Bathing Optional

India: Delhi, Agra & Varanasi

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We spent 13 hours in the Doha Airport waiting all night for our connecting flight to Delhi. We werent the only ones waiting.
Welcome to India! We arrived in New Delhi in the late afternoon on January 4th.
Somewhere along this chaotic street in Delhis Pahar Ganj neighborhood is our hostel.
The mad streets of Old Delhi are shared by everyone; people, cars, rickshaws, bikes, scooters... and elephants!
Those sacred cows share the roads too but they sure dont seem to be getting sacred meals!
Boy in a cart.
Waiting for a bus.
Banana salesman by the Kashmere Gate, one of several gates which still stand around Old Delhi.
We arrived in Delhi in the late afternoon on a Thursday. Thursdays at sunset are the time to be at the Nizam-ud-din Tomb, a famous Sufi, as that is the evening when the temple grounds are filled with beautiful live Sufi music.
Praying outside the Sufis tomb. Sorry, no ladies inside.
A new day in Delhi and the kids are off to school. A different school bus than we may be used to but it will still get them there on time.
The older kids have to walk it.
Other kids dont go to school at all but at least theyre feeding the sacred cows.
Morning. Probably the only time of day that these noisy rickshaws are quiet and not running us down.
Another cow and old-school taxi.
Man at the train station.
Keeping things clean OR getting a pile ready for one of those toxic street fires weve seen lots of.
Hundreds of scooters at Connaught Place.
Morning chat.
Humayuns Tomb, the practice run before the Taj Mahal.
Lady at the Tomb.
Old tiles and carvings.
Gate tower.
Delhi isnt all noise and commotion. Around the ancient sites and tombs there are large parks and lots of green, a very welcome escape from the city beyond.
Lady at the Tomb.
Looking out from inside one of the tomb halls.
More stars. There was definitely a star motif at Humayuns Tomb.
A Sikh temple in the distance.
Humayuns Tomb from the gardens.
You know youre getting near a temple when you see flowers and garlands.
Inside the Tibet House, a center established by the Dalai Lama in Delhi, old Tibetan money is only one thing that demonstrates how connected spirituality is to daily life in this nation in crisis.
Another of Delhis grand tombs, Sadarfungs Tomb.
Tomb tower.
Domes.
Lodi Park is another wonderful green escape from the streets of Delhi and it protects a collection of wonderful Lodi era monuments.
One of the several tombs in Lodi Park.
Ancient tomb.
Flowers.
Lodi Park is great!
The brown dirt and deep green trees remind us that we are back in a subtropical place.
Old bridge spans the pond in Lodi Park.
Sunset over the pond.
A Delhi landmark, the India Gate at sunset.
Another new day and people begin to fill the streets.
A local establishment in our neighborhood. Im classy and I DO need a new pair of shoes. We may pay them a visit soon...
Fresh juice stand.
The local grocer.
A few of these old carriages stand abandoned in our neighborhood.
Krishna?
Garlands in a (sacred?) tree.
Another flower stall. We must be nearing another temple...
Delhis largest Hindu Temple, Lakshmi Narayan.
One of the State Buildings by Delhis massive House of Parliament.
Nice sari!
Careful on that bamboo ladder!
In the distance, the House of Parliament.
Some of the people that were on the rickety old tour bus with us as we did the Delhi Tour of Delhis more remote sights.
Indira Gandhis home has been turned into a memorial to this controversial former Prime Minister.
An Indira Gandhi carpet!`
The sari and shoes worn by Indira Gandhi when she was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, possibly a retaliation attack for her role in the attack on a Sikh Temple in northern India by the Indian Army.
Hindu images inside a small street stand.
Local lady and child.
Local child.
Car tassles hanging off of the bumper. Gotta get to the bottom of their powers!
The huge Qutb Minar is one of Delhis greatest sights! Built by an Islamic general following his conquest of Delhi along with the Might of Islam mosque built on the destroyed foundation of a Hindu temple at the towers base.
Arabic script on the Qutb Minar tower.
Divided into five levels, the tower has several balconies.
The remains of the mosque built on the site are wonderfully carved columns and arched gates.
Mosque columns.
Closer up.
Amazing reliefs at the old mosque at Qutb Minar!
Looks like a heavy load!
Tomb at the Qutb Minar tower site.
