From Delhi to Agra & Back Again in 36 Hours

When it takes you nearly 20 hours to arrive at your ‘final’ destination halfway around the world, there is a moment of expectation. Sometimes unreasonably, we start to do the simple math in our heads, “Well, if it takes X hours to get there, then we should probably spend at least Y hours to take in the new place.” So it went for us, as we finally arrived to Delhi, INDIA one of the GREATEST and oldest cities in the world – and we had 36 hours.

 

 

Limited Time, Strategic Destinations

With too many places to see and not enough time to do it all, our focus quickly narrowed. Of course, the Taj Mahal was an easy choice and not something one should ever miss when given the chance to see one of the modern day wonders of the world. But, given the literally hundreds of other monuments and places to see around Delhi and Agra, we focused in on choosing our destinations based on timing – since we only had 36 hours after all. Lucky for us, it just so happened we were passing through Delhi in mid-February, right at the exact time the Mughal Gardens of the Presidential Palace were opening for public viewing, and the Surajkund International Crafts Mela was going on – a HUGE ART BAZAAR with vendors from ALL OVER INDIA and surrounding countries converging for just two weeks in February!

 

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A dear friend we had met up with at the conference in Bhopal had connected us with a driver for hire. NOTE: DRIVING in INDIA is NOT for the ‘Faint of Heart!’ Let someone drive you. Period. The drivers there are experts (or experts in training) at navigating the amazingly complex, seemingly chaotic, incredibly noisy, multi-dimensional experience of the Indian roadway. More on that later! We got picked up from the airport and quickly whisked away to our first destination, the Mughal Gardens.

 

The Mughal Gardens of the Presidential Palace

 

 

Each year between February and March, the Mughal Gardens announce specific dates and times that the public may view the gardens. And we had inadvertently timed our arrival perfectly as the gardens had just opened! The line was LONG with hundreds of people waiting to see the beautifully sculpted Persian style Mughal architecture with pools, fountains, canals, perfectly placed inside the gardens. Standing your ground while anxious visitors pushed to secure their placement in the line was a bit of an experience and something you need to get used to in a city with nearly 20 million people; however, we finally got to the front to purchase our tickets and the gatekeeper waved us in without a fee! We insisted, but so did he – and this demonstrates, yet, again the warm hospitality and welcome we received during our visit to India – ‘Welcome, please be our guest.’

 

Moving through the gardens happens in an orderly fashion to ensure everyone a viewing opportunity. The unassuming Herbal Garden that greeted us near the entrance quickly brought a sense of practicality to this recent development (est. 2002) on the grounds. Nearly 2 acres of medicinal, herbal, and aromatic plants depicting their use are planted here – the smell is spectacular and the view is pastoral! We then moved through the Spiritual (‘Bonsai’) Garden filled with plants and trees associated with the various religions practiced in India all nurtured together in one space – spreading the message of harmonious coexistence despite religious and cultural differences. Upon our spiritual lift aided by the lovely, energetic school children racing by us (look closely at the Spiritual Garden picture), we ascended to the Musical Garden with three large fountains demonstrating digital electronics, electromagnetics, hydro dynamics, and electrostatics – ROCK ON!

 

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By this time, we had already traveled through acres of gardens, and were now viewing the 15 acre expanse of what has typically been portrayed as the ‘soul of the Presidential Palace.’ From here, we were blown away with bursts of colors from roses and tulips next to perfectly, manicured shapes in shrubs and trees as well as walkways and fountains that framed the Presidential Palace. The birds and the bees were chirping and buzzing with nectar delight, as we strolled through the concentric geometry from the Rectangular Garden to the Long Garden, and finally, to the Circular Garden! With all the bright bouquets and mesmerizing shapes, I have to admit I started to feel a little like Alice in Wonderland!! Keeping with the pace of other visitors, as hundreds if not thousands of people waited outside the gates for entry, we left the Mughal Gardens and headed out to our next destination.

 

A Cross-section of India All in One Place

 

 

It was starting to get toward mid-afternoon by the time our driver dropped us off at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela (i.e. arts and crafts exhibition). I can say with ease, we could have spent a couple DAYS (instead of hours) there to see everything and spend the time needed to actually take in all of the ethnic cuisine, handicrafts, handlooms, architecture, and performing arts. What made this place so spectacular is that it was a cross-section of the Indian population with nearly every state (29) and territory (7) represented through their people, arts, crafts, culture, and cuisine across 40 acres and over 1000 vendor huts. Everything was mapped out across the Mela and grouped based on country geography. So for example, we visited one area of the Mela with vendor booths from the far north Himalayan state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Next to Uttar Pradesh were vendors from Nepal, the country that borders UP to the north. It was fascinating as you walked through the fair how the textiles shifted from light silks of the warm southern climates of Karala to the coarse yak wools of the cold northern climates of the Himalayas. You could literally walk across climatic zones, Indian states, and cultures just by crossing the aisle!

