New Year’s Eve 2019 - 2020

We rang in the new year at an Indian family’s home where we learned some basic Indian dance moves. We talked to a young man and learned about the Indian education system.

If anyone asks how I welcomed 2020, I can say I was at an Indian family’s home in Agra wishing for a happy and healthy New Year which is something special. I do not need to see the ball drop in Times Square again haha.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was the most anticipated site and it does not disappoint. There were lots of people but the structure speaks for itself. I just took a quick look through some of my photos and I think it brings our beauty and love in everyone who connects with it in some way.

The story of the Taj Mahal

The Empress Mumtaz was the Emperor’s favorite wife. She gave birth to 14 children in the 19 years they spent together. She was pregnant and insisted that she accompany the Emperor to a battle and gave birth while traveling. Sadly, she died during childbirth. She had 3 dying wishes of the Emperor, to take care of her family, not marry again, and build something to show the world of his love for her.

Building the Taj Mahal 

The Taj Mahal is the mausoleum that was build over many years to show the world of his love for her. It was designed by a Persian architect and took 22 years to build in the 1600’s. It is constructed of the finest Indian translucent marble, brought by elephants from Rajasthan. There are semiprecious stones inlaid in the marble. It has a water foundation and a special type of wood which has made it resistant to earthquakes. It is completely symmetrical. The four pillars angled out by 2 degree so if they ever fell, they would fall outwards.

Marble 

After visiting the Taj Mahal, we visited a marble shop that is run and operated by the dependents of the same artisans who built the Taj Mahal. We then saw a dramatic Bollywood play about the Taj Mahal love story. I really enjoyed the Indian costumes and dancing, our tour guide got front row seats for us. It was New Year’s Eve and the play ended with a surprise New Year’s Eve performance which was impressive.

Golden Triangle - Agra

We took a cold bus to Agra. India was experiencing a 180 year record low temperature so it has actually been quite cold. In the morning, we visited the Red Fort which was a the palace of the Mogul Emperors. I enjoyed this more than I expected. The architecture was interesting and reminded me of a medieval city with a Indian or Middle Eastern style. We learned that the Emperor met his future Empress, Mumtaz, in a selective night market at the Red Fort.

We also visited the Baby Taj which was very nice. It’s built from similar marble as the Taj Mahal and overlooks a river.

We had masala pizza for lunch from an Indian Dominos.

Golden triangle - Delhi

We started our Golden Triangle Tour today in Delhi. We spent the morning on a walking tour, the first part of the tour was lead by a 19 year old man from Nepal who was a former street child in Delhi. It was really moving hearing his story about how he used to beg and when he used to work in a kitchen, his dream was to learn how to write his name, Devraj, in English and Hindi. There is an organization called the Salaam Baalak Trust which is dedicated to sheltering and helping street children. Devraj entered a Salaam Baalak Trust shelter at approximately 14 years of age. He now provides walking tours as he transitions out of the children’s shelter which is mutually beneficial to tourists and himself as he gets to practice his English.

We visited a Sikh Temple and learned about some of the tenets of the Sikh religion like equality, service, and selflessness. We visited a large operation in which volunteers make food for breakfast, lunch, & dinner to feed the poor.

We went to a mosque as well but we couldn’t go in because it was prayer time and I got hassled about buying some gown to wear so I got our tour guide. After we walked around without our shoes, I decided I’d had enough and left.