Incredible India

At Delhi Red Fort, I was interviewed by a student about the tourism campaign "Incredible India". The question that stood out was "do you think the Incredible India campaign is a true reflexion of India?" Here and in the next few entries is my answer.

First, Indian food was a good surprise. Not in the sense that I did not know Indian food at all, but more in the sense that it was very tasty, very spicy and yet not burning hot. The variety of the food was impressive - ok, let me rephrase that, the variety of the tastes was impressive. There is only three types of meat you can get - chicken, lamb/sheep, and fish/shrimps. No need to look for beef, pork, duck or horsemeat. Even McDonalds serves only chicken.

The freshest food we enjoyed was on the boat trip. We stopped in a small village and picked the fresh shrimps, caught earlier in the day. What a treat!

We even tasted the food on the train. And not once during our trip did we get stomac problems. Well done then. And to get back to the sauces, I think my favourite one is "kadhai" style. Many others were excellent, like "butter", "korma", "tikka masala", "secret of the house", . We now bought the spices and have to try it at home. Watch this space to get an invite for a curry evening!

Taste is not only reserved to food but also to drinks. Yes, even to tea! Both the normal tea and the chai with masala have a special touch, that is so far elusive to emulate. We'll try again.

Moving on (joke intended), let's talk about transport and traffic and let's be blunt: what a nightmare. Of the 60 countries I visited, India has to rank bottom in terms of driving attitude. This became obvious from the very first minutes that we got picked up by a taxi at our arrival at the airport. Honking and hooting is indispensable, as is an acute sense of your safety space. Many many many times we heard us say "oh my word, oh my word" and yet, no accident... It definitely makes sense that local car rental companies do not allow westerners to rent a car.

There is not only the other cars, tuk-tuks/autos, buses, trucks, pedestrians that you have to watch out for, but also the odd animals. Cows roaming around are still fairly common in many cities in Rajasthan.

Elephants can also be encountered, like this one in the main street of Jodhpur, a city of more than a million people.

To finish with animals, monkeys are also quite common, especially in Jaipur. There colonies of monkeys freely hop from one townhouse to the next - hopefully, people closed their windows to avoid being robbed.

Spending two of the main western/Christian holidays in India (Christmas and New Year), it was interesting to see if and how these would be celebrated. Maybe an indication of how globalisation was spreading western standards are the globe. Well, spending Christmas in Kochi/Kerala is almost like anywhere else. The main roads of the city are decorated (see above), as are the many many churches. At the commercial center, there is a big Christmas tree, a creche and a few Father Christmas to take pictures with. It is a public holiday in the state, possibly reflecting the significant proportion of Christians. 

Celebrating the New Year in Jodhpur was another adventure altogether. We asked quite a few locals if there would be an outdoor celebration, possibly in the main squares of the town. From their looks and replies, we gathered that we were not making sense. So, we first headed to a very nice and tasty restaurant, with a beautiful outdoor space. But the restaurant was to close at 11pm. So, we decided to get a tuk-tuk and head to the center of town. Everything was closed down and the streets were empty. We then decided to go to a bar in a hotel. There one of the barman signaled to us that it was not a place for a lady. We asked if it was forbidden, to which he answered, "no, but it is not a place for a lady". Indeed, inside there were only guys. We sat down for a couple of drinks, and the bar rapidly emptied itself. Conclusions: (1) New Year does not register as a milestone, and (2) in everyday life, there is still a long way for men and women to truly share common spaces. The most obvious moment was in the Delhi metro, where there are sections of the metro clearly indicated as reserved for ladies. It gives an uncomfortable sense of gender-based apartheid.

India is also rich of different cultures. We can discuss about the Punjabi pop songs that our taxi driver was playing in the car, with the two popular songs of "you are beautifuuuuul" (try it with the accent) and "party all night" mixing English and Punjabi/Hindi words. In Rajasthan, we got to see some traditional dances (always performed by ladies) and music (always performed by men). In that dance, she is bending over backward to pick up a banknote. Which allows me to make a quick transition about money and bargaining. It is almost a constant: you have to spend time and energy arguing about the price of shrimps, of a haircut, of a ride in a tuk-tuk, of souvenirs, of spices. It is tiring to argue, argue, and argue again. Sometimes, a taxi driver would ask us for 500 rupees, when we were told the price would be 120-150 rupees. I ask myself what is the motivation for the taxi driver to ask for such an inflated price: is he looking forward to spending time bargaining down the price? is he hoping to make quick money on the back of gullible tourists? is he charging the "right price" to us to compensate for the low price he charges for Indians? is he providing us with a much better service (i.e., driving less recklessly) than to Indians?

Another expression of culture is kathakali. In this theater, we got to see the main actors getting ready for the performance by painting their face. Then the musicians and singer took the stage to narrate an ancient history. The actors are communicating their expression, feelings, thoughts mostly through their facial expression, in particular their eyes! It is a universal language.