 

The colorful, labyrinth walkways seemed to go on endlessly, yet around each corner there was something new to see. Even if you weren’t moving, the performances would come to you as street dancers and musicians would march by only to flash mob into something spectacular!! The Mela is another place in India we hope to return to soon. We did pick up a few keepsakes and gifts for friends and our home – but, there was still so much we didn’t get to see.

 

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Exiting the Mela gates, we had what we thought was another 2.5-3 HOUR drive to Agra and the daylight was slowly starting to shift as the sun got lower in the sky. As we got into the car, we headed out into what would be an unexpected EIGHT HOUR trip to AGRA!!! Just so everyone is clear, the distance from the Surajkund Crafts Mela in Delhi to our hotel in Agra was only 210 KM (or 130 miles). In our minds (and what we were told), we thought leaving around 5 p.m. – we would get to our destination easily by 8 p.m. We’ll save you all the boring details – just think about being in a vehicle on a two lane road, some sections paved and others not, with 4 EXTRA makeshift lanes shared by buses, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, bikes, pedestrians, wedding parties, horses, and cattle!! WELL, maybe NOT THAT BORING!

 

We arrived at our hotel in Agra, the place of the Taj Mahal around 1 a.m. Sleeping was easy that night despite the spirited wedding rocking outside our window well into the morning!

 

 

South to the TAJ!

 

Sleeping in was greeted with a delicious breakfast and bottomless refills of masala chai before we rode our way over to the Taj Mahal. Note: when you arrive within a mile of the Taj Mahal you will be bombarded with tour guides, rickshaw drivers, photographers, and other service providers for hire. The price for these services decreases by 10-15% every quarter mile closer to the Taj. Ben and I opted to do our own thing and wander about the monument at our own pace, using Google as a reference guide.

 

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As we walked through the north entrance and saw the GREAT glow of the ivory-white marble monument through the gateway, we knew instantly we were witnessing a Wonder of this World. Truly BREATHTAKING. From every angle as we wandered our way across the gardens and grounds surrounding the cloud-like tomb, we wanted to stop to take it all in. The walking path to the Taj Mahal was like the Mughal Gardens of the Presidential Palace; however, you had to often stop to keep yourself from tripping over your own feet as your eyesight was constantly be called to view this unearthly, angel-like structure upon a stage. Along the way we were warmly greeted by new friends including an engineer and agroecologist couple from Bombay and a pair of brothers from Punjabi, – all of us grateful for this magical moment to take in the Taj Mahal (the ‘Crown of the Palaces’) with all its intricate details.

 

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It is really something one must see to believe, and begs the question of how could something feel so pleasingly delightful to the human spirit? Is it the cross-cultural love story of Shah Jahan’s tribute to his Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal? The seemingly perfect symmetry – crafted by evidently unperfect men? The 21 years dedicated to build the Taj between 1632-53? The glow of the dome by the river as it becomes part of yet another perfect sunrise? All I know is once you’ve looked into the reflective tiles, touched the walls of Persian poetry, walked inside the impossible dome, and heard the amplified whispers at the foot of Mumtaz’s tomb, – it’s a feeling that stays with you forever.

 

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Now What?

 

We took our time that day strolling across the Mughal styled Taj Mahal grounds below the glow of the elegant, dream-like domes. By the time we met up with our driver to head back to Delhi, three things were clear: 1) it was a FANTASTIC 36 hours from Delhi to Agra and back again – every minute of it, 2) it was evident that our experience in Bhopal was not an anomaly, India is a beautiful place full of beautiful people (proven by our experiences at the Mughal Gardens, Mela, and Taj), and 3) it was simple that we had to extend our trip to see more of India. Lucky enough, we were able to add a few days onto our trip. That night we would sleep soundly in Delhi, and rise early the next morning for a six hour drive north into the Himalayas where the Ganges’ headwaters flow out from the mountains – to a majestic place called Rishikesh.

 

Look for our next blog post at firefly-fields.com, as we complete Part IV of our story about our trip to India. 🙂