The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Agra, India

The great gate at the north entrance of the Taj

Departing Delhi, we headed southeasterly to Agra, the former capital of the Mughal Empire and home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. The white marble mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in remembrance of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. Between 7 to 8 million tourists visit the monument each year. Located along the banks of the Yamuna River, and surrounded by gardens, the complex covers over 40 acres. With relief work in marble and the inlay of hundreds of thousands of semiprecious stones, the structure is considered the finest example of Indo-Islamic architecture and craftsmanship. It took over 20 years and 20,000 workers to complete the project. On Fridays, the monument is closed to the public and open only for prayer, we were also told that this is the day that semi-precious stones that have been stolen from the walls are replaced. In spite of numerous guards located throughout the complex, and barriers which help distance visitors from the walls, a number of the semi-precious stones are pilfered each year. In 1996, the Indian government created an air pollution protection zone around the Taj to help prevent degradation of the structure and numerous other monuments in the area.

The moat at the entrance to the Fort

Located a short distance away, the sandstone Agra Red Fort is also located along the river. This was constructed as a walled city covering 94 acres which housed the early emperors of the Mughal Dynasty. The former city housed mosques, palaces, and halls all surrounded by walls 65 feet high. The fort was also surrounded by a moat, which is said to have been filled with both water and crocodiles, providing an additional layer of protection for the royal families. Shah Jahan was deposed and held prisoner by his 3rd son in one of the towers of the fort until his death. He was said to have had a view of the Taj Mahal from his cell.

Our guide, Sumit, then arranged a stop at the workshop where the semi-precious stone replacements for the Taj are created. The exacting work is tedious and slow, but beautiful. Of course, they also create an assortment of plates, tables, etc. with the stones inlaid in white marble available for purchase.

It is estimated that over 5 million stray cows roam the countryside in India. It was not uncommon to

see them in the streets of Delhi and they were more prevalent in the villages or small cities. With the Hindu religion accounting for 80% of India's 1.2 billion population, the worship of the cattle creates a contentious issue. With only about 3000 cowsheds in the country, intended for the care and housing of old and infirmed cattle, there are obviously millions wandering the country digging through farmers' fields destroying their crops or garbage piles for food. Even though Hinduism is considered a peaceful, harmonious religion that promotes the idea of non-violence, over the past 6 years 45 people responsible for the processing of beef, transport of cattle or related activities have been killed by far-right factions trying to protect their sacred cows.

Politicians running for the next election have promised to build more cow sheds, unwilling/unable to address the problem in any other manner.

Departing Agra the following day, we stopped at the 9th-century Stepwell Chand Baori. The elaborately constructed 3500 narrow steps are arranged symmetrically descending about 64 feet. Built in the dry zone of Rajasthan, it provided water throughout the year.

Upon entering the Rajasthan state, we started seeing a number of unique vehicles, known as jugaads. The low-cost vehicles constructed from parts of multiple engines and body parts are not legally considered roadworthy, but within small villages, they are not only allowed but become a primary source of transportation, not only for the owners but as a cheap collectivos (or shared taxi).

A jugaad taxi spotted near Bhula Raoji

A traditional Rajasthani lunch was next on our agenda. At the DhularGarh Heritage Hotel in the little village of Dhula Raoji, we were greeted by the general manager who led us to a dining room where we were the only customers. A few minutes later large platters of a variety of vegetarian dishes accompanied by bowls of rice were served. Though we didn't have the names for any of the foods we were eating, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Following the lunch, the manager provided a tour of the hotel which had previously been a palace. Stately peacocks strutted around the property. In fact, the whole village used to be part of the palace grounds and large walls surround the area. Our host had grown up on the property, his father had been a teacher to the prince. When royalty was abolished in 1950, the royal families still owned the properties they had held before, they just lost any political power. After our hotel tour, we climbed aboard a camel pulled cart and took a brief ride through the village and out to a surrounding desert area. Children chased after the cart waving and smiling as they ran behind. As during our visit to the Far East, our white skin was an anomaly and many of the children have never seen Caucasians. Our driver, Dinesh, recounted a story from his youth when he met his first white person, a visitor who came to the school he attended and passed out pencils. The previous day we had given some pens to a young girl making cow patties alongside the road, he shared that it was something she would probably always remember.

Next, we headed onward to Jaipur.