India: Land of Smile and Happiness

Hello everyone! Welcome to my new post! Finally it’s time to sum up the impressions about India. Many of you sent me the messages of support and tips when you saw on Instagram famous hashtag #IncredibleIndia. I must admit this was my the most difficult task so far as a blogger in my career. Frankly, there is not enough words to describe a country like India. People who were in this country loved it at a very first sight, that was also and my case. I felt in love with India when I step out of plane. My first thought about India was “Hey guys look those smiles around me!”. People on the streets in India are delighted to always find the reasons to be happy even when they have enough reasons like all other people on the planet to be sad. I would use a special opportunity at the beginning of this post to say thank you to the Indian Tourist Board – Incredible India and as well as staff from Maharaja’s Express. Thank you guys!

What is Happiness? How you can find some ways to come out with the stress? Answers to these very interesting questions, and at the same time, the most difficult things in life can be easily found in India. When I saw that I have chance to participate in the “Great Indian Blog Train” adventure, my first association for India was SUN. This was my perfect chance to get out of town and to jump into some early spring days in India. I think that was my best decision I could have made! Well, let’s start with the adventure!

Delhi has welcomed me with “open arms” at some time of the night, when the normal people are sleeping so tight. The smiling faces of the policemen at the airport and workers on visa department made that all my fatigue after a long journey has just disappeared. They do everything so fast and I was so happy when I realised that I have finished everything on the airport for less than half of hour!

The first mission is over! Little Marko found his way to India and it’s time to start an adventure. The car ride was magical, although it was very foggy weather I managed to see how Delhi looks at night. I was fortunate enough not to fall asleep, but the fatigue had done its job and my two-hour sleep ended the phone’s sound because they calling to go in the bus and to start a day tour with my colleagues bloggers!

Sunny and nice day, short sleeve shirt… that’s a typical february’s afternoon in Delhi! Traffic jams are sometimes more than welcomed so you have the opportunity to enjoy the view. Yeah, I know it’s not very interesting to a person who is living in that city, but to me as a tourist I think it’s great! ?

The day was pretty exciting, we learned some new interesting things about Delhi. I must praise our guide, a modern woman with traditional values. She struggled in an interesting way to show us life in India through the story of her family’s life. Imagine that the husband with whom you need to spend the rest of your life, you will meet for the very first time after you say the famous YES! She was very interesting and we had amazing time with her!

Her mother had seen her husband, a couple of hours before the wedding, which had fallen apparently overwhelmed by excessive excitement, she said to herself, “Well, he is nice, I think I will manage some nice life with him!”. Today is a little different in India, marriages still contract in advance, but men and women have the right get acquainted before they can even think about marriage. No marriage, if an astrologer can’t see that the stars of future partners are not connected! It’s really an interesting culture. In India a low divorce rate is really low, maybe we could learn some from them. 🙂

India is a vey special country. Their culture, tradition and religion are unique. The temples are very preserved, the remains of some temples are still magnificent. Some things just can’t be described by words, it’s necessary to go there and to make some final judgment about it. I’m sure you will have the best time of your life!

Since this was my first contact with Asia and India is the first country I have visited in Asia, it’s all new and exciting for me. In India, the guest is considered a kind of deity and for them the guest is a real God. They respect visitors and they are wonderful hosts.

The architecture is very specific. In every town you will find at least one building that will remind you of another country, but in most cases you will be enchanted by their architecture.

My childhood’s dream was to visit Taj Mahal and my dream came true. It’s a simple piece of art that you have to see and explore, it can’t be just captured on someone’s photo or some magnet… The Taj Mahal must be felt in live! As I wrote at the very beginning I’m still under the impression!

The building that you see on the picture above is similar to Taj Mahal, for a long time it was considered that the Taj is the replica of this building, but of course it’s not. After many years of study, it has been proven that these two buildings have some similarities, but that they are not the same. Taj Mahal was included on the list of 7 World Wonders, and this tomb became her “twin red sister” in Delhi. Interestingly, the Taj Mahal is twice as large as this tomb and that a few arches and certain details are a bit different.

These types of tombs are the eternal homes of Indian Maharajas and their beautiful wives. The tombs received a new, totally different artistic note. In addition to having the opportunity to enjoy peace and tranquility, you also have the opportunity to feel the beauty and luxury that maharajas had during their lives, which their eternal homes only faithfully confirm. Pretty amazing!

The first day slowly came to an end, our bloggers’ stomachs were empty, just like the batteries of our cameras. To some people, this is so funny, but trust me, after you find out that your camera is off you will notice the best light moments, but what to do, that’s a life! It’s was a long blog day!

The second day was reserved for a visit to the presidential palace, the temple and, of course, the main reason we came to India – Maharaja’s Express! The train of eternal dreams!

The other day, it was interesting to me because we had the opportunity to enjoy in ride with Tuk Tuk. I’ve seen it in some other countries, modern versions of that vehicle, but in India, Tuk Tuk is the type of transportation that you have to use, you just need to be very careful when driving and keeping your things safe not just about stealing, but also because of the ability to ruin your own devices like camera or mobile by yourself while driving around the town.

One thing you will simply have to get used to in the old part of New Delhi is TRAFFIC JAM. The old part was not built for today’s conditions: narrow streets, there was no electricity in that time and all other installations are subsequently installed. In the end, all this is irrelevant, you have the opportunity to see the real India. It was so interesting and on some these photos you will see what I’m talking about! This is a real adventure!

Maybe we are miles apart, maybe our religion is different, the color of the skin, but be sure that the emotions are something that connect us. We all have the same or similar reactions to happiness or sorrow, emotions don’t know the boundaries and language barriers. The picture above just shows how similar we are. Try to make a similar picture somewhere in the world and you will see that there is no difference. In the end, we are all human beings. Am I right?

