taken on my journey will do more poetic/visual justice than any old blog posting. Seven days of travel took us through the states of Madhya Pradesh as well as Uttar Pradesh, south and south east of Delhi, respectively. We traversed through our archeological site visits in semi-chronological order, first stopping in Gwalior in order to see the spectacular fort which perches precariously atop an extremely high plateau. Our second stop had us arriving in Orchha, but with a brief layover in Datia in order to see the Escher-esque fort there (Escher in the sense that the 12th century architects designed it so that the entirety of the complex structure can never be pictured in a single frame), I should say that this may have been my favorite stop. Orchha was our next picturesque locale, featuring forts, palaces and temples from the 12th and 13th centuries. I must say, however that one of the highlights of our time in Orchha was our quirky hotel, built during the Raj next to the Betwa River and featuring a beautiful garden as well as a pool (!). Next we drove to Khajuraho, famous for its nearly innumerable 8th century temples (at its height there were probably 90+ temples, unfortunately only about 20 have withstood the often unbearable weather). Unfortunately Khajuraho has now gained a tourist reputation because of its “naughty” temples, which depict young lovers in quite extravagant, erotic poses. Interestingly, the extreme minority of temple images depict such scenes (in fact, the inclusion of these images suggests a darker past to the temples, sorts of Tantric elements which were extremely marginalized in the contemporary society), whilst the majority feature intricately carved human figures as well as anthropomorphized god figures (SAT word of the day). Khajuraho lead us to Agra and the Taj Mahal (at sunrise). Words cannot describe my experience there, but hopefully my pictures will. Scampering around Agra we visited the tomb of Akbar as well as the extraordinarily lovely tomb which Nur Jahan (a Mughal empress) built for her parents (more on Nur Jahan soon as I will be researching her for my Independent Study Project). From Agra we drove the short distance to Bharatpur in order to visit the incredible bird sanctuary and then back to Fatepur Sikri to tour the Mughal city complex built entirely from red sandstone. Needless to say, I had an astounding and awe-inspiring few days.
Visiting with my father in his old stomping grounds was so wonderful. He was lucky enough to find a bed and breakfast in his old neighborhood, Defense Colony, which conveniently enough, is located right across the highway from my own neighborhood. We were even able to find his first house in Delhi, which stands exactly as he remembers it. It was a really fantastic experience being able introduce my father to my host family and sharing a few meals with one another. I think I can certainly speak for both parties and say that they were sufficiently taken with one another. I wish he could’ve stayed for a least another week, but he is at least looking forward to an exciting business trip in Thailand and Cambodia, so I can only be a little sad.
I am looking forward to a family filled, celebratory week, as the holiday of Diwali arrives on Saturday. A pleasant mix of Christmas and New Years, Diwali presents a time for families to gather, eat, and look towards the successes which the coming months will offer. I must say, I cannot wait for all the special foods which we are preparing as well as the mehendi (henna) which we are getting in the market tomorrow evening. I will be sure to send holiday cheer and love from everyone at home and will take many pictures of this firecracker-filled holiday (I’ve got my ear plugs handy).
Sending all my love, I miss you all dearly,
Anna
