My trip to India

[1969CamaroRS]

Just got back from a Business trip to India. Was working most of the time but did manage to sneak a weekend in for sight-seeing.

Akshardam Hindu temple - one of the largest temples in the world:
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hard to see in the photo but the pinnacles are made of solid gold and about the size of Volkswagens.

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They don't allow pictures inside the temple so could only take photos from the parking lot.

Typical Traffic in India:
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The lines on the road mean nothing everyone ignores them, even divided roads have people driving down them going the wrong way.

Even the traffic signals when working are mostly ignore unless they have police:
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Its very common to see 3-4 people even on a motorcycle or a ton of people packed into a little rickshaw or motorized rickshaw:
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Got to see the Taj Mahal. There are 4 gates and this is the Royal Gate:
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One Minerette per year it took to build the gate:
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Seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time as coming through the Royal Gate:
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Everything is perfectly aligned, the fountains with the center line of both the Taj and the gates.
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Look I can pick up the Taj!
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[1969CamaroRS]

30ft high Pinnacle:
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The detail is just simply stunning, especially considering it was done all by hand in large blocks where a single mistake trashed the entire huge block of solid marble.
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Took 20,000 workers about 20 years to complete the Taj Mahal after which they had both their hands cut off to keep them from ever building another.

No painting, all inlaid semi-precious stone work.
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Used to have diamonds inlaid as well but the British took those when they took over India.
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Can you spot the optical illusion here:
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One of the gates had been converted to a Mosque:
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Another gate behind myself, a coworker and his wife who were kind enough to show me around Agra for the Day:
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And yes it was hot, 115* with about 80% humidity. You know it is hot when you can't hold your camera because it is starting to burn you.

One of the many Elephants:
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[1969CamaroRS]

King Cobras doing a dance:
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Ain't he/she cute?
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Very typical to see cows, camels, goats and other livestock just walking down the street:
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Red Fort:
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There is a Red fort in Agra near the Taj Mahal and another in Delhi (about 200km apart) and there is a underground tunnel that runs between them that the Emperor would

use to travel between sectors secretly.

Sikh Temple on the way to the Taj Mahal in Agra:
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Government sector in Delhi
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Me outside the President's residence:
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India Gate - War monument where most of the Solidiers who have died since WW1 have their names ingraved:
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Couple of my coworkers in India who were kind enough to take me around Delhi.

Indians really seem to like malls, there were already 2 large ones near the Hotel, and another absolutely huge one being constructed across the street:
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A view of the pool while having a nice breakfast in the morning in the 5 star hotel I was staying at (Raddison in Nodia):
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[KEISLER]

Man, those are excellent! I enjoyed every one of them.

I was there last year for a week, and took some good shots. India is a sight to behold.

[XLexusTech]

Nemeste

Hows your stomach?

[dropit69]

WOW thanks for sharing ..id love to find time to put that on my to do list..going to a foriegn land is cool ..got to go to germany and paris years ago..

[TonyHuntimer]

WOW! Thanks for the pictures. Very nice. So they didn't cut your hands and feet off when you left the Taj Mahal? :) It must have been quite a rude awakening when they were done. How did that conversation go between the job foreman and the very talented construction workers...? Well, congratulations! We finally delivered the job way past the delivery date and 20 million over budget...and...we're going to have you step over here in this room to cut off your hands and feet. They couldn't stand in the unemployment line or fill out the paperwork. NICE! :)

A few friends have said India is more or less a big hot dirt/dust bowl. They kind of enjoyed the experience of seeing it and doing it...and being there once was enough. With that being said, I still kind of want to go. I've been many places on the planet and for some reason still have the urge to go someday, just for the experience.

[WS6]

gorgeous pictures. I had no idea the Taj was so huge.

[1969CamaroRS]

Thanks all for the compliments.



Nemeste

Hows your stomach?


Its funny, I love spicy food in the US and can take some pretty good level of spices (including Indian food). I tried a couple Indian food places in India and I could handle the spices (at least on the tongue), but man oh man my stomach could not. My stomach was pretty much upset the rest of the trip. I had to stick with Hotel food, Subway, TGI Friday's etc (yes just about all the US chains are in the malls over there).



A few friends have said India is more or less a big hot dirt/dust bowl. They kind of enjoyed the experience of seeing it and doing it...and being there once was enough. With that being said, I still kind of want to go. I've been many places on the planet and for some reason still have the urge to go someday, just for the experience.

Yeah it is dusty and many of the areas of "normal" India would probably be considered by many to be slums in the US. But if you can get past all that and take a good look at the culture and architecture you really do get to see a lot.

I did have a hard time thou with the young beggar children. That was hard to see them asking for food.

[CarlC]

What? You go all the way to India and don't take a picture wearing a PT.com t-shirt? Geez!

JK.

I too want to go someday but I'll likely have to go solo since the wife is deathly afraid of the food/water/third world conditions.

[1969CamaroRS]

What? You go all the way to India and don't take a picture wearing a PT.com t-shirt? Geez!

JK.

I too want to go someday but I'll likely have to go solo since the wife is deathly afraid of the food/water/third world conditions.

In my defense I did have my Rushforth t-shirt on (the red one).

I think you would be fine if you stuck to hotel or good restaurant food (like I had to).

[dadto2jays]

great picts thanks for sharing....

[trapin]

Those were awesome, Ed. Thank you for sharing them. I too would love to see India. I'm wondering how I would do with the food though...I am a HUGE fan of Indian food and can take some pretty extreme spice levels. It's possible your stomach was bothered by the Ghee (clarified butter) that they use in their cooking. The Indian restaurants here in The States tend to stick to Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil which is easier on the stomach.

[1969CamaroRS]

I am a HUGE fan of Indian food and can take some pretty extreme spice levels. It's possible your stomach was bothered by the Ghee (clarified butter) that they use in their cooking. The Indian restaurants here in The States tend to stick to Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil which is easier on the stomach.

I am a big fan of Indian food as well. I didn't think about the clairified butter, that could definitely be it. My Indian co-workers had suggested it might be the different spices they use in India vs the spices used in the USA even on Indian food.