(Part 6) In India Like a Local: Old Delhi and the Tibetan Enclave

- March 30, 2018, Friday.

- Despite a full day in Agra the day before, I was up and about in exploring more of Delhi (see the first part of my Delhi adventures here). My itinerary for the day was to visit Old Delhi, which as mentioned in the earlier Delhi blog entry linked above, was the part of Delhi that was turned into the capital by the Mughal's before the British later expanded this capital region (New Delhi). Old Delhi is situated in the northeastern part of the capital territory. My first stop was one of Delhi's quietly-tucked places of interest called the Agrasen ki Baoli (or Ugrasen ki Baoli/Baodi.) The "baoli," or step well, was built in the 14th century by a king called Agrasen (the name literally means "Agrasen's step well.") It is near Janpath metro station (violet line.) However, from my hostel, it was just a short auto-rickshaw ride away (of course, after arguing with the rickshaw driver and insisting that he use the meter in his auto-rickshaw.)

Agrasen ki Baoli.

I wouldn't be smiling if I went up and down that three-story flight of stairs.

Wind power.

Pensive.

- Agrasen ki Baoli is open everyday, and entrance is free. It is a favorite place where people hangout and talk, just by sitting on the stairs and talking or sharing a snack. However, one thing you would probably want to know is that there are rumors that this baoli is haunted. (Key word: RUMORS. So don't be discouraged.) One story says that there are times back in the days when the water in the baoli would become black, and anyone who sees the black water will have this feeling that the water is hypnotizing them to jump and sacrifice themselves. The people who jumped to the water will help make the water levels rise. It is said that the souls of these people are the ones who are haunting this place today.

From the side.

Pretending not to be scared.

There were full of bats and pigeons inside the dome thing.

Power Rangers minus 1 (or 2, depends.)

Still pretending not to be scared.

Street art outside the Agrasen ki Baoli.

Ganesh street art.

- My second stop that morning was one of the city's main icons, the Red Fort, or Lal Qila. This fort served as the palace of the Mughal rulers after Shah Jahan (yes, the Taj Mahal dude,) changed the capital from Agra to Delhi due to Delhi's geographical location (near/beside other major cities and kingdoms) and features (not too many mountains and hills, to see incoming invasions). The Red Fort can be accessed through the Lal Qila/Red Fort metro station (violet line.)

The Red Fort is....you guessed it....red.

Finally, I'm seeing you up close!!

After security check.

Bright sun.

- I've seen the Red Fort in the past two times that I went to India, but only from the bus/car. This time, finally, I was seeing it at my own pace, and I had the opportunity to see what it actually looks like inside (although, yes, I know that the internet should help me with that no matter where I am in the world.) At a glance, the Red Fort resembles the Agra Fort both inside and out. However, I noticed that it looked smaller, and the buildings are smaller compared to the ones in Agra Fort. However, I like how they converted some of the buildings to museums dedicated to exhibit and explain the Mughal way of life, and other things. However, I didn't enter all these museums as there was a big number of people when I was there, and I nearly suffocated in one of the buildings due to the big crowd. I didn't get to appreciate the museum since I just wanted to go out. Of course, this is not the fault of the Red Fort; I just happened to chance upon a large crowd.Well, the halls were not made to me museums in the first place anyway; they were just repurposed.

Map.

At Diwan-i Am, or the area fort he general audience.

Reminds me of the Shah Jahan balcony in Agra Fort.

Same marble inlay work as in the Taj Mahal.

I think I didn't fully maximize my stay there since more than half the structures were under renovation. I could only admire them from the outside.

Behind the Pearl Mosque inside the Red Fort.

Supposedly in the middle of a small lake/big pond.

More marble.

View from the open area/garden.

Arches at the Diwan-i Am.

Diwan-i Am.

- From the Red Fort, I crossed the street to visit one of Delhi's most popular markets: Chandni Chowk. This market dates back to the 17th century, during Shah Jahan's time. Chandni Chowk, or "Moonlight Square" was called as such because there was a pool that glistened under the moonlight. Today, Chandni Chowk is known for selling clothes, particularly Indian wedding clothes, wedding accessories, shoes, Indian sweet stores, and textile stores. (There are no souvenirs here.) Just a little warning, the Chandni Chowk can be very VERY crowded, so hold on to your things really tightly while walking around. By the way, if you have enough time to explore, there are actually historical mansions, courtyards, and other places of worship. Come to think of it, Chandni Chowk reminds me a lot of Manila's Quiapo.

