Vibrant India: A Spiritual, Noisy, Historical & Economically Challening Place

 India: My 94th country on my Countdown to 100 U.N. countries by the time I turn 70 in 2026.

And so begins the next leg of my journey, India!

I met my Intrepid Travel group the same day my Sri Lanka tour ended on Sunday, which meant taking an early flight to get me to Delhi in time to meet my new tour leader and group for our 10-day ‘North India Highlights’ tour beginning and ending in Delhi. 

We were in Delhi just for the night before an early morning train ride to Varanasi, the spiritual city of India. I will be seeing more of Delhi at the end of this tour but for now, it’s Varanasi, the main reason I chose this tour. 

Varanasi is bold, loud, serene and filled with people moving on feet, bikes, motorcycles, Tuk Tuks and cars all on the same road and in many cases going in opposite directions. Oh and let’s not forget the cows and dogs that call the streets home. 

The northern city of on the Ganges river in northern India, Varanasi plays a central role in the traditions of pilgrimage, death and mourning in the Hindu world. This is one of those places in the world, like the Nile in Africa, I’ve wanted to see for myself. So, this was an amazing experience both Varanasi and the mother goddess of the Ganges River. 

Enjoy this experience with me!

Varanasi: the spiritual city

It was a full day in vibrant Varanasi, providing quite an absolute intense sensory overload, of the people, sites and sounds in one of the holiest cities in Hinduism.

We left our hotel, the Arcadia, at 5:00 am to head back to the Dasaswamedh Ghat, the riverfront step leading to the Ganges river in Varanasi. It’s where we caught our evening boat ride and saw the nightly ceremony. But this morning it was about the beautiful sunrise boat ride on the Ganges River where we watched the light gradually illuminate the many ghats and temples along the river.

Ghats in Varanasi are riverfront steps leading to the banks of the Ganges river. The city has 84 ghats. Most of the ghats are bathing and puja ceremonial ghats, while two ghats, Manikarnika and Harishchandra, are used exclusively as cremation sites.

Part of this morning’s experience of sailing along the Ganges River are the cremations that typically occur 24 hours a day and usually within 24 hours of the person’s death. In Hindu tradition, cremation is a deeply spiritual practice believed to help the deceased’s soul achieve moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The Ganges is considered a sacred river, and immersing ashes in it is thought to purify the soul and ensure its passage to a better afterlife.

And, oddly enough, the smell of burning bodies at these cremation sites while sailing along the Ganges River was not even something I noticed. It could be because most bodies are covered in flowers and doused with ghee, clarified butter, before cremation and the wood pyres used to burn the body. 

After our boat ride, we walked around the Old City of Varanasi through the terraces of the Ganges, the crowded streets and the narrow laneways packed with stalls and shops where we visited a silk vendor and purchased our white clothing for the forthcoming Holi Festival on the 14th. The Holi Festival of Colors, primarily a Hindu festival, celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. The festival provides a temporary space where people can shed their inhibitions and enjoy a day of carefree fun and mischief.

We enjoyed a group vegetarian thali lunch at a local restaurant. A thali is a popular style of serving food in India, offering a selection of dishes, sides and condiments on a single large plate.

Come experience the colorful vividness of Varanasi with me. 

This morning, several of us visited three temples in Varanasi on a Tuk Tuk tour before taking a flight back to India’s buzzing capital of Delhi just in time for an early dinner.

Jaipur

We left Delhi again around 7:30 a.m. for our 5-hour coach bus ride to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, one of India’s 28 states. 

Jaipur, also known as the “Pink City”, is famous for its historical sites like the Amber Fort, commonly Amer Fort or Amer Palace, the stunning honey-comb-like facade of Hawa Mahal as well as its architectural heritage of Hindu Rajput and Islamic Mughal styles of its vibrant markets and and distinctive pink buildings.

Jaipur earned its nickname because, in 1876, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh had most of the city’s buildings painted pink, the color of hospitality, to welcome Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII). 

After arriving in Jaipur, six members of our nine-member tour group were not feeling well so they were dropped off at our hotel, the Golden Tulip before making our way to the incredible Amer Fort palace.  

