Thursday, January 17th
The bus arrived to Jodhpur at 8 AM. We took a rickshaw taxi and finally got Asghar’s house.
Asghar is a professional kite maker. He get his earns making kites. He has his own store and he makes first quality Indian traditional kites. He also paints some kites with traditional Indian themes. You must see them: they are beautiful.
In his motorbike we went to the Umaid Bhawan Palace which was originally called Chittar Palace during its construction, due to its location on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur. Ground for the foundations of the building was broken on 18 November 1929 by Maharaja Umed Singh and it was unfinished in1944. Umaid Bhawan was one of the last royal constructions (and India’s last Palace); for its construction more than 5000 men were employed for sixteen years. It is designed in such a manner that it always retains the temperature at approximately 23 degrees Celsius. The Palace, when it was built, was the world’s largest private residence, with 347 rooms. The building’s prominent central dome is 110 feet high. The architect, H. V. Lanchester designed the palace in what could be termed indo-art-deco style. The present owner is The Maharaja of Jodhpur, H.H. The Maharaja Gaj Singh II. He has divided the Palace into three functional parts, one having a five-star hotel (in existence since 1972), one is the residence of the royal family and one has been opened to public where a small museum displays pictures, arms, swords, and other items relating to Jodhpur’s royal heritage.
The Umaid Bhawan Palace is totally amazing.
26º16’52″N, 73º 2’50″E
http://tinyurl.com/yox7he
After a traditional lunch cooked by Asghar’s wife, we went to Mehrangart Fort, one of the largest forts and a famous tourist place in India. Perched on a 400 feet (150 m) high hill it is the most formidable and magnificent fort in Rajasthan. Rao Jodha founded it in 1459 but subsequent rulers of Jodhpur have also added palaces and gates to it over the centuries. A meandering road leads to this fort from the city 5 km below. Battle scars of canon ball hit by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. There are seven gates built by different maharajas to commemorate victories over other armies. Inside its territorial boundaries there are several palaces, which are known for their intricate carvings and sprawling courtyards.
In this fort I heard for the first time the rahvanastha, a Rajasthan folk bowed string musical instrument and I decided to take one with me to my country. I have done it, I have one.
It needs more than one day to see every part of this fort. It is wonderful. It is a must. I will come back.
26º17’56″N, 73º 1’10″E
http://tinyurl.com/yotddf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehrangarh_Fort
After that we went to The Jaswant Thada, a stone’s throw from the Mehrangarh Fort, built at the turn of the nineteenth century by Jaswant Singh’s Maharani in her husband’s memory, the shining white Jaswant Thada serves as a shrine to the Rathore dynasty. All around it today are the chattris or cenotaphs of the rulers and their queens who followed Jaswant Singh II for the complex, on the banks of the Dev Kund, The Pond of the Gods, serves as the royal cremation grounds.
The Jaswant Thada was taken over in 1949 with the Merger of the Jodhpur State and maintained by the Rajasthan State Government till a few years back when it was handed over to the Mehrangarh Museum Trust. A comprehensive restoration and conservation plan, which includes the gardens, is now under way.
We could walk inside. I remember the peaceful silence. It was a magical experience.
26º18’14″N, 73º01’31″E
http://www.maharajajodhpur.com/fort/mmt_thada.htm
http://www.mehrangarh.org/t_thada.htm
We got train tickets to travel that night to Delhi. Our intentions were to go directly to Agra but we could not get the tickets. We planned to take a bus to Agra when we get Delhi.
Asghar’s wife had cooked for us a delightful chicken with rice and put it inside a Tupper in order we have dinner while traveling by train.
We started our trip talking about our international kite festivals experiences and how to get different goals in that matter. It was a very interesting chat and it cleared our thoughts and future plans.
We have dinner and after that we slept in beds in the train. It was a very good trip.
Friday, January 18th
Early in the morning we arrived to Delhi City. We tried to get a train or bus for Agra but we were advised that this day the Taj Mahal (in Agra City) is closed for the public.
So we decided to visit Delhi during that day so we got a guided tour for the city. Unfortunately it was a tour for Indians; I did not understand a word of what the guide told us in Hindi language.
Delhi, Capital of India and the second largest city in India, covers an area of 1,485 square kilometers and it is situated on the Yamuna River (a tributary of the Ganges River). It generally has been presumed that the city was named for Raja Dhilu, a king who reigned in the 1st century BC, and that the various names by which it has been known (Delhi, Delhi, Dilli, and Dhilli) have been corruptions of this name.
