Around the World with Marsha & Joel

WARNING: Some of the following content may be too explicit for children under 17, those over 60 (especially with heart conditions), or Rick Santorum. Proceed with caution.

Another World Heritage Site

These spectacular temples were built by the Chandela kings between the 9th & 13th centuries. They are uniquely and exquisitely carved with figures and friezes of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

The First View

An astounding resemblance to Angkor Wat in Cambodia in a smaller, but no less impressive version.

And for those of you more worldly, you may recognize it as the background for the movie, “Kama Sutra.”

Removing a Painful Thorn from Her Foot

This graceful carving of a young woman removing a thorn even provides a facial grimace. The figures and friezes tell stories of the Gods in life, in war and in love. Only about 10% are treatises on love-making (presumably based on the Sanskrit Kama Sutra, written many centuries earlier), but of course the most documented.

Notice the lovers and their musicians, and how their bodies and eyes tell a real story. The small figures are common people. The large are the Hindu Gods (some of 9 million+ of them…. True).

A Bit More Instructive

The lovers, each on one foot defy gravity (they are Gods) and provide some extra stimulation for their aides who seem a bit more interested in themselves. One really wonders about the designers’ and sculptors’ “motivation”.

Remember that these were created well before the Muslim conquests. Apparently the Hindu outlook on life and love became much, much more conservative after that. Today, any public display of intimacy (even holding hands) is strictly frowned upon. Marriages are still arranged by the family. Dress covers most of the woman, with the exception of the bare midriff, exposing the navel; the deeper the navel the sexier according to our guide. Muffin-Tops predominate.

"Get a Load of That"

Check out the hysterical elephant. The oblivious four other elephants on his left look straight ahead while this dude gets a glimpse of the nearby action. A great sense of humor really comes forward as part of the joy of life these temples exude.

There are even tales of what shouldn’t be done, e.g. bestiality. And, there are loving depictions of homosexuality, obviously accepted in their communities.

Several of These Beautiful Temples are Actively Used

At the Next Hotel

On the way back from the temples we stopped at a state-run shop that specialized in marble sculpture. Some nice pieces, but none worth the shipping home of a piece weighing close to a ton.

Our hotels, mostly Radisson have been luxurious-ish. They are new, beautiful, clean, spacious, with every amenity including gyms and spas and pools and upscale shops and delicious restaurants. We give them the “-ish” rating because they just try, and go too far! Examples: The rooms have so many lights and switches it could take a half hour to get them off for bed. The waiters give you an extensive menu, take your drink order, and remain hovering continually asking if you’re ready to place your food order while you haven’t yet opened to page one! The property is usually located well out of the center of town, preventing the free-time strolls through the ‘hood we so much love to do. Small things, but very different from most other places in the world.

An ad hoc note on hotel maintenance you’ll enjoy:

Our hot water kettle was not working (the plug was loose in the outlet so contact was not there). I called for a repair. An older, mustachioed man (with no English) came immediately and played with the switch for two or three minutes while I tried to explain it was either the plug or the outlet that were bad. He finally started moving the plug in the outlet which made the on light come on sporadically. He took the kettle away finally (I thought to replace) and returned five minutes later with the same kettle. He now plugged it into a floor outlet between the beds. It still only worked sporadically. He finally moved it back to its space, plugged it in, took the extra coffee mug and pressed it against the plug so the on light came on steadily, bowed to me and said, “fixed”, and left the room. We broke down!

We ended the day at a local cultural center where a traveling dance school and troupe performed regional folk dances. You might think it would be hokey, but they were graceful professionals (and students) in spectacular, authentic costumes. A great way to end another full day. Tomorrow to the oldest continuous living city in the world.

The Agra Train Station

We catch the early morning “Shatabdi Express” train to Jhansi. The station is incredibly crowded and pretty confusing. We have first class tickets, but finding the number of our coach and seats is no easy task. Our coach is air-conditioned and the tickets come with a bottle of water and breakfast (that no one dares eat). We rejoice as we see passengers on lesser class service hanging out of windows and sitting on the ladders between cars on other trains. No rules here about keeping your heads and hands inside the train!

After 2.5 hours we reach Jhansi with its impressive fort, known for the heroic Rani Laxmi Bai, who died leading her troops in the 1857 Indian Mutiny.

The Fantastical Abandoned Town of Orchha

After a few more hours we come across Orchha, on a rocky island in a loop of the river Betwa. Three main palaces make up the town; Raj Mahal, Jahangiri Mahal, and Rai Praveen Mahal, all symetrically positioned.

Joel in the Central Courtyard

Part of the Screened Corridor with Lavish Interiors

Harem residents were able to look over the courtyard’s public spaces through the screens without being seen.

A Few Amazing Frescoes Still Remain Undamaged

Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed Son of Shiva

He’s invoked before the start of any auspicious task. Here he has his own cubby-hole, probably to help in building this architectural wonder.

The Color of Life Just Outside Orchha

A Laundry Stop Before the Long Journey

Beats the Ganges Laundries you’ll see later on.

And a Roadside Shave and a Haircut

Only a few rupees and ample air-conditioning.

