Jaipur

 After we visited Agra, we traveled by train to Jaipur. There was a lot of neat of stuff in Jaipur, awesome forts, a cannon that is considered by many people to be the largest in the world, intricately designed palaces, and India's largest historical armory. We also got to ride on elephants in Jaipur! We got a pretty decent hotel in Jaipur, and enjoyed the fact that it had a pool. For more information on what we did in Jaipur, click on the following links:
http://christopherinafrica.blogspot.ca/2014/03/weapons-galore_6.html
http://christopherinafrica.blogspot.ca/2014/03/the-wind-and-water-palaces.html
christopherinafrica.blogspot.ca/2014/03/jaigarh-fortress-home-of-jaivana.html
http://christopherinafrica.blogspot.ca/2014/03/amber-fortress.html
http://christopherinafrica.blogspot.ca/2014/03/feeding-elephants.html

Feeding Elephants

After we rode on elephants at Amber, we went to a different place in Jaipur where you feed elephants (you could also ride them, but we skipped that because we already had at Amber). The elephants were all very friendly, except for a male the Indians told us to stay away from. The caretakers for the elephants gave us sorghum stalks to feed the elephants. Some of the thicker stalks I could barely break over my knee, however the elephants could crush a stack of twenty of them using only their jaws. We never really think of elephants as having potentially dangerous jaws, but believe me, the way they crushed those sorghum stalks, they could break bones with their mouths. Elephants have really tough, leathery hides, that have to be at least a centimeter thick. No wonder Indian civilizations in the past used them as steads of war. A common siege tactic in past Indian warfare was to strap metal plates on the elephants wide heads and have them try to batter down the gates of the fortress being attacked. As a result, at least on of the archaic strongholds we visited had long, dagger-like blades fastened to its gate to keep charging elephants at bay. After the elephants had finished the stalks of sorghum we gave them, they would wave their trunks around us in a comical way, looking for more food we might possibly be hiding from them. Feeding and observing these Indian elephants  was a very unique experience I'll never forget.

Me next to an Indian elephant.

The Wind And The Water Palaces

The Palace of the Winds, or Hawa Mahal, is an amazing example of Indian architecture. It is visible from across the busy street, and rises five stories above it. Its front is covered in scores, perhaps even hundreds of ornate windows. It's built out of red and pink sandstone and is connected to the City Palace, home of the largest historical armory in India. The Water Palace, true to its name, is in the middle of a lake. Some ancient ruler built, I'm guessing he built it in the lake so that it would be cooler. Both palaces were very amazing feats of architecture, especially since they were built before cranes and other modern machines.

The Water Palace.

Us standing in front of the lake that holds the Water Palace.

Close-up view of the windows on the Wind Palace.

The Wind Palace viewed from across the street.

Jaigarh Fortress, Home of Jaivana

Side view of Jaivana.

Jaivana viewed from the front.

After we visited Amber fortress, we saw Jaigarh fortress. Jaigarh is home to Jaivana, one of the worlds largest cannons. Jaivana was only used once, however when it was fired it covered a distance of 35 kilometres! It uses a shot that weighs 50 kilos! Although I don't believe it, legend says that the impression that the shot left created a pond that can still be seen today. Jaigarh fortress was never attacked, so Jaivana was never used. However, I can only imagine how much damage it would have caused had it been used on an invading army. It would have gotten pretty expensive if you used Jaivana several times, shooting off all that metal! Jaigarh fortress was pretty neat too. It had a armory, and other interesting stuff.

