The Taj Mahal, Old Delhi, Indian Art, and More

Namaste

On Thursday (March 8^th) we woke up bright and early to go to the Taj Mahal. The line was very long, but there was lots of entertainment such as monkeys. To make things better, we also got authentic chai (Zoe is a fan). Although we missed the majority of the sunrise, we were still struck by the beauty of the Taj Mahal. The light reflects on the Taj Mahal thus it changes color throughout the day, so it was really special to be able to notice the progression throughout the day.

Before leaving we went to the Agra Fort. Inside the fort there was a small mosque tucked away in a corner, and we meditated in it for a few minutes to bring ourselves back to the present moment. This was definitely our highlight of the visit. For lunch we got to try some South Indian dishes and Limca- similar to Sprite, but better.

Yesterday (March 9^th) we toured all three museums of Sanskriti Kendra. This included textiles, terra cotta, and everyday objects. Our favorite was the terracotta museum, which had exhibits for each region of India.

Later in the day we took the metro to Old Delhi. For lunch we went to Haldiram, a popular brand with lots of great food. Our favorite part was visiting the Sikh Temple. They were very welcoming; first they showed Chris and Aidan how to correctly wear a turban, let us help them make food, and were overall very friendly. After we took a rickshaw ride to a Jain temple. The temple was also very beautiful and colorful. Then we returned to Sanskriti Kendra just in time for our meeting with Prof. Robert Thurman, a Buddhist academic. His love for his work was clear, and it was a pleasure to listen to him speak about his passion.

Today we are on our way to Dehradun. We woke up at the crack of dawn and are about two hours away from our destination.

Anya and Zoe

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