Religion takes a special place in lives of Indian people. When you’re entering the temple you must be barefoot and have a scarf on your head whether you are a woman or a man the rules are the same. Of course, as with all other bloggers, it was a problem to understand prayer, but they had understanding, so they translated their pre-recorded prayers into English so we could follow the prayer on special screens with English titles. At first you will not have any sense of the Indian language, but after a while you will understand in fact how much it is a melodious and beautiful language.

In this complex beside this temple there was a kitchen that is open to anyone who is hungry regardless of class. Whether you are poor, you have some work to or rich, this kitchen is open for everyone. You can make meals for others or just be a user of the cuisine, I have had fun with my colleagues while we were helping people in the kitchen to make meals. The feeling was fantastic! I have to thank my mom who taught me how to cook! ? Thanks mom you’re the best!

We had such a good time in the kitchen, talked to the people who work there every day, as well as with the volunteers who came to help. It’s always fun to work in the company, some were singing. The atmosphere was fantastic, but since our hands were in the dough, we did not care about the cameras. The goal was to make as many meals as possible. Working in the kitchen was fun, but the organizers interrupted us because it was time to move on, and we “broke through” all the allowed time. In the picture above you see how it looks like a typical afternoon in the old part of Delhi. If you plan to arrive somewhere in time, plan to go 3 to 4 hours earlier! I’m serious! We spent almost 3 hours on the bus, fortunately we were not late for the train!

It’s time to start our journey on a famous train of eternal dreams – Maharaja’s Express. This train is one of four special luxury trains in India. We had the opportunity to go on their program called “Indian Panorama” and last for 8 days. It was also my first trip by a train of this type. You always have special welcome, and officially our blog train adventure has started!

First stop: JAIPUR

Morning… breakfast time, and I’m not even aware of where I am, I didn’t sleep for the excitement all the night before, because I sleep on the train for the first time, man! None of us have slept!

Jaipur is the first city on our journey. Jaipur is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan, withthe population slightly less than 2.5 million people. Jaipur is also famous as a Pink City, this nickname is because the Maharaja Singh Man Sing II ordered in 1876 that, in honor of the arrival of the prince of Wales, each house of Jaipur must be painted in pink color. Today, the city is saving its symbol – pink facades. There are a couple of sights you can’t miss to visit in Jaipur, and one of them is the Hava Mahal – the Palace of Winds, one of the most famous attractions in Jaipur.

We had the opportunity to join the parade that was on that day. People on the streets were so happy, so many colors in one place I haven’t had the opportunity to see in my life before. The people were so wonderful to us that they greeted us happily and even slowed the procession to make pictures in front of the famous Palace of Winds (Hava Mahal) with these joyful flags. That day in Jaipur everything was free: food on the streets, ice cream, sweets, popcorn… A day to remember!

Since we had to hurry because of the schedule, we had to leave the parade and enter our blogging bus to continue the way to Amber Fortress. It is decorated with ivory, glass and valuable paintings, and when you look out from the Delhi-Jaipur highway to the lake below it, you will notice the famous temple of Jay Mandir, with accompanying buildings like Shish Mahal, surrounded by walls with mirrors. It was built in the 16th century by Maharaja Man Sing II.

We briefly jumped into special jeeps and started exploring all the beauty of the famous beauty of the Amber fort.

The day was beautiful just created for taking of photos! In the picture above, you have the opportunity to see the motorized version of the vehicle Tuk Tuk, about which I wrote you a while ago. ?

The Amber Palace is famous for its mixture of Hindu and Islamic architecture. Amber Palace complex itself is made up of gardens, shops for public and court private audiences and harems. The Jaigara fort is located on a hill just above the Amber Palace. It has a huge collection of medieval cannons, one of which is considered the world’s largest cannon on wheels. Very interesting, isn’t it?! As you can see from the photo, a smile has not come down and now when I’m writing this post through my head pass all the funniest moments when my colleagues and I were researching this beautiful palace and where we made all these beautiful photos! ?

The view from the palace is absolutely wonderful! A breath-taking landscape.

Here is the proof how little Marko looks when he sees good pictures on his camera! I forgot to say that during the whole time we had a photographer who was there to record some of our “moments” of blogging enthusiasm. This is my moment of bliss when I see that I have enough images and more than half of the battery! Show must go on! 😀

Jal Mahal – Waterfall Palace located in the centre of Lake Man Sagar. No one knows when exactly this palace was built, and people assume that the Jal Mahal palace is at least 300 years old since it was certainly built before the dam that is now located on the lake itself. The first four floors of the palace are flooded, and when the water level is very high, only the last floor of the palace is visible above the surface. The palace is partially renovated for visitors, considering the possibility of being converted into a luxury hotel. I think it will be a unique hotel in India and also in the world! ?

This is just one of the examples of street food in which you can enjoy, without fear of getting a stomach virus. ?

Jaipur was the first city on our journey. He fulfilled all my expectations, there was time for everything! We’ve learned something new, and as you can see in the photos, there was time for nice shoots and with the smile on the face and cameras with full memory card of amazing photos and wonderful memories we were leaving this beautiful city. Bye Jaipur! See you soon!

I also found nice places for me to make some nice photos of me, just to show my grandchildren that I visited a beautiful Indian city, such as Jaipur.

The first day at Maharaja Express ends here! I sincerely hope you enjoyed and learned something new. Next week, I’m taking you on safari to Ranthambore National Park and a city that has filled up all my dreams – Agra! See you next week!

I would like to hear your impressions, if you have any questions or comments please write me down below in the comments.

Best,

Mr.M

This series of posts from India is sponsored by the India Tourist Board and Maharaja’s Express. Thanks to my friends from Sony, I have a new toy – RX 100 Mark V camera.