Amber Fortress

Yup, another fortress. But our mode of transportation to get into this fortress topped them all. Normally we just walked into a fortress, but here we rode on elephants into the fort! Amber fortress is on top of a large, steep hill, and has a winding road leading up to it. Our taxi driver dropped us of at the bottom of the hill, where elephants and their drivers were milling around. All the owners of the elephants belonged to the same group, or corporation of elephant owners that give rides on their animals for a fixed price. Once we had chosen a elephant (or maybe they chose one for us, I can't remember) we climbed up this staircase to get on the elephant's back. It was literally just a staircase in the middle of the parking lot- or what ever you want to call it- with a drop-of at the end. So, once we had climbed the stairs, we got on a basket on top of the elephant. I was on a elephant with my sister and mother, my dad and my brother were another elephant. The road that winds it's way up to Amber fortress has a wall on the side facing away from the fort, probably to keep carts and elephants and other types of transportation from falling of the sheer, cliff-like drop below. Elephants sway from side to side- unlike camels, who sway back and forth. As our elephant ambled up the road, it brushed against the wall, and, as it swayed to the left, tipped the basket we were sitting in so that it was almost hanging over the wall and gave us a dizzying look at the fifty-foot drop below us. It was pretty freaky- feeling, like you were getting tipped off a cliff. Thankfully our ride soon decided to walk more in the middle of road, and we got to the top of Amber fortress without further incidence. To get off the elephant we went through a similar procedure as we did to get of off of the it. Getting off of  a elephant could be compared to getting off of a boat- like a boat, the elephant sways and moves about as you're getting off it, and the stairs we stepped onto could be compared to a dock. After we said goodbye to our mounts, we went to a ticket window to buy passes into the palace part of Amber (the courtyard where we were dropped off by our elephant riders was open to everyone, but a small fee was required to get into the main part of the fort). The palace was amazing. The wealth in the palaces of India surpasses almost anything else I have ever seen. The palace walls inside Amber fortress were beautifully painted, and had gold leaf on several spots. Underneath the grounds of Amber fortress, a tunnel led to Jaigarh fortress, just a a couple of kilometers away. Amber fortress was another amazing India experience.

An Indian elephant and his rider at Amber, notice how decorated the elephants trunk and head are.

Me and my Dad and siblings in the palace of Amber fortress

The palace garden.

Me next to a Indian elephant (note, this picture was not taken at Amber).

Weapons Galore

A Katar.

One of Jaipur's highlights for me, was the Weaponry Museum. The largest in all India, it had weapons of  all types, Katars, Khandas, daggers, crossbows, wickedly curved swords, straight swords, pistols, rifles, and all types of other neat weapons. About half of the weapons were ornately decorated with precious gems, or coated in gold or silver. I felt like a little boy in a toy store- I wanted to pick everything up and "play" with it.

More weapons at the art museum.

A collection of swords at the museum, the one in the middle is a Khanda.

Our Indian Car Experience

From Agra, we rented a car to Jaipur, and had some stops along the way. Our first stop was a old, deserted citadel. It had been built by a ruler of the Mughal empire, and was positioned in the middle of a barren, waterless wasteland. Ironically, as soon as the ruler died, the city was deserted because of the lack of water. Apparently the ruler of the empire had envisioned this city in the desert, and once it was completed he forced everyone to live there. Thus, when he died, everyone just left the city, which had only been occupied for seven years. One of the interesting myths surrounding the city, was that a tunnel connected it with Agra fortress. Our guide showed us the entrance to the tunnel, and had us put our hands near a hole in the stone and feel the cool air coming from underground. Of course, who knows whether or not the tunnel led to Agra fortress. The palace was amazing, however, since my memory is somewhat fuzzy (plus the fact that architecture doesn't interest me quite as much as military does) I can't remember much about it. Mainly I just remember how artistic everything was. One part of the palace that I do remember though, is a large courtyard where the emperor killed his prisoners by having wild elephants stomp them to death. Another memorable part, was a large floor for playing a Indian game. It was like a life-sized chessboard, except a hundred times larger. The king apparently used concubines from his harem as playing pieces. He would just sit on his throne and play against a official or someone else who was important, calling out to the players where to move. After we had viewed the ghost-town, we all piled into the car again, thankful that it had AC.

Part of the palace in the deserted city.

One of the buildings in the palace, Sarah, my little sister, is sitting on it's porch.