That tower is more than 73 meters high and still stands after more than 700 years!
The last stop of our Delhi Tour was the beautiful lotus-shaped Bahai Temple in southern Delhi.
Following the procession of people headed for the Bahai Temple.
Ladies in the queue.
More ladies and kids in the queue.
The Lotus Temple is surrounded by nine pools and has nine sides as the Bahais recognize nine as the highest digit and symbol of universality.
Us with Hynek, our new Czech friend whos also on an around the world trip. Find him at: www.hynekoboril.com.
Correction: our last stop with the Delhi Tour was Raj Ghat, the site of Gandhis cremation. Were not sure how many hours per day this mystic spends beating the drum, chanting, and meditating at Gandhis tomb every day but he didnt stop during our visit. He created the spiritual mood fitting of this place.
At eternal flame at Gandhis Tomb.
Sunset.
So many wires. Walking the streets of Delhi we saw one of these street poles explode and fizzle in electric blue as live wires fell to the street.
Taxi.
Shave in the street. Very popular.
Typical Old Delhi street scene.
Havent mustered up the courage to eat those fluorescent pink carrots yet.
Morning shower.
Sleepy.
Are you looking at my goat?
Krishna keeps a diligent watch on the activity in the street.
Afternoon nap.
Ganeesh asks for your donation.
Men on the steps to Jama Masjid, Indias largest mosque.
Boy at the mosque with Old Delhi crowds below.
One of Jama Masjids huge white (make that grey) domes. Rule #1: Do not build anything of white material in India.
In the mosque courtyard.
Jama Masjid.
Fruit stand. Unfortunately we are not confident enough with the un-peelable fruits yet to enjoy all this variety.
Pomegranate.
Coconuts!
Lahore Gate, the massive sandstone gate marking the main entry to Delhis huge Red Fort.
Couple at the Red Fort.
Ladies at the Fort.
The walls of the Red Fort are an amazing 33 meters high at some spots.
Inside the Fort, a half dozen Mughal buildings still stand.
Man at the mosque.
Most of the Mughal palace and bath buildings in the Red Fort grounds are in bad shape but hints to their former greatness remain.
We really loved those flower designs.
Great tree!
Us in the Red Fort gardens.
Ladies at the Red Fort.
Lady at the Fort.
Older lady at the Fort.
Love those vivid saris.
Light and dark.
Waiting.
More ladies at the Red Fort.
A few more ladies.
Love those saris!
Garland.
Man with peanuts.
Walking home through the Old Towns market we spotted a family of monkeys jumping from building to building and using powerlines like forest vines.
Monkey fashion.
Monkey.
Saris for sale.
Why in English?
Wow -- look at all those bike taxis!
A final look at the chaos that is Delhi. We are off to Rajasthan tonight!
Not far from Agra is the 16th century royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, which was deserted only several years after its completion due to inadequate water resources. Today, the ghost city is a beautiful reminder of Mughal pride and design.
The main gate to Fatehpur Sikri rises high over the new village below.
Up to the steps to Fatehpur Sikris massive main gate.
Leave your shoes at the door before entering the mosque courtyard.
Lucky horseshoes cover the main gate.
Get your dried, cow patties here! Just before we were about to enter the mosque at sunrise, this wagon full of cow patties pulled up.
Incredible geometric patterns of marble cover the sandstone walls of the entry gate.
Sunrise over the mosque courtyard wall.
Men at the mosque.
Marble tomb inside the mosque courtyard.
Probably the best example of marble lattice carving in all of India.
Maciej wearing the mandatory, plastic Muslim head garb.
Washing up before entering the mosque and tombs.
Massive beehives hang off ancient ceilings.
Sandstone portal.
Fatehpur Sikris mosque is modeled after the mosque at Mecca.
Tombs.
More geometry.
Beyond the mosque compound is Fatehpur Sikris palace complex.
Palace buildings stand completely abandoned.
Palace building.
These green birds are almost as common in India as the monkeys we come across just about everywhere!
Palace grounds.
The Emperor once sat in the middle while a sages from four different religions sat at the end of each of four ramps and talked philosophy.
Girls at the palace.
Ashe crossing the bridge at the palace pond.
Village life in Fatehpur Sikri.
Hut.
Dyeing threads.
Countryside around the village.
Sitting on the old city wall and watching the sun set.
Village road.
Excited to see us up on the city wall.