I did not think that I would get to see this but there is was: a snake charmer. Quite impressive, until our guide told us that this snake was not a real cobra.

In Jaisalmer, we stayed in these so-called "Swiss" tents. So the question: "what is Swiss about these tents"? I suspect that it might be because of tents put up by the Red Cross during emergencies in India. As usual, people might have mixed up the Red Cross for the Swiss flag. If anyone has a better explanation, feel free to let me know. 

Kerala

Kerala backwaters: with hindsight, certainly the only moment in India when and the only place where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the time (and the other boats) slowly pass by.

The houseboat is rented with its team of a captain and two cooks. It is fully equipped with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a big open lounge. It is a welcome surprise that each houseboat has a different look/shape, the bigger ones having even two floors.

The boat is also a perfect way to get introduced to the everyday life of locals, who make the most of the water for their daily routine - and when I say the most, I mean the most... Along the banks of the canals, there are small houses, schools, hospitals, and further lush rice fields. In a small village, there was a political rally by the local Communist party - well, it was more a monologue by a local representation in front of a small and surprisingly quiet crowd. It seems that in these relatively remote areas there are no extreme poverty. It would tend to confirm that Kerala has the best quality of life in India.

Kerala has plenty of natural wonders. The first excursion was at the Athirappilly Falls, a very refreshing stop. Here, we were the only foreign visitors, with many Indian tourists discovering the area.

Further to the north is the Munnar, famous for its extensive tea plantations, which cover an extensive hilly region. The only drawback is that this major tourist destination - popularised thanks to many Bollywood movies - is reached after driving slowly on narrow, windy, and potholed roads. Even locals become car sick on these roads... There are still immense infrastructure needs.

The last major tourist destination - and no, I am not talking about the newest commercial center Lulu Mall - the beach at Cherai. The sand and the water are very inviting, while the comfort on the beach is quite basic. It was surprising to see that almost nobody brought beach towels and that people are walking in jeans and not shorts. Most of all, there are many many many people. As rare foreigners, we were also part of the attraction with lots of pictures taken of us on the beach. In general, Indians were friendly, polite, and curious.

Besides its natural wonders, Kerala has also a rich history. A long line of Maharajas ruled from Kochi, including from the Hill Palace. This palace is however relatively modest in size and in ornaments.

There are also many external influences in Kerala, with the Portuguese a prominant one. Vasco de Gama was buried in the Church of Saint Francis, the oldest Christian church in India. The old part of the town called Fort Kochin is nice to walk around with some narrow streets and ancient mansions.

Last exotic sights in Kochi are the Chinese fishing nets. I am not sure that there are still in use, but it is part of the charm of the city.

Rajasthan

First stop in Rajasthan: Jaipur, and more specifically the Amer Fort. It is on top of a hill and how do you get there... on an elephant!

That is the best ride ever. There are around 100 elephants, working between 8am and 11am, doing a maximum of 5 shifts. Each elephant is worth 30.000 dollars.

The elephants enter into one of the four courtyards. This first one was where the soldiers were training and parading. The other ones are each more impressive and secretive. The last one was accessible only to the Maharajah and his twelve wives. Each wife had her own appartment, but they were secretely linked to each other, so that the Maharajah could move from one to the next.

The halls are richly adorned with engravings, precious stones, and even mirrors. Often on the top of buildings, there are obstructed windows, behind which ladies would observe the proceedings of audiences without being seen by men. There are also sophisticated ways to cool the halls thanks to waterways and tentures - the predecessor of the air conditioning.

Back in the city of Jaipur, it is time to see why it is called the "Pink City". Indeed, the old town is filled with pink buildings, made of red sandstone. The city was designed by the Maharajah Jai Singh almost according to American planning: a perfect grid of wide streets. This is possibly the only organised thing about this city... On the ground floor, it is mostly shops, with the owner residing on the top floor. But be careful to close all windows - there are numerous monkeys rooming the area. The Jaipur Palace is of course part of this grip and nowadays can be rented out for lavish wedding ceremonies - at the one in preparation on our day of visiting, there was even a stand announcing "Swiss cheese fondue". A bit more authentic in this palace, but still a bit crazy, are the two huge silver containers that delivered sacred water from the Ganges to the Maharajah during his trip to England.

The most impressive building is the Hawa Mahal (palace of the winds). Its two main functions were to allow for cool air to circulate in the palace and for ladies to watch the processions on the main road without being seen. It is truly an extraordinary building.

Keeping with the exotic means of transport, it was time for a camel ride in the desert close to Jaisalmer. The camels are well trained - these three even scrutinise if any intruder is coming from Pakistan... They usefully complement the closeby important military camps, which have helped reinvigorate activity in the town.