Rising over a rocky valley to the north of Jaipur about situated about 6.8 miles or 11 kilometers, this classic Rajasthani fort, almost a fortified city enclosed by invader-repelling yellow and pink sandstone walls. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its artistic style, Hindu and Islamic architecture, and historical significance. Originally built by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, construction continued over the centuries with contributions from other rulers. 

From the Amer Fort, we took a drive along the Amer Road, which connects the city of Jaipur to Amer, where the Amer Fort is located and  part of what contributes to the city’s nickname, “The Pink City.” While the color is technically a terracotta pink, the overall effect creates the signature pink hue that defines Jaipur.

Let’s see the wonders of the Pink City starting with the Amer Fort palace just outside of Jaipur. 

Happy Holi Day! Celebrating in Jaipur!

Holi is known as the “Festival of Colors. It’s a vibrant Hindu festival marking the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and the blossoming of love. And what makes it colorful are the people playfully throw colored powder (gulal) at each other. There’s also music, dancing and people just having fun. 

The colors used during Holi are believed to represent different emotions and aspects of life, such as love, joy, and new beginnings.

Come celebrate the colorful Holi day festival with me!

Happy 69th birthday to me! 

I appreciate being 69 today. I appreciate being alive, healthy and sane in mind. I can think for myself and do for myself. And most important of all, I have amazing people in my life who love me and whom I love dearly. 

I’ve had the privilege to see the vastness of this world that’s home to all kinds of beautiful human beings. I’ve been witness to their struggles and their triumphs. I’ve seen them love their families like I love mine. 

I pray we all find inner peace and acceptance of ourselves while extending grace and understanding to those who don’t look like you, pray like you or love like you.

I am a U.S. citizen but I consider myself a global citizen of sorts who gets the opportunity to visit, learn, photograph and write about these incredible places in the world. 

Thank you for joining me and helping me celebrate my date of birth. 

Along with it being my 69th birthday, today turned out to be an incredible day of historical sites in India. We left Jaipur, the “Pink City” for the Agra Fort with a stop at the very impressive  Chand Baori stepwell and the ruins of the Harshat Mata Temple. 

The stepwell – built more than 1,100 years ago, is one of the largest stepwells in India and quite possibly the world. This architectural wonder was once a gathering place for locals and royals alike. This impressive example of ancient Indian engineering features a rectangular structure with a deep central well and a series of narrow steps that creates a beautiful pattern leading to a body of water below. 

And, the ruins of the Harshat Mata Temple a Hindu temple in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan and close to the Chand Baori stepwell. The temple is dedicated to a goddess named Harshat Mata. It’s also where I was given a red string on my right wrist by a holy man signifying several meanings including protection, blessings, good fortune, connection, health and well-being.

No written evidence survives regarding the temple’s construction but architectural and sculptural style analysis suggests it was built in the early 800s, shortly after the construction of the close-by Chand Baori stepwell.

With a late lunch stop along the Agra Road and a three hour drive, we arrived at the stunning dark red sandstone Agra Fort in the city of Agra.  Part fort, part fortress, part palace and part prison, the Agra Fort was initially built by the Mughal emperor Akbar, starting in 1565 and completed in 1573. Subsequent Mughal emperors, including Jahangir and Shah Jahan, made additions and modifications to the fort.

And, after dinner, I was treated to a wonderful surprise, a delicious chocolate cake to celebrate my birthday. All in all, a simply wonderful day. 

This part of the post is all about the Taj Mahal. Although the Taj Mahal was on my list of things to see in the world, I can’t say it was at the top of my list but oh my, even with all the people visiting at the same time, it really is a majestic and peaceful place to behold.

The Taj Mahal complex is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s literally visited by millions of people. The complex, on 42 acres or 17-hectares on the right bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, features the white marble mausoleum, a mosque, a guest house, a main gateway and formal gardens.

The beautiful marble masterpiece of Mughal architecture, blending Indian, Persian and Islamic styles may look a palace, but it’s actually a mausoleum. It was built between 1631 and 1648 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to immortalize his wife, Mumtaz Mahal (“Beloved Ornament of the Palace”), who died in childbirth in 1631 after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612.

