India Top Ten

After spending many hours sorting my photos, I decided the best way to sum up our trip is to limit it to my ten favorite sites and ten things that surprised me about India. I'll start with my top ten best India moments. 

1. Taj Mahal
I was concerned that the Taj Mahal would be overhyped and may not be as impressive in person. I had no need to worry because it was amazing. The grounds are very large so even though there were a ton of people we didn't feel crammed. It is clean, beautiful, and huge with the most impressive mosaics I've seen. 

2. Sunrise Hindu Ceremony
One morning in Varanasi we got up at 5am to watch a ceremony that is performed twice daily (sunrise and sunset). Young women from a religious school chanted while young men from the school performed the different stages of the ceremony, most involving fire or smoke. It was beautiful and fascinating to watch. Our guide told us that this is a fairly new ceremony so I couldn't find any more information about it.

3. Boat Tour on Ganges
After the morning ceremony, we took a boat to the northern end of Varanasi. We got our first look at the burning ghat where Hindus are cremated. We were so fascinated by what we saw that we decided to walk to the burning ghat for a closer look later that day. Photos are not allowed at the burning ghat but anyone is allowed to walk through the area. The burning ghat is especially sacred as it is believed that people who are cremated there will be released from the cycle of reincarnation. Male mourners carry the body wrapped in orange fabric to the ghat where the workers place the body in the Ganges river before placing it on one of the many fires. It was a solemn experience to see how other cultures handle end of life for loved ones. 

4. Varanasi Street Food
On our guided tour of Varanasi we stopped for breakfast at a stall full of locals. We tried this vegetarian dish with bread that was delicious and then had a dessert called jelebe, which was a crisp, fried sweet filled with a syrup. Also in Varanasi is a delicious lassi place where we tried apple pomegranate, strawberry banana, and banana chocolate coconut.  

5. Mumbai
I love big cities and Mumbai was no exception. The architecture was incredible, the shopping was excellent, and the city had a busy vibe that was energizing. I was surprised to read that Mumbai doesn't see much tourism, especially from foreign visitors. 

6. Ranakpur Temple
This Jain temple in Rajasthan was built in the 15th century as a show of devotion to Adinath, the founder of the Jain religion. The temple is named after the provincial monarch who supported the project. The temple is massive with 80 domes and 1,444 individually engraved pillars. Our audio guide mentioned that if you crawl between the legs of one of the carved elephants inside it would bring good things to your life. 

7. Pushkar
This town is on a holy lake and has 52 bathing ghats (a ghat is a flight of steps leading to the water). Even though the main streets were busy with people, some of the areas around the lake were peaceful and we were able to sit and enjoy the beautiful view. 

8. The Great Kebab Factory
We mostly ate vegetarian dishes while in India but we went to this restaurant that was recommended by a friend. They had a set menu and brought more of whatever item you wanted. The fresh fruit with strawberry and mustard sauce, the boneless chicken, and the lentils were my personal favorites. 

9. Safari Camp
We stayed one night in a tent at a safari camp where we rode camels to watch the sunset. I really enjoyed riding a camel and thought it was a smoother ride than a horse but getting on and off was a pretty big challenge! 

After sunset, there was a performance of traditional Rajasthani dancing and music. They even got us involved and taught us some of the dances. At one point one of the dancers balanced a stack of pots on her head while dancing, standing on glass, and picked something off the ground with her teeth.

10. Forts, Forts, Forts!
We toured many forts in Rajasthan in northern India including Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer, Mehrangarh, Amber, Agra, and the Red Fort. The earliest fort was built in the 5th century and the oldest in the 18th century. Each one was different from the next: some were intricately carved, some had been used as palaces, and some had heavy walls surrounding them. I enjoyed each fort we toured and never got tired of them.