Fatehpur Sikri, the Taj Mahal, Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, and the Bahai Temple

So my first week or so in India has been a veritable wave of culture shock, while at the same time I feel like my days are being spent at one UNESCO world heritage site after another. Here is where I have been so far (the titles are Wikipedia links), along with a few pictures - just a taste.

Update: Now with actual stories!

Fatehpur Sikri: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatehpur_Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri proved to be quite a stunning fort. It was built in the middle of the 1500’s by the Mughals, who seemed to be the most adept Indian rulers at building anything (They are also responsible for the Taj Mahal). Built as a palace and town, it was eventually abandoned as a palace when the capital was moved back to Delhi. The ruins are still quite interesting. The king had a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian wife and each had her own respective temple, mosque, and chapel. The pillar (pictured) outside of the fort is the grave of an elephant who was beloved by the ruling family. The spikes outside (I believe there are 44) represent all of the people who were put to death by means of the elephant stomping on them. In my mind, this is not a very pleasant way to go. There used to be a lake beyond this pillar, but it has been drained and used to irrigate the land, and now there is a lush valley. One of the most impressive parts of the fort was one room with an ornate column carved in the middle (pictured).

After the formal tour of the palace town, we met with with Mr. Faridi, who gave us a personal tour of the rest of the complext. We were able to go into the tomb of the saint and tie hope strings to the wall. Then we were fortunate enough to climb up the tower, to a point where other people are not normally allowed to go. The view was breathtaking.

We were invited to have lunch with Mr. Faridi, which turned out to be the best Indian meal I have ever had, by far. Along with a wide variety of chicken, mutton, cheese, rice, and roti, he served Zerda. Zerda is an orange rice, with caramelized grapes, some unnamed red sweet rice, with almonds and some other fruit. It was originally brought out after everyone was already full, but yet each person had at least three servings. We were all going to burst.

Taj Mahal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_mahal

Although we were supposed to leave Fatehpur Sikri around 1:00, it was now around 3:45, and we needed to get to the Taj Mahal before it closed. Despite his exceedingly fast (read: completely insane) driving style, our new driver, who was named Zafer, was not able to get us to Agra in time. The complete lack of signs to one of the most recognizable monuments in the world was not helpful. Remember that theses streets are not organized, but rather it is a collection of back alleys. Mike, Sam, and I decided to stay overnight to see the Taj Mahal in the morning, since it would be very difficult to justify another 5 hour trip back there later on. The rest of our group was not able to stay, as they had to work the next day. We had a quick drink and parted ways.

Finding a hotel proved to be extremely easy, despite it being high tourist season. We made plans to wake up and see the Taj as it opened.

When we got to the gate the next morning, we realized that the fog in place would prohibit us from seeing the true sunrise reflecting on the Taj, but that did not stop our enjoyment of the complex. There is an outer garden, with a gate inscribed with a few verses from the Koran leading into the main area. When I turned the corner and was able to see the actually Taj Mahal, I was blown away. It is one of those awe-inspiring structures that looks so amazing when you see it in pictures, but in the back of your mind you know it is so much better in person. Well, it is. Instead of creating a disappointing effect, the fog made the Taj look mystical.

We spent about four hours walking around the area, investigating all of the interesting vegetation, the mosque, the actual Taj, and the columns. I found it very interesting that the columns were built to lean slightly outward, so that in the event of a catastrophe, they would fall outward. We all agreed that the most amazing part is the simplicity. The architecture itself is very simple and stunningly elegant. The Taj Mahal is definitely on a short list of the most impressive things I have seen in my life.

That evening, we took a train back to Delhi and spent one more night at Iftah and Martha’s house. The next day we moved to the hotel with the bugs in Paharganj and then to another hotel in the area.

Humayun's Tomb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humayun%27s_tomb

While Mike was working to resolve some computer problems, Sam and I went to Humayun’s tomb. Leaving most of the history out, this was another very impressive structure. We noticed that whenever a site gets UNESCO world heritage status, India somehow gets its act together and starts to restore and maintain the site. When they do this, however, they charge the locals 10 rupees to get in and foreigners 250 rupees. While only $5, it is still an insult that we have to pay 25x what a local does to see these sites. Talk about profiteering.

Anyway, Humayun’s tomb is very impressive. It predates the Taj Mahal and was actually used as the main source of inspiration for it. Upon entering, there is another tomb on the right side, but walking straight leads to the tomb. I liked the white marble used for the Taj Mahal better than the red sandstone used here, but nonetheless it had a simple elegance as well. I actually liked the surrounding garden, with plenty of beautiful trees better than the surrounding area in the Taj Mahal complex.

Qutub Minar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutub_minar

The next day, we went to Qutub Minar, which is quite an elegant structure (again, built by the Muslims) in Delhi. Each stone is interlocking, so absolutely no mortar was used in the construction. It was originally designed to be a one story victory tower, with later floors added on afterwards. Now, from above, the tower looks like an opening lotus flower, and on the sides there are many verses of the Koran inscribed on each floor. In the complex, there is an iron pole. Although it seems unremarkable at first glance, it came from before a time when refined smelting was invented to create a pole that could last this long. It is a mystery as to how this pole could have been created. I found it fascinating.

It was here that I had my first up close and personal encounter with the ever-present caste system. Despite having purchased tickets, two teenage boys were slapped across the face at full force by a guard, simply because they were not in the proper caste to enter. Nearly everyone with any money in India employs servants to do most of their work, including errands. Although mostly hidden to the outside eye, the masters can be very violent and beat the servants. It is very troubling that this way of life still exists and is omnipresent in society. What’s worse is that the servants expect it and feel that they deserve to be beaten when they do something wrong. They have a servant mindset, which is a direct result of the Hindu caste system. I am not sure if it can be called racist per se, but it is one of the most blatant forms of prejudice that I have ever seen.

Bahai Lotus Temple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Temple

After leaving Qutub Minar, we headed to the Bahai Temple, one of the seven in the world. It is a place where people of all religions can go and reflect. This temple is in the shape of a lotus flower and is very elegant on the outside. The inside is also interesting, with the light being used on hidden windows to illuminate the entire temple. Entering was also a surprisingly orderly process. Workers from the temple would create a line and take groups of people to one of the eight or nine entrances. After being explained the rules of silence, the group would be led into the temple and allowed to sit for as long as they would like. There were an incredible amount of visitors, and it was kept very orderly. The other Bahai temple I have seen is in Wilmette, Illinois, and that temple was not nearly as spectacular as this one.

Well, that concludes our time in Delhi. After initially planning on a 30 hour train ride to Goa, which no doubt would have turned into a 45 hour train ride, we decided to pay up and take a 2 hour flight. After one day souvenir shopping, we are on our way to the south!