The first place to visit was the Red Fort, also known as Lal Qil’ah, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded on 16th April 1639 and it took nine years to build this mighty citadel and it got completed on 16th April 1648. The art work in the Fort is a synthesis of Persian, European and Indian art which resulted in the development of unique Shahjahani style which is very rich in form, expression and color. The Red Fort is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Old Delhi, attracting millions of visitors every year. The fort is also the site from which the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on August 15, the day India achieved independence from the British. It also happens to be the largest monument in Old Delhi.
28º39’21″N, 77º14’18″E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fort
By bus we got the Jawaharlal Nehru’s samadhi or cremation spot. It is to the north of the Raj Ghat and is known as the Shantivan or Shanti Vana meaning the forest of peace. The area has a beautiful park adorned with trees planted by visiting dignitaries and heads of state. His grandson Sanjay Gandhi’s samadhi is adjacent to it.
28º38’56″N, 77º14’53″E
It is a very peaceful place. I would love more time to stay there.
Very near is Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most visited sites in Delhi. It consists of a simple square black-marble platform that stands on the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948. It is left open to the sky while an eternal flame burns perpetually at one end. It is located on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi, India. A stone footpath flanked by lawns leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial.
This is a special place that makes people to talk quietly. I could never forget this place and what Gandhi represents for me from now on.
28º38’27″N, 77º14’58″E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raj_Ghat_and_associated_memorials
We pass along the President House and the Parliament. We could not be near as also we could not be very near the India Gate, originally called the All India War Memorial; it is a monument built to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars. The foundation stone was laid on 10 February 1921. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931. The India Gate also has some resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe of Paris.
28º36’46″N, 77º13’47″E
We were also in the Prime Minister’s Old Residence at No. 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi, where Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984.
Then we had lunch in a street restaurant.
After that we went to the Qutab Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The tower was built between 1193 and 1368 and it is situated in the Qutab complex at Mehrauli in South Delhi. The Qutab Minar and its monuments around are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is 238 ft high (72.5 meters) with 399 steps leading to the top.
This tower is really amazing. I can not understand how it could be built so long ago.
28º31’28″N, 77º11’18″E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutub_Minar
The next place we went was The Bahá’í House of Worship, popularly known as the Lotus Temple. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. We were inside.
28º33’12″N, 77º15’31″E
It is not for me. I felt it as a cold place. I don’t know why.
The next place of the tour was a very big bazaar. I bought a nice and heavy copper elephant for my mother. She specially asked for one.
The last place of the tour was the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Temple Complex, Hare Krishna Hill, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash. Here we could see a Hi-Tech Sound & Light Show about The Bhagavad Gita: Lord Krishna conversation with Arjuna, taking place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra just prior to the start of the Kurukshetra war. Very impressive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita
When the tour finished we had dinner in a vegetarian restaurant and tried to find a hotel for the night. We could not get one so at 10 PM we got a bus going to Agra. It was a common city bus, in a cold night, four hours trip, 125 miles (200 km). My friend Asghar slept the whole trip, I could not.
Saturday, January 19th
We finally got Agra and with some difficult we got a room in a hotel. I really needed to sleep in a real bed.
Next day we woke up early and while we waited the water got hot in the electric tank to have a shower, Asghar and me had a wonderful conversation about religions in India. He explained me lots of things of their religions and culture.
When we left the hotel we got a rickshaw to the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal (Crown Palace) is India’s most famous structure, and, perhaps the most beautiful piece of architecture in the world. Photographs cannot truly capture its grandeur. While this is true for most photos, it seems especially true for this almost perfectly proportioned tomb of Mumtaz Mahal and its creator, Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal ruler.
Once more, I was captivated with pure beauty. This is a special place, a must to know. I can not write any more. I do recommend: go India.
27º10’30″N, 78º2’32″E
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/agra/TAJMAHAL.htm
After this magic place we went to the Agra Fort. It began its life in the 10th century as a simple mud and brick fortress along the banks of the Yamuna River.
Built over many centuries under different regimes, it is the product of many different architects who each worked on only a small portion of the whole. To our eyes, this gives the Red Fort a rather eclectic feel that is unified only by the ubiquitous red sandstone that gives the fortress its name.
The sight of the Taj Mahal from the Red Fort is wonderful.
27º10’42″N, 78º 1’23″E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_Fort
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/agra/AGRAREDFORT.htm
Once we finished the visit to the Red Fort we had a meeting with two Asghar´s friends and we took a cup of tea while we chat.
After that we had dinner and we went to the train station to get the train to Jodhpur. We must wait because it was a train that came from far and had a two hours delay.