Sunset.
Billboard.
One final pitstop before leaving Fatehpur Sikri. Maciej thinks while using the streetside urinal, We should have these back home!
The Taj Mahal. Agras number one attraction, and symbol of India.
Before the Taj Mahal, lets see what the rest of Agra looks like. We thought Jaipur was busy, noisy, and dusty! Agra puts Jaipur to shame and we feel for those tourists who only do the Delhi, Agra, Jaipur triangle and leave seeing India at its noisiest, most dirty, and touristy!
Trying to make our way through Agras busy Old Town Bazaar towards the old Jama Masjid.
Jama Masjid mosque courtyard.
Agra Fort. We didnt want to pay the steep entry fee so all we got were great views of the immense fortress walls.
Agra Fort wall.
Back to the Taj and its main entry gate.
Women wait at the gate to the Taj Mahal.
First glimpse of the incredible mausoleum as we pass through the main gate.
To each side of the Taj stand these small red, sandstone buildings. One is a mosque, the other built for symmetry only as it cannot be used as a mosque because it doesnt face Mecca.
The Taj sits on a huge marble platfrom with a tower at each corner.
Perfectly symmetrical, the Taj looks the same from each side.
Inside the Taj mosque. No need for a prayer mat or carpet when youve got all your prayer spots laid right into the stone.
Mosque dome.
Flower reliefs.
Celebrating our third wedding anniversary at the worlds greatest monument to love.
Taj tower.
The size of the grounds around the Taj Mahal keeps things feeling not so crowded despite the huge number of daily visitors.
Taj arch.
A very modern sari design.
Taj flower. The Taj Mahal is approached through a green and well-kept garden, a rarity in India.
Taj through the trees.
A relaxing four hours at the Taj Mahal.
That perfect dome.
The classic shot.
Eagles circle the Taj dome.
The Taj mosque.
Garden view.
The Taj, at sunset, takes on a beautiful orange glow.
Sunset reflection.
Sunset at the Taj Mahal.
Between Delhi and Agra is the city of Mathura. Recognized as the birthplace of the beloved Krishna, Mathura is an all important Hindu pilgrimage site. The spot of Krishnas birth lies under the mosque to the left and pilgrims fill the huge Krishan Temple to the right after filing past the birthplace.
Krishna chariot.
In Mathuras Old Town by the River Yamuna, another huge temple built for Krishna.
A screen in the temple courtyard lets pilgrims know the status of the Krishna alcove. We arrived right in time to see the ceremony of the door closing.
Meanwhile, along the Yamuna River in Mathura, late afternoon boats take pilgrims across to the other bank.
It didnt take long for a ghat holy man to get some third eyes on us.
River boats.
We definitely are not getting tired of all those city monkeys in India.
Boatman.
So much clothing for such a small statue!
Primary colors always look good.
Fruit juice guy.
Tower built on the site of a ladys sati, or suicide by throwing oneself onto the funeral pyre of a dead husband. This ritual still takes place in India today.
Flower lady.
Confused kid.
Wedding day?
Mathura Old Town building.
Vrindavan, not far from Mathura, is a growing town amongst the forests that were once Krishnas childhood playing grounds. Today, more than 4000 temples fill the sacred town.
Monkeys and people at Vrindavans oldest temple.
We knew that the Hare Krishna Temple and World Headquarters were not too far away when we spotted these guys at the side of the road.
The Hare Krishna Temple.
Statue of the founder of the Hare Krishnas.
Krishna and wife inside the Hare Krishna temple.
You know youve been in India a while when this guy beside you doesnt phase you.
Varanasi, one of Indias most holy and most visited cities. Built as a series of bathing steps (ghats) along the great Ganges River, it is a place of pilgrim and the most auspicious place in which to die.
Morning in Varanasi is a time for prayer and cleaning at along the Ganges River.
Being such an important and holy place, Varanasi is also the meeting place for all kinds of characters. The most interesting are probably Indias holy men, the saddhus, who have set up a near-permanent tent village along one of the dozens of ghats along the river.
Doorway Ganeesh with cactus offering.
The Ganges River is filled with boats every morning as tourists take the must-do morning river trip along Varanasis bathing ghats.
Lots of foreigners soak up the spirit of Varanasi. Here, a visitor does some yoga at sunrise.
Boats on the Ganges.
