Taj Mahal - you might have heard of it?

My first trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra was back in 2004, I really can't believe it was 7 odd years ago.... and I don't feel that much older.

Back then I caught the train that left at 6 am which was efficient and good, this time I couldn't get a ticket on the train so drove, leaving at 6am. I braced myself as there are horror stories of the road trip taking hours and hours and hours....... thankfully leaving at this early hour on this particular morning was a breeze (with a pillow and iPod in the back of  perfectly comfortable car!). After only 3 hours we arrived in cold, foggy, smoggy Agra.

Agra must be very grateful for the Taj otherwise not many people would be visiting, it's not the prettiest place on the planet but it does have one of the prettiest buildings.

My sister and I got dropped off at the carpark and you get the choice whether to go by electric car or by camel to see her. I left the choice to my sister and the next minute we are in a tray on the back of a camel.

'Romantic' mode of transport

Got to love a good old grumpy smelly camel! Soon Rob and I were at the entrance to the main event. I had to take a picture of the 'cattle lanes', apparently in place to stop people jumping the queue - very effective as an average sized person can barely fit through!

 

Do not overtake!

But all that fades into insignificance when you see this ....

 

No matter how many times I see this building on a postcard it really doesn't compare to the real thing and postcards can't provide you with the 'Princess Diana' moment!

Fact for the day: clever things built the Taj so the minarets all lean slightly out in case there is an earthquake they fall outwards.

 

I can also highly recommend a visit and perhaps lunch at the new Oberoi in Agra - views are amazing!

Then it was time for the drive back..... slightly more hairy that the drive down there and also took two hours longer. The drive back was hairy, who would have thought a truck driving along with a truckload of bricks loosely piled on the back, not tied down would fall off at random intervals and come crashing onto the road. Of course you didn't want to be in the car that might decide to overtake at just the the wrong moment. Thankfully it didn't happen to us, I then decided to match the rest of the trip back to my iPod soundtrack and hope for the best. It helped.

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

Recently I revisited the beautiful Gurdwara Bangla Sahib near Connaught Place in Delhi. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib 'is the most prominent Sikh gurdwara in Delhi, known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurudwara_Bangla_Sahib).  It is a large, lovely building and there is something about it that I really enjoy. It has amazing golden domes and a stunning pond of water lying down at the bottom the marble steps.

As foreigners my sister and I entered firstly through the tourist entrance where we were greeted by a lovely man who instructed us to remove our shoes and cover our head. I thankfully had bought my own head scarf but my sister had to borrow a really lovely scarf! The gentleman then gave us a brief run down on the Gurdwara then took us up to visit the main event.

After stepping through the water trough, to clean our feet, we walked up the steps and entered the temple. It has amazing high ceilings and all the faithful sit on the floor in front of the holy book - Guru Granth Sahib. Inside the temple Gurbani (devotional music) plays and is very calming. Unfortunately no photos are allowed inside.

 

Exiting the temple

On leaving the temple we passed the small room where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept overnight and covered in silk, which is known as the Rumala to protect it.

We then visited the outdoor area on our own, our guide wished us well and told us to enjoy ourselves - very welcoming! We wandered around the pond outside 'Sarovar', this water is considered holy by Sikhs and while we were there there were many people bathing in the pond(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Granth_Sahib).

Reflections and my sister

 

This much space in Delhi is so relaxing.

 

Time to bath

One of my favourite things about the Sikh temples is the langar. This is where anyone and everyone can come for a meal. It doesn't matter what caste or creed, everyone is welcome. It is an amazing place, an amazing kitchen and so many people chipping in to feed others. 

 

Naan anyone?

 

A pot of dahl!

 

What a kitchen... amazing

Apologies if anything here is incorrect, I have done my best to get the facts right but please let me know if I haven't. Cheers x