You need guts to endure this colorful chaos. 

The clothes were OK, but didn't find anything to suit my taste. I found some stuff for my mom though. (My mom is a fan of Indian clothes.)

- I left Chandni Chowk after seeing what they had there, and rode the train to Kashmere Gate (yellow, red, and violet lines.) From Kashmere Gate, I rode an auto-rickshaw up north to Majnu Ka Tilla, also known as Little Tibet, or Chungtown. Today, the closest metro station to Majnu Ka Tilla is Vidhyan Sabha Metro Station (yellow line,) but from the violet line, the Kashmere Gate metro station is the closest. This Tibetan settlement was established in the 1950s after the Tibetan uprising in China and the Dalai Lama was exiled in India. Through the years, there had been some Tibetans who have moved here from other Tibetan settlements nearby, or new Tibetan migrants from China. As with any ethnic enclave, they have built temples, and other establishments that look very "Tibetan." Of course, their biggest cultural influence will be from Vajrayana Buddhism, also known as Tantric or Tibetan Buddhism.

Welcome to Majnu Ka Tilla!!

Yes, I was prepared for my visit here, so I tried to look Tibetan.

The Tibetan Buddhist temple at the small square.

Giant prayer wheel.

- Majnu Ka Tilla may seem sketchy at first because of its many alleyways, but trust me, these alleyways, which by the way are surprisingly easy to navigate even without a map, lead you to either a shopping heaven, or a food paradise!! (It is also partly a backpacker's paradise due to the small hostels and guesthouses there. However, I don't really suggest staying at Majnu Ka Tilla since it's quite far from the downtown.) Majnu Ka Tilla is a maze of shops of the latest fashion trends, and if you're like me with a passion for cultural fashion, they also have some stores selling affordable Tibetan traditional clothes (so I hoarded,) jewelry, and other Tibetan souvenirs. As for the "food paradise" part, it has a lot of restaurants mostly serving Tibetan food, as well as street food. The most famous street food is called "laping," which is a kind of dish with a sheet of noodle wrapped around some kind of filling, and served with a soy-sauce-based "gravy." Later on, I had a proper but late lunch at Dolma House, which is one of them ore popular restaurants in Majnu Ka Tilla. I ate thukpa (noodle soup dish,) tingmo (fermented bread,) and of course, Tibetan dumplings or momos, and drank yak butter tea, and a mango lassi. (Yes, I think I had too much for lunch.)

Majnu Ka Tilla in one photo = it is as Tibetan as it is Indian (lady to the left is wearing a Tibetan chuba, and the lady to the right in an Indian saree.)

Laping.

Thukpa, tingmo, momos, yak butter tea, and mango lassi.

Tibetan costumes for sale.

Interior of the temple.

More prayer wheels at the side of the temple

- After shopping and eating at Majnu Ka Tilla, I rode the auto-rickshaw to Vidhyan Sabha metro station and took the metro to Janpath metro station. Now my week in India was about to end but I still had not found souvenirs for myself and some to bring back home. Chandni Chowk and Majnu Ka Tilla were my bets so far for cheaper souvenirs, but so far they did not have exactly what I was looking for - the typical Indian souvenirs like small pens, keychains, magnets and stuff like that. (Majnu Ka Tilla, however, did have the Tibetan souvenirs that I was looking for, but not "Indian.") Those in Dilli Haat were quite expensive, so I didn't buy a lot there. Agra had some souvenirs, but because I was running out of time, I didn't get to buy. Those inside the Red Fort, on the other hand, had limited choices. As for Mumbai, the only place I went to that sold souvenirs was Elephanta Caves, but they were priced too high. I did not realize that it was quite difficult to find souvenirs in India beyond scarves and bangles which can be found easily. In the past two times that I had been to India, Jaipur had always been my go-to for souvenirs, as they would be available everywhere in the city and for really cheap prices. Now in Delhi, my last bet for relatively reasonable souvenirs was Janpath.

