Chelsea Clinton’s wedding was front page news in all of the papers on August 2nd! The Hindustan Times carried another more detailed story inside the front section as well. President Clinton made several trips to India during his term of office.
Turns out it’s easier to go back to Delhi from Varanasi, and then on to Agra, so that’s what we did. We flew to Delhi, spent the night at our “home” hotel, the Taj Mansingh (very elegant) and took the train on Sunday, August 1st to Agra. After lunch at the Agra hotel, we regrouped and set out in a bus our first site visit, Fatehpur Sikri. Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri was once the capital of the Mughal Empire. One of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid is located there. Because we visited on a Sunday, the site was crowded with families enjoying a breezy afternoon after the morning rains. The mosque too was thronged with worshippers and there was a festive spirit all around.
We set our alarm clocks for an early start on a day we’d been anticipating for weeks. In order to avoid both the crowds and the heat, we met in the lobby at 5:30 a.m. and set off for that wonder of wonders, the Taj Mahal. It took 22 years to build this tomb, a monument to love. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan authorized the building of the Taj for his favorite queen, Mumtaz, after she died following the birth of their fourteenth child. The white marble is inlayed with intricate colorful designs made from semi-precious stones. I purchased a book with stunning photographs of the Taj Mahal and close-ups of the detailed engraving because I know my own photos just won’t begin to capture the beauty of this place.
From the Agra Fort, we were able to get more photos of the Taj Mahal from a distance. In these shots, the white marble gleams next to the green trees. Emperor Akbar commissioned the building of this structure as well, and it was here that his grandson, Shah Jihan, spent the last eight years of his life, imprisoned in a War of Succession by his third son. From the terraced building where he was confined, Shah Jihan could sit and stare at the Taj Mihal and think of his beloved Mumtaz.
As I’m writing this we’re on the train bound for Jaipur, the last city on our itinerary. Everyone is starting to think of home and the responsibilities that await each of us upon our return. Kathleen, Principal of a charter school in Harlem, was on the phone today discussing test scores and teacher bonuses. When we return to our hometowns, there is a range of one day to three weeks before we’ll all be back in school. I’m looking forward to seeing my family and sleeping in my own bed. Six weeks of travel in India has made all of us appreciate the advantages we often take for granted.
When we disembarked from the bus at the train station this afternoon, we were each handed a boxed dinner of sandwiches, fruit, and other Indian food delights. As we walked to the train platform, we were approached by children begging for food. At least five of us immediately handed over our meals to the children, although we’d been cautioned not to do this. We’ve read in the newspapers how rapidly the median income is rising in India, but for the poorest of the poor, begging at places frequented by tourists is still the only life they know.
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