On our way to the Taj !

Story of my discovery of Delhi and Agra

NAMASTE !

This is my second Shorthand social about my trip in India which took place in May 2016. If you want to read the first one, click here : 

Our incredible road trip to Goa



Monday 23rd may

BACK TO BANGALORE

So after this road trip in Goa, we went back by bike to where I landed : Bangalore.

We went shopping in the city. I really wanted to wear a saree so I tried it on ! I am a big fan of beautiful clothes so one of my dream was to wear glitters, dazzling colours of india. Basically, it is quite hard to drape it so I didn't buy a saree, but a lengha (long dark blue skirt, with a crop top and a shawl).

Tuesday 24th may

NEW exciting PLAN :  explore DELHI, NORTH INDIA

I had a relaxed day at Jordanna's house. I decided to book a last minute plane ticket to Delhi. Lennox's mother and sisters would host me in Greater Noida. (Uttar Pradesh, about 40km from New Delhi). So, in the late evening, Lennox, Pratheek and I went to the airport, and the car went on fire ! I was so scared! A bunch of people gathered around to watch the "show". But luckily we were all safe.

Then, I entered the Bangalore airport, and I found out that my flight with Air Asia was delayed. I spent more than four hours waiting. Fortunately, a Canadian man offered me water, delicious coffee and food. He told me : "Reading a magazine alone is boring, come and have some coffee !" I had a long conversation with him about travels, life in India, life in France & UK. He was a stranger for me, so I had to be careful, but basically he was very charitable and protective. He didn't want a woman like me to be alone in this large airport. Consequently, he was a bit clingy but he had good intentions.

Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport : The famous "mudra" wall at Terminal 3. Mudras are hand gestures used in classical Indian dance forms.

Wednesday 25th may

Wow ! I finally landed at around 4AM. Lennora, Lennox's sister, was waiting for me at the airport with a paper with "ALICE" written on it. It was so sweet. I haven't slept in hours so I slept in the car after eating a delicious spicy chicken sandwich. We arrived at the family home and I met Astrid, Lennox's mother, Lennita, Lennox's sister, and Amanda, the American friend they met in Notre Dame of Paris last year. What a nice meeting ! For them and for me.

We had breakfast at Haldiram's. Everything was very tasty. I'm a huge fan of the dosa, the enormous South Indian crepe, glistening with buttery ghee. We also ate idlis: coaster-sized puffy cakes served with dipping sauces. It is made from a batter of finely ground rice and lentils.

It was our last meal with Lennora because she had to fly to Chennai.




Akshardham

Next, Amanda and I visited this unique complex of Indian culture. 'Akshardham' means the divine abode of God. 

We couldn't take pictures but we enjoyed every single second in this wonderful place. "JJ", a guide told us a few things about this new peaceful place in Delhi. It opened in 2005. Each element of Akshardham echoes with spirituality – the Mandir, Abhishek Mandap, the Exhibitions and even the Gardens. We can explore these four parts.


If you have time, you can attend this amazing Water Show at night.


Akshardham is a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, learning and harmony.


The guide took us to little hindu temple. He tied a red and white bracelet. Then we put water on the head of a statue, making a wish.

Akshardham.com

Thursday 26th may

Old Delhi

This is the day when we visited Old Delhi (CHANDNI CHOWK). You can find everything you dreamed for in this densely populated market. We went to Red fort (LAL QUILA) first.

The walls, built in 1638, were designed to keep out invaders, now they mainly keep out the noise and confusion of the city.

VIP MOMENT AT RED FORT

"May I have a picture with you and my daughter ?"
"Yeah, ok"

Then 5 cameras were on me !

Lennita suddenly became my bodyguard and she stopped them. We laughed a lot.











For lunch, we stopped at a very tasty restaurant called Karim's. According to many reviews, this dehli mogol cuisine is one of the most genuine restaurants around. It is located in a street at the south of Jami Masjid. Karim is the name of a well-known XIXth century chef. The restaurant is still working with his descendants.


Over and above, we had a privileged visit of Asia's largest spice market with the rickshaw driver. Here we found hundreds of shops dealing in refined, local and exotic spices. This large market area is rich in colours and is well worth seeking out and spending some time.

