Maharaja Shar jahan had three wives, but the one he loved most was his third wife Mumtaz Mahal who he enjoyed many years with. sadly this love story turned tragedy when she passed away at a young age. Shar Jahan was so profoundly bereft at the loss of his beloved that he set about building the greatest building known to mankind in which to house her ashes. The building would be built on the rivers edge of pure white marble and his own ashes would be stored in one across the river in pure black so they may look at eachother for all of eternity and the world might remember the meaning of true love. Thus was built the Taj mahal where Mumtaz mahal's ashes lie to this day. Sadly jahan was incarcerated by his son before work could begin on the black taj and so, mumtaz Mahal sits and stares for all eternity across the river waiting for her true love. Locked in an eternity of hopeful waiting.The feeling when you approach this building for the first time is spellbinding. Who would think that anyone could sit and stare at a building for hours upon hours? But the Taj Mahal is enchanting and you feel a profound sense of calm and love when you are gazing at it. Its not cliche because everyone feels it. It is an experience that is unique and powerful to say the least. It is worth the trip to india for sure.
We have discovered two excellent travel schemes:
No 1. I look Inidian and so, if I dress and act appropriately I can get into tourist attractions for local prices! (this equates to ALOT of money ie at the Taj mahal entry for tourists cost 750 Rupees around $20AUD and costs 20 rupees fopr locals around 50cAUD!!)
No 2. Its best to stay at cheap hotels and then go relax and swim in the pools at posh hotels saving loads of money and giving the impression you are not a budget traveller at all!
Varanassi and the River Ganges
It is told that many years ago a King was walking through the land and stumbled across a sage. The great Sage had been meditating for many years and the King disturbed hs concentration and awoke him from his trance. So enraged was the Sage that he cast a curse upon the king. All of his family, all 60 000 relatives would turn to ash. And so it happened.
Deeply saddened by the loss of his entire family the king prayed to the Godess Ganga to cleanse the land of the ashes of his family and take them away to nirvana. But Ganga could not come down unaided for her mighty power would flood the world and destroy all mankind so the god Shiva assisted her. Ganga poured down from the heavens onto the forhead of Shiva who sent the water forth in a mighty river down the mountains. This river washed away the ashes of all the Kings family and took them to Mocksha (nirvana) where they would remain in eternal bliss.
The Ganges river is worshiped by Hindus as a living Goddess. To bathe in the water is a great honour and to drink the water is a great curative of ills. Many people make the pilgramage to the Ganges to make it the final resting place of their ashes and the fires burn day and nght on her banks.
We arrived here yesterday on overnight train from Agra and are very concious of the energy and power of this, the oldest inhabited city in the world.
We set out at 5.30am to watch the stubnning sunrise this morning:
Today we had our fortunes told by a man who knew so incredibly much about me I cannot dispute his knowledge. He sent my mind to rest about my hopes of family and chuildren and gave me the same answer as the strange man who unsolicited told me about my destiny many days ago in Udaipur.
Now Lisa and i are off to colect our sari's we chose yesterday and blouses we had made up to match.
I love India and despite my stomache ache, frequent toilet visits and constant dehydration, I am so glad I am here.
No comments:
Post a Comment