Today started out in a bit of a rush--our driver, whose name is "Driver," was coming to pick us up at 6AM to take us to Agra. And, what is there to see in Agra?
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| Taj Mahal |
"Driver" is a Sikh. As a peaceful group of people, the principle belief of the Sikh is faith in Waheguru (meaning one God), who prevails in everything. In other words, they believe all religions eventually lead to one God. Although he barely speaks English, we found calm security in his company. He knew where to take us and how to keep us safe from beggars and merchants along the way. The drive to Agra was a little over 3 hours--and the highway you take is NOTHING like a highway back in the States. Poverty was everywhere. You may have never considered this, but people are not the only ones who suffer under the hand of misfortune; poverty grips the lives of dogs, donkeys, horses, cattle, goats, pigs, camels, monkeys and....the land.
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| Driver, taking us to Agra |
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| Yes, ladies, this is a women's bathroom |
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| Anything but stray-- Cows are considered holy in India |
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| Just a family of 3 on a bike |
We stopped for breakfast in a small roadside hotel. If you allow a merchant to speak to you, and you acknowledge him, he will try with all his might to get you into his shop. If you enter his shop, good luck. Getting out without buying something is nearly impossible. So, we sat to eat some eggs, and a merchant in the hotel asked us to come inside his shop while we waited for our food. It took us forever to get out--and that was after we bought a scarf to make him happy (it IS a pretty scarf!)
Just near the end of our trip, Driver picked up a guide he had hired for us.
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| John and SanJee |
SanJee was a blessing to us because he spoke very good English, and when you are headed here, you need someone to explain a few things......
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| This is one of the gates to enter the Taj Mahal |
Listed as one of the Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal stands out like an Empire. It was built in 1635 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife. The short story is that the emperor had two wives already, neither of whom could give birth, so he married his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. And while she ended up giving birth to 14 children in just 20 years, she also commanded that he build her something the world had never seen before. Mumtaz died in childbirth and was eventually buried in the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan was so upset by it all that he attempted to build a black Taj Mahal, but thought to be insane, was imprisoned by his son (Aurangzeb) for 8 years--and then died. Shah Jahan was buried next to his beloved wife in the mausoleum. 
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| They wanted our picture because they had never seen white people before. Precious people...it started a line of people wanting to take a picture with us. |
Agra Fort (where Aurangzeb reigned and where his father, Shah Jahan was imprisioned).
After the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Driver and Sanjee took us to lunch and eventually our hotel:
The view is breathtaking, and while we sit inside the beauty of this incredible place, I cannot help but remember the reality faced by the rest of India that lies just outside these hotel gates.
"May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
thank you becky for sharing so much of what looks like and wonderful and yet enlightening trip. You two are beautiful and so in love in these pictures I might be just a little bit jealous. contininue to enjoy and blog away. i love reading about your adventures.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel inside Becky. When the Band went to South Africa we went into some small villages in the exterior. I was forever changed by the reality of what I saw. The poverty, the conditions of where people lived, the lack of good and water. You leave places like that and come home but I think a piece of you stays there, it's what makes us remember, and what makes us feel so blessed !!
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