Travelogue: India

I have wanted to go to India since ever but could never actually get go. Four years ago I had a chance to go with my college/colleagues but my thesis came in between and I had to stay back and work on my paintings. Numerous times I had the opportunity but somehow nothing could materialize. I have read books and watched movies and have seen friends going on trips together. I never thought I’d go through the experience myself; but this time I was so determined that when my mom told me she is planning a trip to India to attend an Inner Wheel (a sister organization of Rotary International) conference, without having a second thought, I tagged along to visit the magical land of staggering topographical variations of cultural diversity, the result of coexistence of a number of religions as well as local traditions. The towering temples of India, easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured surface give my nerves a tingling of surrealism.

On my insistence we decided to board a bus from Lahore to cross the border. 6:30am 31st March 2008 reached the bus terminal nervous/ excited and smiling tentatively. Despite of my mom’s strong reaction to my exuberant behavior, I took our pre-departure picture (everything has to be documented). But it was still too soon to get officially excited. (You can’t get officially excited till you actually cross the border). After a 10 hour ride with 4 stops in the middle for breakfast/lunch/tea (all included in the bus fare which was Rs: 4000 return) we reached Delhi. Am I glad I went to India? Yes, I think so. India is wonderful. And India is terrible. It is spectacular and at times disgusting. Before entering India keeping in view my anticipation my mom told me to expect nothing the sort I see on TV (she had been fortunate enough to visit most of the South Asian countries at least twice) As I was expecting Delhi did seem to have a very different culture, and for someone like me who enjoys having her cultural assumptions challenged, I found India very stimulating.

From the time we entered India via Atari gates I was on the ninth sky as I was stopped at various occasions only to be blatantly told that I am very ‘sunder’ (what a self confidence booster lol) But in India your life is made miserable by being swarmed wherever you go by people trying to sell you things, by cab drivers sneaking commissions from the places they take you, by beggars, by children wanting gifts of pens and rupees (we were clearly identified as foreigners either cause of our features of our clothes).

Delhi was full of Indian Idol soundtracks, hindu mythology cartoons, dogs/cows/pigs at every corner, on making sure we are Pakistanis even the auto rickshaw guys out of the blue would get into heated debates about India Pakistan, the media hyped perception of Pakistani’s etc.

Since we had very little time for the sight seeing in Delhi (we had to catch a plane to Kolkatta the next day) we headed off to Jama Masjid and Red Fort in Old Delhi. Inside Jama Masjid it definitely felt much more like a tourist attraction than a holy place, although prayer services are held there daily, and while we were there people were praying and engaging in other rituals.

Jama Masjid was completed in 1656, having been commissioned by Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor. The mosque stands beautiful in its simplicity (due to the lack of elaborate ornamentation), the building’s large courtyard was constructed of striking red sandstone; the pervasive symmetry reflects the Mughal style. The views from the courtyard were interesting, but the views from the southern minaret, which rises high above the city, were phenomenal.

Just below us to the south was the bustling marketplace of Old Delhi where we would later go for some beautiful sari shopping. Below us to the northeast was the more peaceful courtyard of Jama Masjid, and beyond its walls the imposing barriers of the Red Fort, also a creation of Shah Jahan (It is said that at night the Red Fort is brightly lit up providing a glimpse of the grandeur of the Mughal era).

All the tourist places in India close down around 5 pm so we could not spend much time touring the Jain temple. (Jainism is a very interesting local religion, focusing on extreme nonviolence and vegetarianism, and one of its central tenants is the intrinsic value of all living things). We explored the nearby areas, and also observed a Sikh temple.

From there we rushed to the India Gate where we were approached constantly by a particularly persistent cycle-rickshaw driver (it was getting dark and we were clearly identified as foreigners). Neither of us really wanted to take a cycle-rickshaw, not just because it would be much slower, but because there’s something unsettling about exploiting someone else’s manual labor for personal transportation, especially when that person is obviously struggling and appears emaciated. Delhi stretches out in all directions, and it became apparent that in the few days we would spend here, we would barely be able to scratch the surface of this expansive and exciting city.

The next day we flew to Kolkatta by a local flight Indigo Airways which cost us Rs: 7000 for a return ticket. Ask most people what springs to mind when you mention the capital of West Bengal, and the images are of hand-pulled rickshaw, excessive pollution, slums, Mother Theresa, Tagore and human tragedy. Shaking the cobwebs of complacency away, I think it was the best introduction of a country which otherwise was so hyped up by the media.

Kolkatta is a calamity of humanity. From the minute you step off the plane, it's in your face, shocking and surprising at every turn. India strikes you hard: all your preconceptions are inadequate. I found there's a difference between imagination and reality, and however well prepared you are.

In 1803 Lord Valentia wrote, 'The town of Kolkatta is at present well worthy of being the seat of our Indian Government both from its size and from the magnificent buildings which decorate the part of it inhabited by Europeans. Yes, there's plenty of British splendour under the pollution. The Victoria Monument, a reminder of the pomposity of the British Raj, an imposing white marble monstrosity that sums up the decadence and pomp of the British Empire. Inside the Victoria Monument is a museum that tells the history of Kolkatta, from its founding in 1690 by Job Charnock to the present day. After attending the conference we then set off to see some more of India.

Our next stop via Delhi was Arga, the city which nests the famous Taj Mahal, which for centuries has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world carrying the memorial of love built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers labored for 17 years to build it.

Some 38km away from Agra lay the forgotten city which shows a clear embracing and respect for other religions. At Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone palace is uniquely honored through symbolic decorative motifs of the religions of the 3 wives of the king, Hindu, Muslim and Christian.

After a night stay at a local resort at Fatehpur Sikri the next day early morning we moved on to Rajasthan, the most visited part of India, with powerful past kingdoms punctuating a flat and dry landscape with megalomaniac palaces.

Each city in Rajasthan has a strong identity especially Jaipur, the pink city. Inside the walled city, all streets, meet at right angles. The use of rubble and plaster rather than stone made it possible to build this city in only 7 years and to simulate the much-admired red sandstone appearance of Mughal cities, all of Jaipur's monuments were painted a dusty pink. Before entering the gates of Jaipur we visited the famous Amber fort which was finished building in 700 years. This fort nests the legendary Sheesh Mahal where the song ‘jab payar kia to darna kia’ of mugle-e-azam was shot.

A 90 ft sundial dominates the astronomical Jantar Mantar. An odd collection of huge astronomical instruments built in stone by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Swai Jai Singh, from 1728 onwards. The tomb is the reminiscent of those wonderful paintings of the masters of early astronomy, with their huge sundials and large azimuth-measuring machines. Next to the Jantar Mantar was the City Palace and Museum. At this palace you could not the camera along with you, so there really aren’t any pictures to share. But the original miniatures kept there made me stay in the palace for quite awhile and I literally had to be dragged out.

We rounded off our wanderings with a visit to the Hawa Mahal, the Palace of the Winds, a classic piece of flamboyant Rajasthani architecture that looks over the main street of the old city. From here ladies of the court used to watch the world go by.

Jaipur is a shopper's paradise which has something to offer everyone. So I decided to get my saris from there. You find good silver jewellery from there too.

Our tour ended there for us. Sitting on the bus home, I was quite. But every few minutes I would crack a smile at some memory that had hit me. It is true what they say: India is a different world. From the sheer mass of humans to the frenetic pace of life – an almost contradictory combination of rushing around like headless chickens and sitting back and doing absolutely nothing, a mix that only the Indians seem to have perfected – it's like nothing you have ever seen before.