A Fresh Look at India

Who would have thought, my first real impression of India came from this: the airport restroom! Having seen various restroom signs, either using high-heel shoes & pipes or other symbols to identify "His" and "Hers", I almost shrunk back at the sight of such two vivid portraits:

Intuitive Sign of Restroom in Indira Gandhi International Airport

In India, it's almost impossible to hear the word "overload", simply because people have no such notion. It seems that they can always pile in more! If you're not lean enough, you're probably ruled out of taking a car! The most popular taxi in India, guess how many guys piled in it?

Tuk-tuk in India

There are a lot of funny and exotic scenes. The Quran scriptures and floral patterns in every single inch, it is hailed as "one of seven wonders in Hindustani". I personally regard it the most worth-visiting place in Delhi.

Qutab Minar with Intricate Carvings

The most famous sight in Jaipur is Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). This five-story pink sandstone structure encrusted with intricate latticework was made for royal households to watch the life in the city. Imagine its past glory.

Crown-like Hawa Mahal

My favorite site in Jaipur - the Amber Fort! Another not-to-be-missed sight of Jaipur is the Choki Dhani, a village resort in Rajasthani. I found I was gradually enthralled by this colorful country.

Hands and arms covered with mehndi patterns painted with mud-like pigment - henna. The pigment would fall off the next day and leave dark red prints on the skin, which can last for one week. The tasteful cuisines are put on bowls made of leaves and eaten with various condiments. The flavor - I bet you've never tried.

The Most Natural Skin Decoration in India - Mehndi

We proceeded to Agra. On the way to the Taj Mahal, we stopped by an abandoned temple (Galtaji Temple). India is no ordinary - even an abandoned temple can be so splendid!

And the legendary snake charmer!!! The snake crept up slowly with the tunes played by an instrument called "pungi"; I trembled to take a picture and couldn't help screaming. The charmer greeted me to sit down beside him, I ran away swiftly!

Snake Charmer

In my expectation, the Agra Fort drew near. At long last, I got to see the most anticipated Taj Mahal!

Taj Mahal in the Dawn

The Jasmine Tower at Agra Fort overlooking the Taj Maha - it was right here, in this humble palace, that I was moved to tears. Before coming to India, I vaguely knew the Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his favorite wife who died in childbirth in 1630: I assumed it would be the common story of the nobles, things like that. But the tour guide told us that it was right his son "killed" his beloved wife and imprisoned Shah Jahan in this tower. For 9 bitter years, the deposed emperor spent his days looking out of the Jasmine Tower of his prison to the Taj Maha. Due to decreased vision, he could do nothing but gaze at where his once-beloved Mumtaz lay in her jeweled tomb; His dream - to build the same black mausoleum beside the Taj Maha to accompany his wife - was yet to be realized even till his death.

Jasmine Tower Inside the Agra Fort

We then headed for our last stop: Varanasi. If it sounds unfamiliar to you, you may know the Ganges River.

The Ganges River is a place that witnesses the eternal cycle of birth and death.

Many Hindus journey here to walk down the steps into the holy Ganges River to be purified. In the solemn chanting and prayers, in the smoke of the incense, my heart was touched again. Perhaps, to have a religious belief is also a kind of happiness.

An arti Ceremony Dedicated to the Holy Ganges

In the morning, we headed to the Ganges River to see the ritual bathing of Hindu pilgrims. It's said that the newborn is brought to bathe in the river. Even the ultimate dream of Indians is to have their cremains spread upon the Ganges River - they believe in this way, they can attain moksha, the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Here, you can see both rebirth and samsara.

People of all ages bathe in the Ganges hoping to wash away their sins.

The smoke is thick around the burning ghats. The dead bodies of Hindus are cremated here before their remains are thrown into the river. And only the rich can enjoy this "treat".

The Gorgeous Sunset over the Ganges River

Left the Ganges River, it's time to bid farewell to India. The Indians greet people by saying "Namaste". In India, I gradually got used to greeting people with Namaste and loved to buy the Punjabi dress. I began to discover the beauty of India with new eyes. The fascinating country unexpectedly left me with an endless aftertaste.

After reading this travel blog, you might be interested in this 7-Day Golden Triangle Tour with Taj Mahal.