India Part II: Excursions
Ahmedabad was our home base for five weeks, but we couldn't resist venturing out to see more of this incredible country! From mountain climbing in Rajasthan to sunrise at the Taj Mahal, here's a look at our adventures beyond the city.
Climbing and Hiking at Mount Abu, Rajasthan
We took a trip with Asha's twin cousins and their family to Mount Abu, a hill station in the neighboring state of Rajasthan. It sits in the Aravalli mountains, which are known for their scenic hiking trails, Nakki Lake, and temples. We drove the 4 hours to the small town, and on the way in we were greeted by tons of monkeys, a couple of whom climbed right onto the car!! We walked through the market and then it was time to rest at the hostel. Once the sun went down it got very cold, and since we were a bit congested, we took it easy and called it an early night.
After a good night's rest, we woke up ready to explore. We did a morning rock climbing session with instructors from the nearby mountaineering school. We learned the basics of rope tying, how to coordinate our legs and arms on the rock, and then how to rappel down! Asha and her cousins got the hang of it after some practice and enjoyed climbing up the big rock slabs.
Next we hiked to Toad Rock. Can you guess why it's called Toad Rock?! It's a colossal rock formation that looks just like a toad about to jump into Nakki Lake. After climbing the steps, we took in the view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. It was a warm, clear afternoon and we enjoyed basking in the sun!
In the afternoon we visited three different temple sites. First, we learned about the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual community whose followers wear all white as a symbol of purity, and took a quick tour of their Peace Hall.
We also visited the Dilwara Temples, built of white marble between the 11th and 16th centuries for followers of Jainism. Jainism is one of India's oldest religions, dating back about 2,500 years, and its followers keep a special diet. We saw signs and menus at restaurants offering a "Jain diet," which is vegetarian and also excludes root vegetables, so no garlic, onions, or potatoes. This comes from the principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence, even toward the tiny organisms in the soil that could be harmed when root vegetables are pulled from the ground.
We were absolutely mesmerized by the beauty of this temple and the work it must have taken to build it. The marble is so intricately carved. This was a true wow moment of the trip! Photos are not allowed so this one if from the internet.
Our last stop was the Guru Dattatreya temple at Guru Shikhar, the highest point of the Aravalli range at just over 1,700 meters. We climbed the 750 steps, passing souvenir and snack stalls along the way, and reached the top just before sunset. We could see the landscape stretched out against the clear blue sky. Asha rang the bell at the top, which serves as a reminder of mindfulness and peace.
We ended this full day with dinner at the hotel and then got cozy under the blankets. We returned to Ahmedabad the next day and chilled at home for the rest of the afternoon!
Shopping, Forts and Sundials in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Next up was a trip to Jaipur, the famous "Pink City" with family. Our first stop was the Hawa Mahal, the "Palace of Winds." Built in 1799, its honeycomb façade has 953 small windows that allowed royal women to watch street life below without being seen.
The bazaars around it were a feast for the eyes, and of course we did some shopping. We loved touring the sari shops, filled floor to ceiling with beautiful silks and cottons in countless patterns and every level of fanciness. We followed our noses into the many Indian sweet shops and tried all kinds of beautiful treats, both savory and sweet.
We then visited Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory completed in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's home to the world's largest stone sundial, which can tell time to within about two seconds! We put it to the test. We stood at the base, covered our iPhones and watches, and did the calculations ourselves, counting the markings on the dial where the shadow fell. We were right on the money! We were all amazed by the accuracy of this instrument built nearly 300 centuries ago!
We also stopped at Panna Meena ka Kund, a 16th-century stepwell with criss-crossing staircases on all sides that once collected precious rainwater. Stepwells weren't just for fetching water. The deep, shaded steps stayed cool, so they were also a place for locals and travelers to rest and gather in the desert heat. We sat along it's edge and imagined what it must have been like to come here each day for water. It was so fun to see it in person after seeing so many pictures!
Then it was on to Amber Fort, perched on a hill above Maota Lake. Its grandeur took our breath away! Raja Man Singh I began building it in 1592, and as a general in the Mughal Emperor Akbar's army, he blended Hindu Rajput and Mughal styles into its massive gates, courtyards, and palaces. Amber was the royal capital until the rulers moved down to the newly built city of Jaipur in 1727. Our favorite spot was the Sheesh Mahal, or mirror palace, where thousands of tiny mirrors cover the walls and ceilings. It's said that a single candle could make the whole room sparkle like a starry sky!
We stayed for the evening light and sound show, which told the fort's history as the walls lit up in color.
We wrapped up our time in Jaipur with a traditional thali dinner at Sri Moturam Prasadam, an all-vegetarian restaurant known for its giant thali of more than 30 dishes! Plate after plate kept coming: breads, dals, curries, rice, chutneys, and of course sweets. We rolled out of there with very full bellies!
The Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh
No trip to India would be complete without the Taj Mahal! Before the main event, we visited the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, nicknamed the "Baby Taj." Built in the 1620s by Empress Nur Jahan for her father, it was the first Mughal tomb made entirely of white marble with inlaid stone, and it's often called a draft of the Taj Mahal. We were so impressed by this beautiful structure and its peaceful gardens that we couldn't imagine what awaited us the next day at the real thing!
The next morning we were up before dawn for a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan built it as a mausoleum for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and it took over 20 years to complete. Watching the Taj Mahal slowly emerge as the morning fog lifted is a sight we'll never forget! The marble is known to change color throughout the day, from soft pink at sunrise to bright white at midday and golden at sunset. For us, it appeared like a dream out of the mist.
Standing inside, we were mesmerized by its sheer size and couldn't stop thinking about how every bit of it was built by hand. More than 20,000 artisans are said to have worked on it, with elephants hauling the marble and stone. We were awed by the exquisite white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones that seemed to glow when light was shone on them. This inlay technique is known in India as parchin kari, and the craft is still practiced by artisans in Agra today. The Taj Mahal was even more stunning in person than we had imagined!
The Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat
Back in Gujarat, we visited the Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world at 182 meters, almost twice the height of the Statue of Liberty! It honors Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a leader of India's independence movement who helped unite the country's princely states after 1947.
We enjoyed the large visitor center, which detailed the statue's design and the impressive engineering it took to build it. Then we zipped up in an elevator to the viewing gallery, tucked inside Sardar Patel's chest 153 meters up, and peeked out over the Narmada River and the surrounding hills. In the evening, we watched a light show projected onto the statue that told the story of Patel's life and India's fight for independence. What an inspiring way to end the day!
The Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Our last big excursion took us to Maharashtra to see two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. At Ajanta, around 30 Buddhist caves were carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff beginning in the 2nd century BCE, and many still hold their original painted murals.
At Ellora, 34 caves span Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions side by side. The showstopper is the Kailasa Temple, carved from the top down out of a single piece of rock! It was hard to believe that all of this was carved out by hand, with nothing but hammers and chisels. It was a scorching hot day, so we were grateful that the caves stayed nice and cool inside. They were the perfect place to retreat from the heat as we explored!
Old Historic Ahmedabad, Gujarat
While we didn't need to leave the state for this one, we did travel back in time with a visit to the historic old city of Ahmedabad, India's first UNESCO World Heritage City. We're grateful to our family visiting from the US for letting us tag along on their tour! Old Ahmedabad is a walled city founded by Ahmad Shah I in 1411. It still has many of its original gates, along with important Islamic and Hindu landmarks. We explored the old commercial neighborhoods and traditional housing, and even got to see where our family grew up!
Next up: our last weeks in Ahmedabad and saying goodbye to family...
