Today we had our first yoga lesson with Singhji. It was gentle yoga with no standing poses, but it was still energizing. I need to incorporate it into my daily American life, so I won't get tired so easily! We also did a little bit of group chanting mixed in with the yoga. I was a little skeptical at first, but I am now a huge fan. As cheesy as it sounds, I really felt a deep connectedness while we were chanting and humming. Also, the laugh yoga at the end was an instant mood-lifter, and Singhji's laugh was so contagious! After yoga, we drove into the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh to visit Fatehpur Sikri, which served as the capital to the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. The architecture was astounding in its intricacy, combining styles from both the Hindu and Islamic faiths. Apparently, Emperor Akbar, who was in charge of the building of Fatehpur Sikri, was a very open-minded and tolerant man, thereby allowing these two traditions to mix. There were a bunch of persistent beggar children outside the site, which was a little bit disheartening and a lot bit annoying. Also, at one point during the tour, there was a man claiming he would dive into a seemingly shallow pool of water for 200 rupees [less than $5]! None of us was willing to let him risk his life for $5 though.
some of the buildings with little singhji & zacji in the background [jennifer turner]
turrets [jennifer turner]
phallic details on a column
outdoor hallway
me, studying the relief patterns [joel kraut]
details of a column [joel kraut]
robyn & josie in front of a screen [joel kraut]
the man who will dive for rupees [blair stirek]
he was ripped! [blair stirek]
hallway [landin donner]
elephant spike tower
indian tourist group
passageway
lanji & i with singhji in between
graves [landin donner]
the little beggar boy who wouldn't leave landin alone [blair stirek]
jewelry peddlers [jennifer turner]
post office box [jennifer turner]
Our next stop was the ultimate Indian tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal. We had studied it last semester in my art history class, and the whole time I just kept thinking, "In February, I get to see this in real life!" And, of course, it didn't disappoint. A little history: the Taj Mahal was constructed from 1632 to 1653, and was built as a masoleum for the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaj Mahal. It stands today as a symbol of eternal love and a showcase of some of the finest Mughal architecture. The main building is made of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones - our guide had a light that he would shine through the inlaid stones to show us what they look like by the light of the moon. I'm sure this was done partly to convince us to come back to see it at night, and I was sold. The glow of the stones was so surreal, and to see the Taj by moonlight would be amazing. Inside the masoleum, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the tombs or anything, but it was even more intricately carved in there. It was all breathtaking. And ENORMOUS. I still can't believe that I've seen one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
the great gate [jonathan dipratna]
the first glimpse from inside the great gate [jonathan dipratna]
the main buildling [landin donner]
blair & i before going inside
looking back from the front of the taj mahal [jonathan dipratna]
masoleum entrance [jonathan dipratna]
inlaid stones [joel kraut]
the river in back of the taj
rajasthani boy [blair stirek]
a side masoleum [landin donner]
me, landin & blair lost in the sea of tourists [blair stirek]
a photo of our group photo [jennifer turner]
waiting to leave; me trying to chat up the elusive mary [jennifer turner]
a glimpse into the chaos of the traffic on the way home from agra
After a long day of sightseeing, we headed back to our hotel for dinner. I had missed the puppet show from the night before, but I was told that I HAD to see it. Well, it ended up being a completely raunchy but hilarious sex puppet show. That puppeteer guy was insane, but the show brought a lot of laughs because it was sooo random. You could tell he was trying to cater to what he thought Americans would enjoy. Afterwards, Landin went to a wine shop with Ranjeet and brought us back some beer and whiskey. He, Blair & I stayed up late, having drinks and bonding. Good times...
the crazy puppeteer/musician man [jennifer turner]
puppet show [jennifer turner]
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