People everywhere...
Wonder what this conversation was about?
We are in the second class sleeper section which has 8 bunks, 3 on each side and two across the aisle...
MThere were five of us, a very old man across from me and two young men across the hallway. There were some drinks passed around and the party was just getting started when the old guy announced he was going to bed and we all had to be quiet!
We did however have a great conversation with MJ, a young doctor from Varanasi about his life in India. He was on the way to visit his in laws and he was telling us how he defied his parents’ wish and married for love on his own time instead of an arranged marriage. This is a picture of us in the morning after a very long night, over 18 hours! MJ looks great as he dressed up to impress the in laws!
A group selfie taken and shared by MJ.
Our destination was Orchha, a small town about 4 hours from Agra and of course being late we didn’t have time for a proper breakfast so this was our food stop, hot samosas filled with sliced veggies! Not too clean looking but they were tasty!
We had a busy day with a stop at a small village cooperative industry that made hand made paper from the ends of all the textile factory cloths. It was very interesting...
Sorting the fabric...
Pressing the paper to remove the water...
Looks like they did a better job than the paper makers at Abitibi!
Finally making it to our very nice hotel...
Later in the afternoon after a rest we went into town to tour some of the marvellous architecture, even though Orchha is a very small town it is gradually being discovered as a tourist destination.
It was established in the 1500s and has a very large Fort Palace Complex called the Jahingar Mahal which even though it is not as well maintained as the ones we saw in Rajasthan was still quite magnificent. The Jahangir Mahal is considered to be a singularly beautiful specimen of Mugul architecture.
It is located on a hill in the middle of town...
Surrounded by thick walls and huge gates...
The usual spikes to keep the enemy elephants out...
But no success with cows!
The architecture is stunning especially in the late afternoon sun...
Beautiful arches...
Balconies...
Domes which are reminiscent of mosques...
There was a huge central courtyard...
Our group listening to explanations from our guide...
And four stories to the top for views to the countryside...
And the nearby river. The temples everywhere reminded me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It is the beginning of Spring here so the countryside is starting to green.
The palace section of the complex was exclusively built by Bir Singh Deo in 1605 to humor the Mughal emperor Jahangir who was a guest of the Maharaja for one night only. Imagine he must have been really trying to impress him!
Parts of the Palace has elaborate murals and paintings that are still visible even without any preservation. I was quite impressed by this...
Some details...
There is also evidence of a lot of blue semi precious inlays...
Some candid shots...
Well dressed family...
Seeking shade from the sun...
The whole place looked like a movie set!
We then went further down the street to the Royal Centaphs where there are fourteen 'Chatris' or memorials to the rulers of Orchha, grouped along the Kanchana Ghat of the river Betwa. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The rulers would be cremated here but their ashes would be brought to the river.
They are massive...
And so beautiful...
Another day we attended a cooking demonstration...
We have really enjoyed all the food we have eaten in India which surprises us but we think the combination of spices as shown here brings out such incredible flavours. This is the cook’s spice box for only a few of her dishes, she has others as well...
The smells are amazing...
The final result and I have some more recipes to try...
The only group picture I have...
The chef works out of her home and has built her business over 14 years. She has three children with her youngest one being a surprise! Saying goodbye...
Some time to explore on our own...
“ Lady, I will do a free henna if you look in my shop!”
Two smart business women...
Some street scenes...
How many people can fit in one rickshaw?
We finished our visit to this very interesting town by attending evening prayers at the temple...
Always a ladies line everywhere we go even at the airport....
The temple was packed, there was lots of group singing and prayers...
The priest was in front and worshippers would line up to han$ him offferings such as cookies and sweets...
It was another great opportunity to get a glimpse into the Indian culture!
Even the small towns in India are amazing!
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