India, the land of mystics, is on the bucket list of almost ever traveler on Earth. The widely popular spiritualism of the nation and the rich culture is what attracts you at first. But then you discover that it also has a typically diverse climate – deserts on one side and rivers on another – to mountains on one end and beaches on another. Needless to say, forests cover everything in between. Therefore it is definitely one of the places that you must savor slowly.
Before going to India I had met many people who either absolutely loved it or simply hated it. A place that only invokes such strong emotions from people is worth checking out. So I decided to give it a try.
The Journey:
As soon as I reached the airport, which, to my surprise was very neat and clean, I was welcomed by a chauffeur. I must mention that there are many ways to see India – either by backpacking or by staying in 5-star luxury accommodations and traveling city to city. I chose the latter and I am absolutely glad that I did.
Delhi was the first city I chose to explore and my, oh my! It was filled with history. The guides left no stone unturned to explain how each Fortress and each Palace connected to the deeply rooted history of the place. We also visited the Gurudwara Sikh temple which feeds thousands of people every day.
Marvelous sights & Fascinating culture:
After a satisfying lunch we headed off to Agra and took to an early night. We had to wake up early next morning to view the Taj Mahal – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Over here there was a lot of chance to take pictures. After that it was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast. During the mid-day it becomes too hot to explore the rest of the city. So the afternoon is when we head again to check out Agra Fort and the Baby Taj. With that the Delhi visit culminates.
From here I head on to Rajasthan the next day. This is known to be the land of Palaces and indeed the city is filled with veiled women and exotic palaces all around. Upon my arrival I very first visited the Hawa Mahal. It had hundreds of windows apparently that is what gave it the name “Hawa” Mahal – which basically means the palace of winds.
In my itinerary was a visit to a small, rural village in Sawarda. What that did was introduce me to the heart of the city. I got to meet the locals and see how they collect water from their pully-levered wells. I learnt to use the potter’s wheel and had to somehow find my ways through the cows that roamed the streets.
After that I came back to my hotel to spend the night and somehow reflect back on everything that I had experienced that day. My journey had just begun but I was already enriched with the vast diversity and stark contrast of lives that spread all around me. I was looking for more experiences as I explore more cities around the country.
Thanks to Sterling Holidays, my experiences were pleasant and wonderful and definitely not an “ordinary” one. Sterling has a range of exquisite resorts located in picturesque locations including many that are “uncharted” by mass tourists which make them a good bet.