- Janpath is a road below the main financial centers of Delhi, Connaught Place. Now upon arriving at Janpath, I was relieved to see store after store after store of the kind of souvenirs that I was looking for. Even better is that Janpath has FOUR (FOUR!!!!) souvenir "areas." The Tibetan Market to the southern part past the metro station is a block of stores that sells Tibetan goods, mainly jewelry. To the north of the metro station (going towards Connaught Place,) is the main market, with the usual souvenirs like keychains, ref magnets, Taj Mahal snow globes, t-shirts, Indian shoes, books, etc., and then when you see a colorful lane perpendicular to the main Janpath market is called the Gujarati Market. The Gujarati Market has goods from the state of Gujarat, and they mainly sell textile products like vests, carpets, scarves, etc. (Too bad they didn't have anything I was looking for when I went there.) Finally, for the more youthful ones, closest to the center of Connaught Place is the Janpath flea market, which sells modern clothes and accessories. Needless to say I went back and forth the street to buy myself a few souvenirs to bring back home.

- Since I had enough sunlight left for the afternoon, I walked past Connaught Place and walked to my hostel beside Delhi Railway Station. It was a far walk, and I should've taken the metro instead even though it was only one metro station away, but I realized that it was rush hour already and since I had a lot of things with me, they might get squished in the crowded train.

The main market of Janpath.

Passed by Central Park at Connaught Place.

The main market of Janpath.

One of my hauls, an India shirt. (Been looking for a good print of the Indian flag on a shirt for ages.)

Couldn't decide, so I bought this one too!!

- That evening, I had to pack my bags and my souvenirs since I had to check out the next day. Since my flight was still late in the evening, I technically had one more full day to explore more of Delhi. As for my day's adventures, I was happy that I was able to finally see a lot of Old Delhi, though if only I had more time, I would have loved to visit once more the Jama Masjid, which is a prominent mosque near the Red Fort, and Humanyun's Tomb, which is the red-and-white prototype of the Taj Mahal in Southern Delhi, as well as other important places that I have not been to in Delhi during previous visits. Despite this, I was still looking forward to my itinerary for my last day in Delhi!!

- Don't forget to read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, and Part 7 here!!

(Part 5) In India Like a Local: Revisiting the Old Capital - Agra!!

- March 29, 2018, Thursday.

- A one week trip to India for an "indophile" (i.e. someone who like all- hings Indian) like me is surely not enough, and squeezing in two cities for a single week was already quite difficult for my adventurous self. However, while I was planning my trip, my heart kept knocking on my brain and said that I must spend one day in the ancient Mughal capital of Agra. Agra is a sleepy, laid-back city in the heart of the state of Uttar Pradesh, but don't let its sleepiness fool you; as an ancient capital, it is a treasure chest that attracts tourists from all over the world. It's biggest jewel? What else, but the Taj Mahal. Now, I've been to Agra twice before this trip (see here and here,) but it always brings me much joy and nostalgia to bask in the glory of this marbled wonder.

- There are many ways going to Agra, but this is one of the rare times that I played a bit safe. I booked an Agra day trip with my hostel, Bloomrooms @ Delhi Railway Station, and currently costs 7000 rupees. This includes the car, driver, and guide, and not inclusive of entrance tickets, lunch, and of course, your voluntary tips to the driver and/or guide. Another usual and convenient way to go to Agra is by riding the long-distance train. However, there are several reasons why I chose to pay for a day-trip service. First, while it might be easy to book a train ticket and ride it, once you reach Agra, it would be quite hassling to go around despite the different options in getting around (like dealing with rickshaw driver who do not want to use the meter.) This will waste a lot of time. Second, the Taj Mahal has several entrances that are not located on the main street (so it may take a while to find them.) Third, it would be nice to have a photographer inside the Taj Mahal (aka, my tour guide,) since I traveled alone and wouldn't have anyone to take my photos; tripods aren't allowed inside the Taj Mahal (as with many other tourist sites in India,) and it would be hard to ask people to take my picture-perfect profile-photo-worthy Taj Mahal photo (just pray that your tour guide knows how to take decent photos.) Finally, I was of course worried about going back to Delhi especially if it happens that I arrive late at night; Delhi isn't exactly the safest city. With all these considerations, I concluded that booking a car with tour service was the best bet. (I had no regrets.)