Nice Rest Area

Actually a resort area for vacationers and wayward travelers lunch. We take a break and some sustenance before the long leg to Khajuraho.

Wheat Fields on the Way

The wheat harvest is underway in this part of India. We see it as we travel on one of the largest state roads in India. You’d never believe it by its condition.

As we weave in and out of small villages we see the ubiquitous mounds of garbage and more evidence that the mind-set of most communities is to “build it and leave it”. Once built, a building is not maintained, at least that is certainly not a priority.

We pass orchards of teak trees and see flame trees poking out of elaborate brick cylinders, protecting them from hungry animals. The mango trees are just starting to bear fruit. It should be a good year since the hotter the weather, the sweeter the mangoes. We are really out in rural India now.

The road becomes torturous! The shoulders are an increasingly expanding mix of dirt, rocks and holes as the road continues to lose it’s unmaintained paving. Potholes are everywhere and unexpected. At points there is no evidence of paving at all. In the meantime buses and trucks vie for position as two of those vehicles coming head-on cannot both stay on the narrow road. One must yield to the pit called a “shoulder” without slowing down of course. And, the shoulder contains pedestrians and animals who all seem to have confidence that the traffic will certainly miss them. We don’t have that confidence. In the meantime the motor scooters, cars, farm equipment, ox carts all vie for their piece. Horns blare the entire way (as a courtesy before passing). Our heads and backs and senses are on complete overload when it starts getting dark which adds an additional level of terror. Unaligned lights of oncoming vehicles totally blind the driver who has to divert to the shoulder to get by, trusting that no child or animal or unreflected cart is there. It is a deep mystery. We nauseatingly bounce on toward Khajuraho.

People Come From Everywhere

The Taj is just down the block from our hotel. We get up early to try to avoid the heaviest crowds on another hot day. We didn’t quite accomplish that as you can see, but the faces and clothing were almost as impressive.

As hard as it was for us to believe, we were really there (this was not Photoshopped). The white marble mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jehan for his favorite wife who died giving birth at the age of 39. It took 22 years and 20,000 people working day and night to complete the perfect building. The head architect, a Persian, only selected architects who were also poets or lovers of poetry…and it shows.

More of the Colorful Ladies of India on the Taj Grounds

The grounds are impeccable on this World Heritage Site (Actually eight of these sites are in India) and even a well displayed museum that apparently no one visits (we were almost the only ones in the place).

A Place of Joy. Not the Only Place We Find People Smiling and Singing Songs

Touching the Taj

It’s a real treat to be able to walk up to this perfect building and really see…and touch the amazing detail that went into it’s construction. The inlaid stone (top), all hand-cut and fit into this hardest of marbles is held permanently in place by a secret glue from local trees. The calligraphy beside the main entrance gets gradually larger as it goes up so it can be read perfectly from the ground without the reader being aware that it looms a hundred feet or more above. Every detail spectacular.

[Not so spectacular, however, is the fact that the air pollution around the Taj is ominous. A primary cause is an oil refinery allowed to be built upwind from the Taj. It’s poisonous burn-off floats directly down to the Taj. After an uproar was made, the responsible local official said he didn’t know about it being built and put the blame squarely on his underlings. The corruption in India is omnipresent and destructive based on what we’ve been seeing and hearing]. Also, the Taj is not lit at night to help avoid the proliferation of mosquitoes and other pests.

The Taj is a mosque in a Hindu environment. It has always been a target of extremists and is surrounded by stiff security.

The Agra Fort

A cluster of mosques and palaces on the banks of the river just upstream from the Taj built by Akbar of sandstone c. 1565. It is also a World Heritage Site and overlooks the Taj Mahal.

Colonnaded Arches of the Diwan-i-Aam

Musamman Burj...Octagonal Tower with Clear Views to the Taj

This is where Shah Jahan, the creator of the Taj, was imprisoned by his son. He couldn’t leave and could only gaze on the distant, perfect structure he made for his great love. He died there.

Shah Jahan's View

Impromptu Family Portrait

That evening we had dinner reservations at the 7-star Oberoi Hotel that overlooks the Taj for a spectacular sunset view. The walk between our luxury hotel and the Oberoi again brings us back to the reality of India. We have to dodge piles of garbage on the broken, uneven sidewalk and even two horses tied up so you had to detour to the horn-honking street. There is a band of Gypsies (true Romany descendants) with makeshift tents and dirty, wild children shouting “hello” and practicing for their future begging and “working” life. But the beauty of the people comes out when a tuk-tuk driving by stops suddenly at the curb and a beautiful young family piles out and asks politely if they could pose for a picture with us. I, sadly, wonder what the “catch” is. But, they really just wanted to be photographed with some westerners. Thanks and handshakes all around.

On the Balcony of the Magnificent Oberoi for Drinks Before Dinner

What a view! What extremes!

No Comment Necessary

As the sun sets a troupe of musicians and dancers perform evening ragas on a platform opposite us.

A View of the Oberoi's Courtyard and Fountains

And our dinner was wonderful, with a view of the musicians and dancers as well. I guess it’s India too, but we decide to take a taxi back to our hotel to avoid too much “contrast” for one night.

Tomorrow by train and coach to Khajuraho.