Our second stop was a ancient step-well that was built over a thousand years ago, so that the people had a source of water. It was a square shape, with staircases running down all the sides. Evening was approaching as we got back in the taxi again. It was amazing how many old strongholds we saw as we drove through Rajasthan (we had started out in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where Agra is located, but at the end of our drive we were in the state of Rajasthan, where Jaipur is located). Ancient fortresses dotted the landscape of Rajasthan, and I developed an itch to explore them. Another new thing we saw during our drive was wild peacocks. Overall our car ride was enjoyable, and it gave us a chance to see the rural side of India.

Me and my siblings in front of the step-well.

Agra Fortress

An ornately decorated fountain in the palace of Agra fortress.

Sarah feeding a chipmunk.

This deserted temple (I'm assuming that's what it is) was on the banks of the river that flows past the Taj Mahal and Agra fortress.

Agra fortress- home of Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal- seems impregnable when viewed from the outside. Once you have passed through the two outer gates, you enter the fortress... almost. After passing underneath the arch of the second gate, you find yourself standing on a ramp, or dug-in road. It slopes sharply upwards, leveling out with the ground at the top of a hill. The purpose of this ramp is that, even after a invading army has taken the second gate, rocks and tree trunks can be rolled down onto them as they enter the fort. Standing at the bottom of the intrenched ramp and imagining that rocks are being rolled down at you is not a very pleasant feeling. Once at the top of the ramp, you find yourself in a garden, with the palace in front of you. Sarah was given some seeds from a kind, old Indian man to feed the chipmunks that live in the garden. Once they got used to her, one of them actually ate out of her hand. Our Indian guide, whom my dad hired to show us around the fort, showed us the palace now. Just the grandeur and immensity of the place was amazing. The .Taj Mahal was visible from the emperor's chamber, so that he could view his wife's resting place from his balcony. Many cannons are visible on the wall of the fortress. Beyond the walls, two moats are visible. The guide told us that these were supposedly filled with wild animals. One was a dry moat, and inhabited by tigers, the other was once upon a time filled with water, and home to crocodiles. I enjoyed seeing Agra fortress, and I think it gave me a good introduction to Indian fortresses.

The gate of Agra fortress, notice how even the walls and towers are ornately decorated.

Me and my siblings in Agra fortress, the Taj Mahal is visible behind us.

Seeing The Taj Mahal

I look through the shimmering heat at the colossal building before me. It took 20,000 workers laboring over a period of twenty years to complete the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, ruler of the Mughal empire, built the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife in the 1600's.  The entire building is made out of expensive, white marble. The semi-precious and precious gems that decorate the Taj Mahal come from all over the world: China, different parts of Asia, even Austria! The gardens surrounding the tomb are almost as amazing as the building itself. I look longingly at the fountains and pools of water in the garden, wishing I could saturate myself and get rid of some of the heat that surrounds me. It's so hot that I feel dizzy, I have only felt this kind of heat maybe once or twice or twice before, and I feel a few degrees away from a heat stroke. An hour or so ago, we had stopped at a cafe and ordered the strawberry lemonade from the menu. We were all disgusted with it, it was salty! My dad told the staff, but told they him it was supposed to be like that. I am starting to think Indians who live in this clime might need the extra salt, I know that I am sweating A LOT right now. After showing us around the garden, our Indian guide leads us to the building itself. Since the Indians consider the Taj a holy place (it has a Mosque next to it, plus it is a tomb) we have to either put something like a bag over our shoes, or go barefoot before we can enter it, because Indians consider shoes unclean. Honestly, they have a good reason for it too: feces from human and animals litter the streets, along with dead dogs, rotten food, and a bunch of other nasty stuff I won't mention. The Taj sits on what you might call a tall platform, and we have to climb a staircase to get to the top of this.  On top of the platform, we walk underneath the immense arch of the Taj Mahal, and enter the building. We walk across a grate with a staircase underneath, which the guide informs us is the stairs to the actual resting place of Shah Jahan and his bride. A replication of the couples resting place is on the floor open to tourists, so we get to see what the ornately decorated caskets look like. As we leave the the glorious building, I pitty the peasants who had to build something so colossal, but I am glad I got to see their work of art.

The Taj Mahal viewed from across the river.

Me and my siblings in Agra fort, the Taj Mahal is visible behind us.