Memories of Indian highlights

Fatehpur Sikri built in 1569, is a gem of a palace.  It glows a burnt red in the full sun of the day and heat radiates off the walls.  This breathtaking palace is intricately designed with beautiful sandstone carvings, patterns and text covering many surfaces.  Really impressive was the fact that the buildings although being a great age had all been designed to get as much natural light as possible, and to let a cooling breeze through.  Despite the burning 40 degrees of the day the shady interiors of the buildings provided some welcome respite from the oppressive heat. 

Fatehpur Sikri

We had arrived mid morning and took a tour, moving from one shady bit to another.  The palace had space for wives, concubines, entertainment and punishment.  It took 8 years to complete but was only inhabited for 15 years or so, as the natural world fought back from these early pioneers of building, and despite building a reservoir, three years of drought meant the palace had to be abandoned.

 

The palace provides outstanding views of the surrounding area, and although not as famous as its other contemporaries stands out as a peaceful and calm retreat.  Gone were the crowds we had experienced in Delhi, the Amber Fort and the Taj Mahal, instead few people milled around at a much more restful pace.  The only real work being done by a man with a broom, fighting a never ending battle against wind and sand.

This visit was a complete contrast to the time spent at the Taj.  We had been there the day before, getting there relatively early by 8am or so.  Of course this is one Indian site that all would recognise and it was slightly surreal to be standing in front of such an iconic building.  The entrance itself is impressive enough, a huge red sandstone archway, adorned with marble and onyx, and passages of the Koran.  Then you see the awesome spectacle of the Taj itself.

Our group was allocated an 'official' photographer and in many respects this added to the memories of the place, not necessarily the photos themselves but the amusement their creation caused.  We were made to pose in all sort of places and positions, fabulously staged shots of reclining, gazing and admiring the view.  Some of my particular favourites include the hands in the 'Namaste' position and of course the almost compulsory shot of looking like you were picking up the Taj in your hand.  There must be millions of versions of this shot in cameras all round the world.

Despite the 'disneyfication' of the photo shoot, the mausoleum itself truly is spectacular.  Gleaming white marble, intricate carvings and symmetry.  Even the gardens were a model of perfection, nothing out of place.  Inside the Taj the temperature falls and the place is filled with the echoes of hundreds of pilgrims to this place.

Stepping out the back the terrace runs the length of the building and the cool marble shaded by the building was providing a perfect spot for sitting.  Large family groups were gathering, each choosing a comfortable spot to rest and make the most of their time.  Ladies in beautiful colourful saris, men in their long sleeve shirts and holy men in burnt orange robes united in the privilege of the visit and the wearing of elasticated cotton shoe covers.    

 

 

 

Later in the evening we drove through a small village settlement and down a dust track road.  All sorts of vehicles were parked up either side, people all getting out and walking one way.  We had all come to the other side of the river to see the Taj from a different angle and to see it glow in the final light of the setting sun.  Unfortunately this was a particularly hazing evening and although a small glow was seen it wasn't the one on the pictures the hawkers were trying to flog on the way back to the bus.  I wasn't too disappointed, how could you be.

 

Two contrasting sites, two amazing views of India, both definitely stops on anyone's itinerary.

 

India - In search of Tigers

It was our first visit to India and as well as seeing the highlights of the usual tourist golden triangle route we also wanted to see some of the wildlife this part of India had to offer.  Rajasthan and the places surrounding it looked awesome in the guide book and on the TV programme we had been watching, a colourful array of sights, sounds, smell and other assaults on the senses, so when we got the chance to visit we jumped at the chance.

Our first stop was to try and spot some of India's beautiful birds.  We travelled to Bharatpur in order to stay in a maharajas palace, yes really, and visit the Keoladeo National Park.  Although I like birds I have never been good at spotting them let alone identifying them, but this trip changed that.  It was so easy they were everywhere!  At the entrance to the NP we got a guide and a cycle rickshaw.  The next two hours were spent cycling along one trail directly into the sanctuary.  Here the park and its animals were protected from locals who used to use this area for collecting firewood.

 

It was quiet in the park apart from the sound of birds, it was good to leave all the noise of Delhi and Agra behind and see another side to this vast sub continent.  Many stops on the rickshaw followed as birds and other wildlife were pointed out in all directions.  Mynah birds, parakeets, herons, storks and even an owl were easy to spot, not to mention numerous other species of native and migrating birds that looked cool, but with complicated names, some small some decidedly large despite the view through the handy telescope the guide had thoughtfully brought.  Other animals popping up in the park included several species of deer as well as wild boar and even jackals.  An interesting couple of hours passed quickly and was a great introduction to what was to come.

 

From Bharatpur we travelled the best way we could, on the Indian railway Shatabdi Express to our next destination of Ranthambore.  That journey is another story.  Ranthambore was a small Indian town that is famous for one thing and that one thing is Tigers.  The 1300km sq national park is home to approximately 58 of them and a large tourist industry has grown up around them serving the people that journey here outside monsoon season.

 

 The place was busy, we wondered whether the experience of trying to see tigers would be spoilt with so many people jostling for position in their jeeps and 'Contours'.  But we were reassured by the guide that all tourist vehicles were well controlled and numbers limited.  We had three game drives to look forward to.  As we made our way into zone 6 the excitement began to build.  On this first journey along very bumpy and well worn tracks the first thing we stopped to see was a 'tiger paw print'.  Now this surely had to be a good sign.  Photos taken we were off again.  Many a time the truck pulled to a halt for us the snap pictures of varieties of deer, antelope, birds, monkeys and even crocodiles.  However the tigers proved elusive. 

The second game drive, the same mounting sense of excitement, no one wanted to take photos of deer any more.  Then this was it, within 15 minutes our guide heard of a tiger sighting, and we were off, tearing through the park in zone one waved on by the park rangers sat in their look out.  Any hopes of having the tiger to ourselves were dashed as we pulled around a sharp bend and came to an abrupt halt along with at least 6 other vehicles.  As we jostled for position more trucks appeared trapping us in.  Edging our way forward it was finally time to take a look, and there at least 1 km away up the side of a steep mountain side was what we had come to see, a small outline but definitely identifiable as a tiger.  It was just lying about, the thing that stuck me was that it had a large head, a weird thought when faced with such as magnificent creature.  After 20 minutes it got up and walked off.  We tried to see it again, but who knows from the pictures it could easily have been a rock the second time of viewing.

 

That was it for the tiger viewing, the third drive proved unsuccessful in providing any more sightings.  But we were happy.  We had come on the 'tale of the tiger tour' and with a sense of achievement not really our own making we had seen one.  Yes it may have been far away, the pictures we took may just show a fussy spot as the camera focused in on the nearby tree instead of the tiger, but we know it was there, and despite seeing photos taken on the guides mobile phone of a tiger a few feet away lying on the track just 3 days ago we were not disappointed.  At least our experience proved the tigers were still the elusive creatures we wanted them to be, and despite the crowds not everyone was treated to a viewing.  Yes we were very satisfied and in the way it's only possible to do on holiday I brought a safari hat to celebrate.  I felt I deserved it.