Despite the strong smell of all of this, I wasn't sneezing or anything ! Just once at the end. "Finally", they said.








Come, smell it, buy it !
Khari Baoli, Asia's largest spice market in Old Delhi

SWEET MOMENT with animals in delhi

In Old Delhi, we could see monkeys roaming around. And at Lodi Park, we met friendly dogs and named them Toast and Zigzag.

India Gate

Friday 27th may

We get up early and we went to Lennox's mother office. Everything was just huge, clean and neat. The nice staff offered us delicious coffee, water, and we made a list of what whe should visit in the day. Vinod, the kindhearted driver took us to these places around Delhi :

Humayuns tomb




Purana Qila 



For lunch, we stopped at famous Gulatti, great Indian food since 1959. We had a fancy buffet. Cream of veg soup, Punjabi cholle, Mutter Methi Malai, Hyberabadi Aloo, Yellow Dal, Kadhi, Dal Makhani, Murgh Makhani, Gosht Achari, Butter Chicken, Naans, and of course deserts : Phirni and fruits salad. What a delight ! 

Gandhi Smriti

Gandhi Smriti formerly known as Birla House or Birla Bhavan, is a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. It is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in Delhi. It was originally the house of the Indian business tycoons, the Birla family. It is now also home to the Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum, which was established in 2005.

Be the change you want to see in the world.





BABA'I House of worship 

At last but not least, we discovered this modern structure - the most innovative of Delhi. It is a sanctuary where silence, meditation and peace prevails. Designed by iranian architect Fariburz Sahba and finished in 1986, the white marble monument in shape of 27 petal lotus is well-know under the name of Lotus temple. 




Saturday 28th may

AGRA AND THE TAJ MAHAL

This was the day we were all waiting for ! Ambika, Lennita's friend, Amanda, Lennita, and I get up at 5 AM to reach Agra quite early. Vinod drove us to this iconic destination known as a legend of eternal love of an Emperor for his favorite Queen ! It is one of the most famous buildings in the world, one amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one amongst the World's Wonder, so that is why everyone around is very excited to admire it. Some three million people visit the Taj Mahal each year.

The Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his favorite wife : Mumtaz Mahal. Its perfect proportions and the opulence of the decorations made people compare it to a dream, a poem, a wonder ...

After 12 years of work (20 000 workers), the Taj Mahal was inaugurated in 1643. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

Let's explore this well-known monument, symbol of love and paradise
Ambika, Lennita, me, Amanda and Vinod standing in front of the Taj Mahal.






The Taj is an experience of its own kind. The exquisite inlay work and detailed craftsmanship together with the calligraphy is simply amazing.
Majestic and sensuous, glistening brightly in the afternoon sun, the bulbous dome and minarets with a slight inward tilt, have all been inscribed meticulously with the Holy Verses bringingforth the arabesque ornamentation. The white marble from Makrana in Rajasthan has added its own natural beauty to this mausoleum that attracts tourists from all over the world.

Sunday 29th may

india DidN't want me to leave !

I missed my 6 AM plane. I was able to book an other one a couple of hours after. Then I came back to Lennox's place. I had a nice lunch prepared by his grandma. I also met his grandpa and father. At night we had our last party. Plus, there was Bangalore vs Hyberabad criquet tournament so we followed it a bit. Jordanna explained me the rules. Then we went home and we danced on international songs and Bollywood songs. It was so good. Such a funny moment with them...

Again, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone I met on this trip, and particularly Lennox's family. Lennita and Lennora, you are fantastic guides and it was so nice of you to have taken us out for a tour of your area. The scenery was more than wonderful. I had a delightful time with you in Greater Noida, Delhi and Agra. Astrid, I felt at home during my entire stay and I would like to return the favor. If you are ever in France, please let me know as I would be honored to host you. I would love to see you again. Thank you Ambika for the great times and the epic adventure ! I am so happy I also met this extraordinary person : Amanda. Let's meet again somewhere for an exciting trip !

Full of joy, I went on my childhood dream trip to India