The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle circuit in India includes Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. It usually takes about seven to eight days to complete the trip. I had only four days. To see nearly everything, I was on the road by 6am. The cities are about four to six hours apart from each other. I have posted quick summaries, pictures and videos below that will give you a better glimpse into my golden triangle adventures.

Delhi

The first stop was New Delhi where I was able to visit the National Gandhi Museum. This place was peaceful and serene. The site of the museum is where Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life before being assassinated. A small monument is built on the spot where he was shot and killed. I really enjoyed visiting the museum and learning more about Gandhi.

I also saw the India Gate, but to be honest, I did not know what the big deal was. Later I learned that it is the largest war memorial in India and the national monument of India. Considering how hard India fought for its independence from the British, its size is very appropriate.

Delhi: Gandhi Museum

Jaipur “The Pink City”

The second stop on my tour was Jaipur where I got to see the Jaigarh Fort and the City Palace. The Jaigarh Fort was built between the 15^th and 18^th centuries. The main highlight of the fort is the Jaivan Cannon. According to one of the guards that I spoke to at the fort, the cannon is supposedly the largest cannon in the world. Frankly, I didn’t care too much for the cannon. All I could think was, “Great, another massive weapon to kill people.” The guard, however, seemed very proud of the cannon. I took pictures for my father. He likes that kind of stuff. Personally, I preferred the scenic views from the fort.

The fort as a structure is beautiful. The colors of the walls are a rustic red and orange that look absolutely stunning from afar. I had a lot of fun taking pictures at this fort. There were little nooks around the walls. It took a few shots to realize that the cute nooks were used by soldiers to shoot their rifles. See the pictures for yourself and let me know what you think.

The City Palace is a major tourist attraction in Jaipur. There are many buildings within the palace and not all of them are open to the public. The palace was beautiful. My driver, Mr. Singh, had a great time taking pictures for me and of me. I was very amused as he stopped and decided where I should pose for a picture. There really isn’t much more to say about the fort or the palace. I think the pictures will do the talking. Also, you can see me talking in brief clip below of the drive into Jaipur.

To learn more about Jaipur, click here http://www.jaipur.org.uk/index.html

Jaipur: Jaigarh Fort

Jaipur: City Palace

Agra

The third stop was Agra. The main attraction here was the Taj Mahal. This beautiful tomb is located in one of India’s northern states, Uttar Pradash. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Do you know why she was his favorite wife? The rumor is that she was the only one that gave him children. But the crazy part is that the Taj is her tomb. It also holds the remains of the emperor. No one ever lived there. It serves no purpose other than to bring in tourists and hold the remains of the emperors favorite dead wife. I realize that I may sound a bit callous, but still. It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal and it is a tomb. That said, the Taj is beautiful and the craftsmanship is incomparable to anything else I have ever seen. Well almost. Nearly one hundred years before, Agra Fort was built and the palace and mosque withing the fort also had very similar craftsmanship. The most amazing part is the skill and patience it took to cut and lay the jewels into the white marble that makes up the Taj Mahal. The architecture is quite remarkable. I tried to take lots pictures with details so that you can see that it is not all just white marble.

I was happy that I made it to the Taj. It was a dream come true. Although I was not completely blown away by what I saw, the journey to the Taj made it a memorable and unique experience. See the clip below and meet my tour guide, Raj.

Diana at the Taj Mahal