The trip will be Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur, 180+210= 390 miles (288+336= 624 km).
We had only one single bed that we use as a seat because the train was full of students going to Jaipur. When we got Jaipur we could choose beds because the train was half emptied. It was a very cold night.
Sunday, January 20th
We arrived to Jodhpur in the morning, we got Asghar’s house, had breakfast and made plans for the two next days.
We went shopping: I wanted to buy some Indian traditional musical instruments: a ravanhatha (the ancestor of violin), a harmonium (a little air keyboard) and a shenhai (the Indian oboe). We got them.
After lunch we went to Mandore Gardens in the Asghar’s motorbike.
Mandore was the former capital of Maharajas of Marwar and is located about 5 miles north of Jodhpur, but was later abandoned for the security of Mehrangarh fort. Here there are the cenotaphs of Jodhpur’s former rulers. As you climb up the hill, you come to the ruined city of Mandore, with its old palace. The beautiful Maharani’s cenotaphs set apart on a rocky outcrop – a ten-minute walk over the hill. Today its extensive gardens with high rock terrace make it a popular local attraction.
26º21’09″N, 73º2’5″E
http://www.jodhpurindia.net/gardens/mandore-garden.html
http://www.maharajajodhpur.com/hh/magic_mandore.htm
The Chattris or cenotaphs of the Queens in Mandore, not by far as large and grand as the cenotaphs of the rulers they are profoundly moving. Indeed in their simple and quite dignity they seem to say, “Here in sprit lay Marwar’s queens. Let not anyone forget they were the strength of the Rathores.” The chattris lie in near ruin but it is believed they must not be disturbed. They too must follow the natural cycle.
Fortunately they are being restored right now. The place is magic.
26º21’27″N, 73º1’44″E
http://www.maharajajodhpur.com/hh/magic_mandore.htm
Very near from this place, Asghar’s club mates were flying and fighting with their kites. We stayed 15 minutes with them and Asghar introduced me to his friends. After that we started our way home.
This was the first night I slept in Asghar’s home and I should have a quiet night to sleep for the first time in the trip.
Monday, January 21st
Early in the morning and without breakfast we went to a near park where Asghar and his friends play badminton every day.
After that we had breakfast in a famous breakfast place and it was a good and different meal.
Then, because the end of my trip was near, I begun to prepare my luggage; we ran to Meherangarh Fort again to buy the gifts for the teenagers of the team I am coaching (TENSION is the team’s name): I brought for them (and for me too) a T-shirt of Jodhpur Polo Team.
We had lunch and while we waited for the moment to leave to the airport, I teach Asghar to fly a two lines kite, at the living of his house. A full theory kite flying course 😉
I took the airplane from Jodhpur going to Mumbay after say thanks and goodbye to my friend, Asghar Belim, one more brother in kite I am lucky to have.
Visit Asghar’s website: http://www.kitesonlines.org/asghar/
Once I arrived to Mumbay domestic airport I was received by one of Asgahr’s nephews and we wait chatting with him and his twin and his sister about tradition and culture of India. Nice and smart young people.
In the Mumbay international airport I must pay for excessive weight. I prefer to forget that moment.
In the airplane going to Milano (Italy) I had my last spicy Indian meal.
Tuesday, January 22nd
I arrived to Milano City at 8:30 AM (local time) and my next flight going to Buenos Aires should be at 9:00 PM, so I left my hand luggage in the airport storage and I took the train to the downtown.
There I visited an old fort that is a museum and after that I lunched spaghetti “en la via” (at the street).
I walked a lot, took some pictures, I visited the Duomo that is incredible and return to the airport.
I took my plane to Buenos Aires City. 13 hours.
Wednesday, January 23rd
Finally I arrived to my country. Home at last and with my entire luggage and with an experience that I definitely will remember.
CONCLUSION:
Would I want to come back to India? yes, Yes and YES.
This trip and the experience I lived is one of the most important in my life. I will never stop to tell everyone I know: “Visit India”. All the international and local kite flyers I met there were very nice. I could name a few but I prefer to remember all without name them. I felt honored to fly with them. The Kite Festival organization was perfect, they took good care of us and they proudly showed us nice places of their country. The public was always charming. India is a special place, its people is wonderful; the way they live kiting is amazing.
I suggest everybody to go to the links I have included in this chronicle and read more about the places I visited. The more I read about India, the more I want to know and learn about it.
Good winds and GO TO INDIA
LAlo Loescher
Argentina
lalo_loescherATyahoo.com.ar
www.batoco.org www.kites.org/elfabulosoteam/english.htm
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