By Diana Britt, 9-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador, Pasadena, California
I was born traveling, as my father was a career military officer. After he retired, we didn’t do much of it, but as soon as I left home and got a job, I started taking long road trips at least once a year and going overseas when I could afford it.
My travel buddy, Kit, and I have been taking two trips a year. She’s a very old friend and has always done a lot of traveling. I’ve known her for almost 40 years, but we only started traveling about six or seven years ago when she mentioned she was going to Bhutan. I said, “Oh, may I go with you? … Please, please, please!” On that trip, we found we traveled quite well together and liked most of the same things, but we were still able to go off on our own without the other having hurt feelings.
I’ve been reluctant to go to India for a long time because I thought the crush of humanity and the widespread poverty would really get to me, but Kit wanted to go, and the lure of the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and the Ganges was very strong. I loved our drives through the countryside and was particularly struck by the brilliant saris the women wore … no matter what they were doing: A flash of scarlet in the rice fields, a brilliant acid green alongside the road collecting firewood, a hot pink cooking outside a hut. I’m an artist and I’m captivated by things like that. And going to the Taj Mahal at dawn, watching the sun rise and change the color of the marble as it did … I’ll never forget that.
I try to put together a photo blog for all of my trips upon my return. I send the links to all of my friends and relatives who I know are interested in my travels, and I post a link on Facebook so anybody I didn’t send the blog to can look if they’d like. Here are some of my photos and thoughts from my photo blog about my adventure to India. I hope it helps to capture some of the wonderful sights I encountered along the way …
The exterior wall of the 1656 Jama Masjid in Delhi. Also called the “Friday Mosque,” it’s the largest mosque in India and was built by Shah Jahan—who is better known for building the Taj Mahal. I’m always looking for unusual shots when I’m taking photographs. This image was captured as I leaned over the railing to take a shot of the exterior. It also shows the gorgeous red sandstone this mosque was built from and the beautiful detailing of both the exterior of the mosque and its graceful interior.
Construction of the Qutab Minar in Delhi—a towering minaret inspired by one in Afghanistan (and intended to surpass it)—began in 1193. The first Muslim ruler of Delhi was only able to complete the base before his death. A number of his successors continued the construction, each adding their own twists. The entire complex was built on the ruins of a complex that originally included 27 Hindu temples, which were razed and their materials used for construction of the later monument. These beautiful Hindu columns are an example of that reuse. I like the irregularity of the columns caused by the use of bits and pieces of the earlier ruins, so that no two are remotely alike.
A musician playing a traditional instrument. He was in the courtyard of one of those amazing places OAT always seems to come up with when you’re on the road in the middle of seeming nowhere. I love his face and the brilliant color of his costume and headcloth against the more subdued color of the marble and mosaic paving on which he sits.
Children at a school supported by Grand Circle Foundation on the road between Jaipur and Ranthambore. I think these young girls are so beautiful, and I love the little girl on the left, who has hung a lotus—made from ribbon by one of my fellow travelers—from her ear and is obviously pleased by her own cleverness!
I photographed these women on the road from Jaipur to Ranthambore, where they were collecting wood. Though obviously not well off, they have lovely faces and are beautifully dressed. Many people I have talked to say they could never travel to India because they would find the poverty too depressing. Certainly, there is plenty of poverty there, but as you can see from these women, they are far from objects of pity; to me, they radiate dignity.
A handsome camel pulling a cart along the road from Jaipur. This is the only part of India where we saw camels decorated this way. The decoration is done with paint or chalk. Doesn’t he look proud of his elegant paint job?
Taken on the Ganges in Varanasi (formerly Benares), one of the holiest cities in India. Indian Hindus believe that if they die in Varanasi, they will break the endless cycle of reincarnation, so many elderly or sick come here to live towards the end of their lives in order to die here. When people die, they are brought within hours to one of the places along the river where funerals are conducted. Everyone is cremated here and funeral pyres burn 24 hours a day. We went out on the Ganges to see the nightly ceremony, the highly-lit area in the background, of “putting the Ganges to bed.” This shot shows small boats for hire and was taken in the waning light as we pulled away from the ceremony on our way upriver to see the funeral pyres.
A river boat similar to the one we were aboard for a 3-day cruise along the canals in Cochin. This is a very tropical area of India, as you can see from the vegetation along the canal bank, but there’s a nice breeze when the boats are moving and they have very comfortable sleeping quarters. The canals are extensive in this area, and studded with small settlements and houses along the way. This particular post-trip was a wonderful way to wind down from the brisk pace of the main part of the trip. I love the smooth reflection of the river boat in the water in this photograph, which suggests the leisurely pace, and little details like the whimsical pink-pleated paper sun in the upper deck and the graceful window surrounds.
Detail of the Amber Fort, showing part of its Hall of Mirrors, inlaid with bits of mercury-backed mirrors. The legend is that a single candle, reflected in thousands of tiny mirrors, was sufficient to light the hall. I like this particular photograph because it shows not only the mirror inlay, but colored stone inlay and delicate sepia-toned painting on the plasterwork surrounding the graceful doorway, the shape of which is echoed in the further archway and the window at the end of the corridor.
A group of women walking along the road near Ranthambore. All show the exquisite eye for color and pattern Indian women display regardless of their station in life. Look at the ruffle at the bottom of the acid-green skirt on the left, and the bold mix of red and yellow in the woman on the right. This photograph was taken later in the day, so they were probably all returning from working in the fields, but they still have a few smiles to bestow.
Experience the beautiful colors of India—and more—on our Heart of India adventure.