The Mughal Empire was a powerful Muslim dynasty that ruled large parts of the Indian subcontinent from 1526 to 1857, known for its rich culture, art, and architecture, including the Taj Mahal.

Photos were not allowed inside the mausoleum’s main chamber where the cenotaphs or false tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Mughal emperor Shah Jahan can be seen encircled behind a beautiful octagonal marble lattice screen, while the actual graves are located in a lower tomb chamber below.

Let’s check out my early morning adventure through the amazingly beautiful Taj Mahal mausoleum and complex in Agra, India.

After the artistic beauty of the Taj Mahal, we returned back to our hotel in Agra, the Da’ Bungalow, for breakfast. While the Taj Mahal is undoubtedly the most famous artistic landmark in Agra, there’s also vibrant street art. We also made stops to a marble inlay shop for a demonstration of exquisite marble inlay work with semi-precious stones and a hand knotted rug shop for exquisite wool and silk rugs before taking an express train back to Delhi.  

Here’s to a bit more of incredible Agra.

It was a jam packed day in Old Delhi. 

We set off on the city’s metro system to get a taste of Delhi’s famed public transport and from there, we walked through the chaotic, noisy Old Delhi towards the oldest mosque the Jama Masjid. From there we walked a bit more to the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib Sikh temple before taking a cycle rickshaw ride down Chandni Chowk to the Omaxe Mall where we had a traditional meal at the food court. 

Here’s to a full day in Old Delhi, starting with a journey through the city and then an afternoon of more sites with a small group of us trying to see as much as possible for our last tour group day in Delhi and India. 

After our group had lunch together at the Omaxe Mall food court in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi, several of us decided to carry on with a private driver to see a little bit more of Delhi during our last tour day. We spent time at the Isa Khan Niyazi, Humayun’s Tomb, the Lodhi Garden and the Hindu temple of Laxminarayan Mandir before heading back to the Bloom Hotel for our last dinner together. 

I said goodbye to my Intrepid travel tour group and a driver, arranged by my Intrepid leader, pick me up at the Bloom Hotel in New Delhi to take me to the Gandhi Smriti or Gandhi Remembrance and the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi before dropping me off at my new hotel, the Haveli Dharampura in the heart of crazy, hectic Old Delhi.

The National Gandhi Museum was definitely on my list of places to visit while in Delhi and I’m so glad I did. I was pretty much one of the few people who arrived early to enjoy the peaceful mainly outdoor museum to myself. 

The Gandhi Smriti and museum was such a peaceful, quiet and pleasant place to learn about Mahatma Gandhi and walk through the place where he spent the last 144 days of his life before he was assassinated on the grounds. 

So, who was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

From the museum, my driver dropped me off at my hotel for the next two nights, the Haveli Dharampura in the heart of crazy, hectic Old Delhi. I was actually looking forward to staying at this hotel, but my enthusiasm quickly waned when I found the entrance to the main hotel was through a crowded alleyway but my room was in a completely separate building. Nice room, but I was genuinely disappointed. 

Here’s to my last days on my own in Delhi, India before moving on to my next Intrepid Trael tour of Nepal starting in Kathmandu. 

After a couple of hours at the Gandhi Smriti and Gandhi National Museum in Delhi, my driver took me to my new hotel, the Haveli Dharampura in the heart of crazy, hectic Old Delhi for the next two nights before making my way to Kathmandu, Nepal, for my Intrepid Travel’s ‘Classic Nepal’ tour.

I selected the Haveli Dharampura, a UNESCO Awarded Boutique Heritage Hotel, because it looked like a great place to stay for my last two nights in India. It really is a beautiful place, but the location is definitely deep in the heart of Old Delhi and I did not stay in the main building but one down the busy alleyway. Once I got into the room, I chose not to leave it until it was time for me to go to the airport for Nepal. I just had no interest in exploring anymore of hectic Delhi.

And, after my first night’s disappointing dinner, I really did not want to subject myself to another tasteless, cold meal so I never left the room. I missed breakfast, lunch and dinner the next day. Plus I just did not want to pay these people one more penny for their overpriced food and/or accommodations. 

I’ve appreciated my time in India, but I had explored enough and was ready to move on. Goodbye India! Hello Nepal!