- My driver met me at the early morning of Thursday (by the way, the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays,) and left on a nearly 4-hour drive to Agra. We met my guide and off I was whisked to the Taj Mahal. This was the first time that I entered the Taj through the western gate; the other entrances are the eastern and southern gate. Entrance to the Taj is currently 1000 rupees for foreigners, but as it is the "VIP" ticket, those with it can use the "fast lane," which I guess is what you pay for anyway. Also, it is a wise idea to start the day with the Taj Mahal, since holding on to your Taj Mahal ticket can grant you discounts to the entrance fees for the other sites in Agra like the Agra Fort or Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra, that is, if you entry those other places within the same day.

Entrance to the Taj.

See the details?? Everything has to be perfect!!

This is perhaps one of my favorite views of the Taj.

I swear, nothing in the world compares to the Taj's perfection. I'm not even kidding.

- The Taj Mahal was built in the 1600s by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is a mausoleum built for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their 14th child. Shah Jahan was eventually buried here, right beside Mumtaz Mahal. Today, the tomb that can be seen in the main chamber are just replicas, since the original ones are below the ground for better preservation. No photos are allowed inside.

It's not plain white, and I've always loved how the details are subtle and ornate at the same time.

Quranic verses.

Everything should be perfect. The colorful flowers are actually gemstones that are like puzzle pieces. The marble slabs are carved with designs, and the puzzle pieces are supposed to fit in them easily.

Facing the gate

I am so thankful that my tour guide knows how to take excellent photos.

The site of what is supposed to be the black Taj Mahal (but it was never built.)

View of the Agra Fort and the Yamuna River.

- The structure is made of white marble and appears like a mosque, but it isn't. There is a mosque, however, to its left (if you're facing the Taj.) The Mughals were obsessed with symmetry and perfection, so much so that they made an identical building across the mosque to the right side of the main mausoleum, and was used only once as a guesthouse. (It was really there mainly for the symmetry.) The marble minarets, or the "towers" are angled a few degrees outward, so that when there is an earthquake, the towers won't fall towards the mausoleum. 

The one-time guesthouse.

View from the guesthouse.

Parts of a whole.

Indian architecture is always a wonder.

My tour guide was my hero that day.

A perfect day.

- Right after going around the Taj Mahal, I asked my tour guide if he could take a perfect Taj Mahal photo for me. This was the moment of truth. I was surprised when he started shouting at the other people there to move aside so we can take our photo!! When the other people asked why, he gave a perfect response (roughly translated to English): "let us take our photo without you people in it, so later you can take your photos without us (photobombing your photos.)" And thus, even though I was quite bothered that my tour guide always seemed to be in a hurry, he was able to take Instagram-worthy photos of me at the Taj and even in the other places in Agra that we visited.

My tour guide and his photography skills.

This shot was totally my tour guide's idea. 

This will forever be one of my favorite places in the world.

Angled.

- After visiting the Taj Mahal, I was brought to a marble shop where marble inlay work was done. This is one of the things I don't usually like when I join tours; you're forced to be brought to places where you don't want to buy anything, and it wastes your time. If you're like me who's very particular with time when traveling, then this is one of the things that you need to prepare for. In my case, I already knew about these things as I have experienced them, so I factored them in my time for the day. The marble emporium had a lot of nice marble inlay work, but I was not interested, so I didn't buy anything. Despite that, it was nice to see the workers work on the marble inlay. It is said that these people are descendants of those who built the Taj Mahal - there might be some truth to that because of India's caste system, where your occupation and place in society is supposedly bound by your birth and destiny (this is the simplest way I can explain this.) The stones used include onyx, malachite, turquoise, and other colorful stones that were imported from all over the world, like Belgium and Persia.

Short rickshaw ride from the Taj Mahal to the parking place.

Workshop, these people are shaping stones.

Lapis lazuli, topaz, malachite, turquoise, etc. etc. etc.

This is set to become a rose.

Marble inlay work, "behind the scenes."

- I had lunch after visiting the marble shop, and was brought to another shop, this time, a gem shop, where I was shown the different characteristics and "powers" of the gems, and of course, I was brought to their shop where I didn't buy anything again. However, part of the rush was because I needed time to go to the Agra Fort. The Agra Fort is the main palace in Agra, and is a few kilometers away from the Taj Mahal.

Moo.

Entrance to the Fort.

Jahangiri Mahal. (Jahangir's Palace.) Come to think of it, I haven't been inside Jahangir's Palace. Hmmm. (Saw some photos online and it's quite empty inside but it'd still be interesting to see it up close because of the architecture.)

Marble from tower to floor!!