Part of a ritual followed by many.
Back to the source.
Seeing what that water looks like, we were not about to take a swim in the Ganges with this guy.
Thats what the Ganges looks like.
Preparing for a morning dip.
Contemplation.
With all those garland offerings along the river, goats actually have more to eat than garbage here!
One of the central ghats in Varanasi is the burning ghat at which cremations take place. The ghat is perpetually covered in the wood used for funeral pyres.
Looking down over the burning ghat.
We were told that more than 150 people are cremated at the burning ghat every day. Hindus believe that those who die here attain instant nirvana. There goes another one.
Bathing in the holy Ganges.
Sinking temple.
Many of Varanasis riverside buildings are grand and elegant hinting at the citys illustrious past.
Giant scales are used to weigh carefully and accurately the exact 150 Kg. of wood that is used for each funeral pyre.
Traditionally, one family member shaves their head entirely when a family member has passed away.
Garbage disposal, Indian style.
Riverside folks.
Praying to the Mother River.
Holy Cow!
River boys.
Children bathing in the Ganges. Two girls? I thought so.
Child in the Ganges.
Waiting for a boat.
Musician.
Under Gangas watchful gaze.
Laundry.
Varanasi buildings.
More laundry!
Girl by the river.
Good looking guy.
Diving head first.
Us by the river at sunrise.
Wearing his best golden sarong for that holy dip in the Ganges.
Sunset over the Ganges.
Selling puja flowers to be sent downriver with lit candles.
You know its Holi (harvest festival) time in India when you see people covered in colorful powders!
Special evening prayer offered to the Ganges River.
Priest waving incense.
Another priest with candles.
A new day begins with a brilliant sunrise over the river.
Early boat.
Us at sunrise.
A sadhu at the Ganges at sunrise.
Grand buildings along one of Varanasis ghats.
Ghat temple.
Great old building at the top of another ghats steps.
Early morning river scene.
Sadhu having a smoke.
Here come the naked sadhus. These holy men definitely are not shy. We arrived at their camp in time to watch them taking their morning bath in the nude. Skip the next three photos if you cant handle a nude holy man.
Done with his bath. Careful, the next ones worse.
Not shy. The next ones even worse...
Oh, no! These guys should have to cover up like all the other bathers but they dont and have no qualms about strutting around in the nude in front of dozens of others on the riverside.
Holy lake by one of Varanasis main temples. If the geese are still here, it cant be all that bad, can it?
Ashe by the temple pond.
Varanasis largest temple.
Varanasis riverside fort.
Many corners look like this one in India. If one person spits their betel nut chew in the corner, everyone will follow.
Fort palace.
Varanasis fort opens right up onto the river.
The public bathroom at the Fort isnt looking too good.
Potter caste.
Riverside activity near the Fort.
We decided to take a boat back to central Varanasi rather than the roads from the Fort.
Ashe on the boat.
Enjoying the river ride.
A shocking sight. A dying cow carcass rots in the water and people bath just downstream.
A dog munches on another rotting cow washed up on shore.
Water buffalo comes across our path along the river.
Bathers in the Ganges.
Water buffalo.
We watch a monkey who watches the people.
Lots of buffalo.
Another holy bather.
Ganges boat.
Making a meal.
This guy was a real character.
Holi Festival time is here again!
Morning nap.
Happy kids.
Water snake!
With the streets of Varanasi looking like this its no wonder that most people stay along the river.
Back in Delhi and checking out Jantar Mantar, an old astronomical observatory.
A modern Delhi building rises over the ancient observatory.
Part of the nations government HQ.
We love how the government buildings are built all of sandstone and seem to blend with the dusty roads of Delhi.
The main building.
For our last day in Delhi (and India) we wanted to make a sincere effort to find modern and western Delhi. When asking where the rich hang out we were told: Hauz Khas Village. The village was nothing more than a strip of fancy shops along a street unlike most in Delhi. We expected more. At the end of the street was a collection of historic buildings, tombs, and an ancient university compound as well as a fantastic and massive park.
Parrots love all those missing stones in the ruins.
For our last afternoon in Delhi we returned to our favorite spot in the city: Lodi Gardens.
Garden flowers.
The gardens and park are built around ancient Lodi-era tombs.
Ashe in the garden.
Flowers and tomb.
Sunset in the garden.
Lying in the grass.

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