My Excellent Trip to India

by

Arjun Bahl

Preliminaries

• Length of our trip– 24 days (Dec. 29, 2001 – Jan. 21, 2002)

• Cities visited– New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra

• Money spent– Approximately $5000, not counting shopping

• Pictures taken– 84, all digital (presentation contains subset of

these)

New Delhi, India

• Capital of India• Home base for us (grandparents house)• Multiethnic city, population: 10 million

- 6801 people / Km

• Common languages: Hindi, Punjabi, English • Religions: Hinduism, Muslim, Sikhism,

Christianity

Sights from Delhi

Red FortJantar Mantar

Lotus Temple Himayun Tomb India Gate

Hindu Temple

New Delhi Jaipur

Jaipur, Rajastan• Conceived by Sawai Jai

Singh in 1727• First planned city in

northern India• Capital of Rajastan • Known as the “Pink City”• Population:• Climate

Summers are hot!Max: 104o F; Min:79o F

Winters are niceMax: 72oF; Min: 47oF

Barely any rainfall 64 cms. Average per year

• LanguagesEnglish, Hindi & Rajastani

Hava Mahal(Wind Palace)

Jaipur is known for its forts, palaces, architectural marvels and tales of valor.

Jaipur

Traditional Rajastani Costumes

Chess is played by royalty in IndiaOur Palace - Jaimahal Hotel

Harry Potter…move over

JaipurRajasthani puppet show Entrance to City Palace

Jal Mahal - abandoned(Water Palace)

Biggest single piece of silver(to carry waters from the Ganges)

Jaipur SightsElephant ride

Cows share the road with BMWs Monkeys are everywhere

Scooters in the Pink City

Science in Jaipur

• Jantar Mantar: center of astronomical studies.

• Built by founder of Jaipur – Sawai Jai Singh in 1727

• Largest of the 6 observatories built.

• Sun Dial: Triangle with hypotenuse at 27o = latitude of Jaipur. Measures the declination of celestial bodies

Small Sun Dial: resolution 20 seconds

Someonehelp medown…

Large Sun Dial: resolution 2 seconds

Science in Jaipur

Testing for purity in a silk carpet

Zodiac Signs

Group of 12 instruments which represent 12 Rashis or Zodiac signs. The instruments are usedfor observing latitudes and longitudesof the sun and the planets.

Jaipur is a big exporter of silk carpets.Here the owner is demonstrating how carpets are tested for purity. Silk will not burn but wool will

Jaipur New Delhi Agra

Agra: The home of the Taj

Getting there was half the funWay cool!!

Cost of ride was Rs. 10 (or 25 cents)

Entrance to the Taj

Each mini tower represents a year – took 22 years to build

The Taj MahalA symbol of undying love for a wife

The Taj Mahal, Agra

Sitting with my uncle inside the TajWhat’s so special about it?my sister just didn’t get it

Originally 2 were planned, one white, one black, but only one was completed.It took 20,000 workers 22 years to build this marble wonderIt is the tomb of Emperor Shahjahan and his wife Mumtaz

Agra New Delhi

The Qutab Minar, New Delhi

• Built: 1199 A.D. by Qutub-Ud-Din Albak

• Afghan architecture• Height: 230 feet• Fun facts:

– 20 years to complete– Highest stone tower in

India– Surrounded by Tombs– Major tourist attraction– Built to mark Muslim

dominance in Delhi

My Mom thinks I am taking her picture

The Qutab Minar

My dad is 6’ 2”

A place of worship in the complex

We did some fun things

Showing my dad how to shoot Look ma, I am taller than this man!

India: A country for everyone

MooNet(Internet access for cows!)

…but I am glad to be back

Thanks!