The World is Ours: India - The North - Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan

Nelson and Allie playing the part while in Rajasthan

After exploring the south of India, we traveled north to Delhi, the bustling capital. We explored Old Delhi and some famous sights including Ghandi's home. With our private driver, Deepak, we headed to Agra to visit the famous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. We then began our tour of the state of Rajasthan, exploring many cities, palaces, and forts, feeling like we were back in an age of the emperors. The state was very arid and home to a vast desert. Rajasthan was quite different from the tropical south of India. In Rajasthan we visited Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Pushkar, moving around quite a bit but seeing so much. We felt like we had traveled back in time.

Flowers for prayer in Old Delhi market

Entrance to a Mosque in Delhi

Jama Masjid- largest mosque in India

Allie in her stylish no shoes, mosque robe look.

Raj Ghat - memorial to Gandhi at the site of his cremation.

Sydney? No, but designed by the same man!

Street side Masala Tea at night.

The life of Gandhi in art.

Gandhi's room, where he spent his last moments.

Gandhi's last steps. Gandhi was assassinated as he went to make his evening prayer remarks to a small crowd in 1948.

The Agra Fort

The Agra Fort was incredible in size and in detail.

Did someone book the king size room? That whole building is the king's bedroom!

All the precious gemstones and jewels were removed from the walls when the British invaded.

Having fun with the Taj Mahal!

We took these photos at sunset from a park behind the Taj.

The Taj Mahal was built to honor the king's wife after her death. A true gesture of eternal love.

We are so glad we took these pictures the night before visiting the Taj because...

This was our view of the Taj close up! :( A little foggy?

Tha Taj was truly grand.

Domino's delivery fleet in Agra.

A woman selling tea.

Monkey Temple outside of Jaipur.

Uh oh!

Mother and child

Our driver took us to a Hindu Temple for morning ceremony.

The temple was very spiritual and the people were deep in their prayers.

Our driver Deepak buying flowers.

Making our way up to the Amber Palace in Jaipur built in 1592.

Some visitors take an elephant up but we didn't have the heart.

The Amber Palace and us.

The view from the palace

The king had about a dozen wives. When he didn't want to be seen traveling to each of their rooms, he walked in these 'secret' corridors. Nelson playing the part of King!

Haha Mahal- The Palace of the Winds, built in the middle of the Pink City. Royal women would sit at these windows, to be out of sight from the public, while watching street performers below.

Our favorite of the sights in Jaipur- the Jantar Mantar- the king's collection of astronomical instruments completed in 1734! The king was a true astronomer and designed these instruments himself.

His sundials would tell the time based on the shadows they cast. Within 20 seconds!

Many of the instruments were built with the observer in mind. Many have steps and passages to get close and make recordings.

The instruments also showed positioning of stars and planets.

Date of the month and seasons were calculated, along with the position of the sun in the sky.

Mr. Scorpio

Ms. Leo

Beautiful view from our room in Udaipur overlooking the lake.

The city palace in Udaipur

Nelson at the palace

Allie in Udaipur

These ox walk in a circle, turning a wheel, that lowers buckets into a well and then raises them and dumps them in a trough for collection. Talk about doing it the old way.

Nelson going along for the ride!

Ranakpur Jain temple - Jain is a devout following of Hinduism

Nelson exploring the temple.

Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur- built 1490.

Can't make this up... this sign was right next to this guy...

The fort was stunning and truly grand.

The detail was beautiful.

Oh just drinking tap water in India... out of a strange woman's hand... and she laced the water with opium. No biggie.
The child looks like he knows something we don't.