Inside one of the viewing decks.

- The Agra Fort is another one of my favorites because of the story that links this Fort to the Taj Mahal. At the viewing decks, there is a particular balcony where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his own son, Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan was imprisoned due to his discontent with his father's lavish spendings, and of course, Aurangzeb's yearn for the Mughal throne. Shah Jahan's only wish was that he be imprisoned somewhere where he can see his love, Mumtaz Mahal, everyday. This particular balcony, which is not accessible to the public, has the perfect view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna River.

That tiny thing is the Taj Mahal!!

The balcony where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by Aurangzeb.

I can't help thanking the Lord for giving me such a talented tour guide.

He event told me to stand at this doorway because of the framing!!

The forbidden balcony.

- The other main parts of the palace include the receiving halls, Diwan-i Khas (for special guests) and Diwan-i Am (for commoners.) Although the fort was nice as it looks today, I still couldn't help imagining how awesome this must have been during the Mughal era in the 16th-18th centuries when the whole palace was decorated with more gold, gems, furniture, carpets, and other things. These are the things I can only see in period films or period TV series (which is why I usually like watching them.)

From Diwan-i Khas.

Onyx throne.

Close up of the Taj Mahal from the Agra fort.

Other side of Diwan-i Khas.

Diwan-i Am. 

Indian arches are a unique blend of Islamic and Hindu influences.

Another idea of my tour guide.

Instagram worthy!!

- My tour guide said farewell after my Agra Fort palace tour, and my driver whisked me off to Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra, which is a suburb in Agra. Built in the 1600s, Akbar's tomb is one of the more colorful Mughal-era structures as it has more hues of green, blue, and yellow on top of the usual red and white.

The gate to Akbar's Tomb.

This is the interior, Akbar's tomb is just straight ahead.

- As I only had around 20-30 minutes inside the tomb, since it was already getting late, I marched right ahead to Akbar's tomb at the center of the mausoleum. Photography isn't allowed inside, according to the caretaker who was there, uh, taking care of the tomb. Had I more time, it would've been nice to go around the mausoleum, more and see the other royalty buried alongside Akbar the Great. One of the reasons why I insisted on visiting Akbar's tomb is because he was known as the Mughal emperor who promoted openness and tolerance to different religions. Akbar himself, who was Muslim, was married to women of different religions. This is actually a good political move, but for those who wish to see this from a more "romantic" (or more appropriately, "romanticized") light, Akbar's openness to other religions was an example that many Indians can follow. This side of Akbar was even made into a Bollywood film, and one of my favorites actually, called "Jodhaa Akbar." This concentrates on the love story of the Muslim Akbar (played by Hrithik Roshan,) and the Hindu Jodhaa Bhai (played by Aishwarya Rai.)

See the range of colors?

Perfect lighting. Also, spot the Quranic verses painted in gold?

- After my brief visit to the tomb, I went back to my driver, who had a surprise for me. See, my driver had been one of the most accommodating and one of the chattiest fellow around, which made the long drive to and from Agra quite bearable. Now on the way back to Delhi from Agra, he gave me a bottle of beer, called Kingfisher, and is said to be one of India's favorite beers. He was actually telling me about it during our morning drive to Agra. I was surprised that he actually bought a (rather big) bottle, even though I had mentioned earlier that day that I don't really drink. But since he treated me to a bottle, and with nothing much to do on the road back to Delhi, I slowly drank the bottle. In hindsight, it was a bit dangerous to accept alcoholic drinks from strangers - even from my driver who I "sort of knew" - but nothing happened to me and I figured that my driver was just really proud of their own beer (like how Filipinos are proud of San Miguel Beer.) The beer was not too alcoholic anyway, so I didn't become drunk or anything like that. I was also drinking water in between sips of beer so it would wash the alcohol down.

- I reached Delhi around 10pm, and thankfully the cozy restaurant beside my hostel was still open, I had a late dinner and had a deep sleep from my full day out of Delhi. I was happy that I had another opportunity to revisit Agra, and come to think of it, it would be a nice idea to spend a bit more time in Agra next time as there are still more things to explore in that sleepy old capital. While I couldn't wipe of the smile off my face because of my nice photos in Agra, thanks to my tour guide, as well as the new things that I learned, I was more excited to continue my adventures in Delhi!!   

- Don't forget to read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 6 here, and Part 7 here!!