Jaisalmer is famous for its Fort, built on the Hill. It contains the local palace, but a large part of the population continues to live within its walls. To this day, it remains a lively place with lots of restaurants and shops.

Typical of the local architecture are the havelis, in the traditional yellow colour. Jaisalmer is sometimes refered to as the "golden city". The havelis were mansions built by rich merchants, traders and politicians. The most impressive havelis was the one built by a gold and silver merchant for his five sons.

 

A little bit out of town is Bada Bagh, the place where Maharajahs are buried. The guide told us the tragic stories of the wives of Maharajahs. When the Maharajah would die, his wives had to follow him in death by jumping into a fire.

Last stop in Rajasthan: Jodhpur. This one is called the "blue city", after the colour used to paint the houses.

Jodhpur is dominated by the Mehrangarh Fort. It is richly decorated and there are still much memorabilia to admire.

The palace has many incredible rooms, including this Thakat Vilas - it is an eccentric mix of Indian and British influences - check the glass balls on the ceiling. Almost like a disco place...

A more recent Maharajah built the Umaid Bhawan palace completed in 1943 - the royal family still stays there - they occupy "only" 80 of the 347 rooms. The rest is a luxurious hotel. Apparently, the local population is still very found of the Maharajah, since the current member of Parliament for Jodhpur is the sister of the former Maharajah.

Agra - Delhi

The Mughals made Agra the capital of their Empire and it is not a surprise that many magnificient sites are located there. The most famous one is of course the Taj Mahal! Already the entrance gates are impressive. On top, the 22 white coupoles mean that it took 22 years to build the whole complex. Up to 30000 people were employed - or exploited - to bring it to completion by 1653. It was certainly one of the biggest "public works" project of the times. At least, the King lived long enough to see it completed.

Once through the gates, there sits the Taj Mahal. Beautiful and an architectural treasure. For example, the four minarets are slightly inclined outwards, so that in case of an earthquake, they would not fall on the main monument. There is also an elaborate water cooling system underneath the building, thanks to the river at the back. All this was build by the King Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is amazing how some of the most impressive buildings were made for dead people, when an immense part of the living population did not even have solid houses to live in. 

The monument is perfectly symmetrical. Well, almost... The King wanted to build his own mausoleum (in dark marble) accross the river, but his son stopped him mostly for financial reasons. Instead, his son added his father's tomb next to his wife's, thus altering the balance of the main chamber. At least, they rest next to each other. The other difference between the sides is the inscription of various verses of the Koran.

A little bit further is the Agra Fort, with its imposing doors. What a sight it must have been to see elephants walking through the gates. Apparently, the ditch around the Fort was filled with crocodiles (in the river) and lions. No chance for assaillants to take it over.

Further still, after a little drive through the rich agricultural lands and yet poor villages, there is the city of Fatehpur Sikri, which was a capital city for only 14 years - the lack of water forced the King to move the capital back to Agra. The temple is very well preserved, with red sandstone typical of palaces in northern India. There are also the usual mosque, the Turkish bath, the houses for the wives, as well as the halls of public and private hearing, where the King would address his subjects.

The hall of private audience is special in the sense that the King would address his followers from the top of this central pillar. He was really dominating his people!

The most grandiose fort remains the Red Fort in Delhi. This is probably a symbol of the importance of Delhi, which was the capital of India several times, and experienced numerous battles and takeovers. Today, its importance is highlighted by the fact that it is the place where the Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence day. The entrance of the Fort is massive, the walls high and thick. Yet, once inside, it is spacious and somptuous with elegant pavillons and beautiful gardens. The mughal emperors certainly knew how to enjoy life.

It is the same King who designed the Taj Mahal and the inside of the Red Fort! The halls of private and public audience are superb, with elegant designs and paintings. Everything is well planned with a beautiful sequence comprising the mosque, the Turkish baths, the Hall of private audience, the emperor apartments, and the wives' house. The white marble shines in the sun, and the engravings are very delicate.

The Hall of private audience had a peacock-shaped throne. There is also an inscription which reads: "If heaven can be on the face of the earth - this is it, this is it, this is it!".

Another landmark is the Delhi Gate. It was inaccessible to us because of troops and classes rehearsing for the upcoming parade on Republic Day. It was almost invisible too, as the winter fog was dense.

The last two buildings we visited were religious ones. The Delhi mosque, which is the largest in India - guess who built it? It surprised me in the sense that there is no inside praying space. The climb to the top of one minaret was well worth it. You realise how cahotic the adjacent markets are, how imposing the red fort is, and how huge Delhi is - you cannot see the end of it.   

The lotus temple is the Baha'i house of worship. The visit here was probably the only one in India that was done in an organised way, with lines and groupings. The main praying space has a Protestant feel: it is a large space with no ornaments, no statues, no tables. It must be even more impressive on a sunny day.