India Excursions

We are in Varanasi and have come to see the Varanasi Ghats(1). The Varanasi Ghats are a very holy place, this is a place where people take pilgrimages, so that they my take a dip into the Ganges river. This is believed to absolve you of all sins. (2)People who come here believe that they are cleansed physically, mentally, and spiritually. We were all very intrigued by what we saw and left feeling slightly enlightened ourselves.
After our beautiful stay here in Varanasi we head back to New Delhi to catch our flight home.

After a very great nights rest we were up bright and early and off to see the Agra Fort(1). In order to get to the Fort we decided to take an auto rickshaw, which is mini car with no doors or seatbelts.(1,2)

While this ride was very interesting and bumpy it was a lot of fun holding on as we weaved in and out of the early morning market traffic, we arrived safely at the Agra Fort all in one piece. This fort is known for the Great Mughals that lived here and also for the fact that the city was once governed from this fort as well. It once contained the largest state treasury and mint.(2) It is now visited by your average traveler all the way up to important ambassadors and dignitaries. This Fort is so big that it has over 10 different famous structures and sites, just within its walls. We practically ended up spending the entire day here because there was so much to see.

We have arrived in Agra really late yesterday and checked in to our hotel. It called the Taj View, because we do have the most amazing view of the Taj Mahal. It was 5,900INR and converted in to CAD $150 for the week.
Well we were up at 6:30am this morning simply because we did not want to miss anything. A few locals that we met on the train to Agra told us that we should get up as early as we could to see the Taj Mahal because it is a very popular tourist site and it’s going to be very busy. And they were right. We got there at about 7:30 and people were already started to fill the area. However the Taj Mahal(1) it self was beautiful, just the culture and history behind it all was so interesting. The Taj Mahal is a mix of Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. It is said to finally be completed in 1648.(2)Just a few important things for those of you who are going to see the Taj Mahal and what you are allow to bring with you:

1.Water bottles that are transparent
2.Small video cameras
3.Still cameras
4.Phones, but they must be turned off
5.Small purses( note to those who are backpacking)

After we decided to walk around and do some local shopping. There is a market called Shilpagram(1) which is to the east of the Taj Mahal. It is a really great craft village we were told about by some locals that this market was a very popular place to get all sorts of very unique Indian artifacts, and souvenirs(2).

Because we are checking out the Taj Mahal we thought that we should check out something people here keep referring to as the “Baby Taj Mahal”(1) It really does look like a baby Taj Mahal. It was built to represents the change from red sandstone structures to marble. (2) Outside of the building are several beautiful gardens.

Once we had our fill of this beautiful structure we decided that we should do some more shopping. India is known for its beautiful fabric, marble and sandstone. We were able to pick up some beautiful fabrics. I would have picked up the carpets that they are also know for making however I don’t think it would have been able to fit into my suitcase.(2)

We did really enjoy the dinner and night onboard the train. The next day we spent in Jaisalmer city(5), in the heart of the great Thar Desert. This city was founded by Bhatti Rajput Rawal Jaisal in 1156. The town used to be a major trade center as it was on the trade route from the West to India. We enjoyed the sightseeing tour of Jaisalmer fort including Jaisalmer Fort, Nathmalji-ki-haveli, Patwon-ki-haveli and Salim Singh-ki-haveli.
Overnight onboard for Jodhpur. On this day, we enjoyed the sightseeing tour of Jodhpur including Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada.
The next day, we arrived at Sawai Madhopurand we visited the Ranthambore National Park where we had a chance to see a large number of wild species including leopards, the highly endangered caracal, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, wild boar, marsh crocodile, porcupine, Indian gazelle, sambar and nilgai (bluebull). After, we transferred to Chittor and visited Chittorgarh Fort.
The next stop we had at Udaipur city. We visited the attractions of the city including Lake Pichhola, Lake Palace and City Palace. On the end of the day, we ended our amazing tour in Agra.

At 4 p.m., we had the warm and traditional welcome at the New Delhi station and departed on the “Palace- On- Wheels”(1) Train for the next journey through the Rajasthan Province.
This luxury train includes 14 saloons each one is equipped with twin- bedded cabins, channel music, intercom, attached baths and running hot and cold water and a shower. (2)The most significant about this train is that the interiors of the saloons reflect the aesthetics of the former Royal states of Rajasthan
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The paintings, carved furniture and elegant handicrafts represent Rajasthan's fascinating heritage of art and craftsmanship. The “Palace-on-Wheels” has been rated as one of the best ten luxurious rail journeys in the world. We did really enjoy all trip! First day, we explored Jaipur (the Pink City(1)) that is a capital of Rajasthan and locates around 258 km from Delhi. (2)

We enjoyed the Elephant Ride to visit Amber Fort and had traditional Indian lunch at a Palace Hotel. Amber Fort - is a classic example of Rajput architecture. Diwan-I-am, Hall of Victory and Kali temple are some of its highlights. Next, we had the tours to Hawa Mahal(1) and City Palace. Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds),

built in 1799 AD, it contains 953 small casements with each having its own balcony.(2) The rest of the day, we went through the famous Jaipur’s markets (1)to look at the famous precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, topaz, and emeralds. We bought some beautiful ties, saris and dress material at the Johari Market(2). The luxury buses transferred us back to Palace-On- Wheel train.