Reblogged is a series of blog posts on my life in India coming from the weblogs I set-up. It’s an attempt to put the stories all in one place! The post Safdarjang Tomb: from Mistake to Majesty was originally posted on April 6, 2012. I visited Safdarjang Tomb with my VSO co-volunteerJulie on March 17, 2012.
It’s Saturday! Yey! I’ve been waiting for Saturday to arrive since I planned on going around Delhi, or at least being able to be at another tourist spot or two! Julie, a co-volunteer asked the day before (was it?!) if I would mind if she’d come along. Of course, I said not! It was actually better to have someone with me, walking around in a foreign city!
Reblogged is a series of blog posts on my life in India coming from the weblogs I set-up. It’s an attempt to put the stories all in one place! The post Old Delhi Red Fort – seat of the Mughal Empire was originally posted on May 29, 2012. I visited the Red Fort with my VSO co-volunteers Kevin and Rosie on March 12, 2012.
There was a time, long long long ago, when Muslims thrived in India. However, hundreds of years later, the Muslim population is now considered as one of the minorities in the contemporary Indian society. Nevertheless, the era of the Mughal Empire has been marked with several monuments like tombs, mosques and gardens.
Apart from these monuments and places of worship, the Mughal Empire also built the Red Forts to serve as their seats of power. I heard there are many red forts in India. One of the most famous is the Red Fort (Lal Quilla) found in Old Delhi.
Like most Filipinos, the first international travel I did was in Singapore, back in 2010. It was mostly a choice of Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong at the time. And since going to Singapore means easy access and a side trip to Kuala Lumpur, the choice was clear. Hehe 🙂 Clarke Quay in Singapore is probably one of its most photographed landmarks, especially from the angle where the Merlion, Singapore’s well-known symbol, stands in wait to greet the travelers. This photo, however, was taken while crossing the fascinating double helix / DNA bridge connecting the area of the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands. In late 2011, which was when I took it, the helix bridge was already built. Either way and either angle, Clarke Quay is such a sight both at daytime, with it’s clean and calm waters and floating tour boats, and night time, with the shining lights and bustling night life. If you thrive in the urban jungle but would at times seek the comfort of calm water scenes, Clarke Quay is a must-visit place whenever in Singapore! >
Hyderabad is often called the city of palaces and the Andhra Pradesh High Court, sitting by the south bank of the Musi River, is an impressive structure that merits attention like all the other palaces in the “old city”. Coming from a country where the only palace is the seat of Presidential Power and where historical buildings are more or less not our best tourist selling point, I was amazed at the number of palaces you can just go and enter in at Hyderabad and Secunderabad. While the High Court also had limited entry, it didn’t stop us (me and my couchsurfing host) to get photos from the outside. When we got tired, we took photos from the Naya Pul bridge (close by and walkable). We spent some time looking over the Musi River, and enjoying the red orange reflection while looking out for a flock of birds flying by. It’s a cool place to be in especially for sunset junkies like you and me!>
While the Taj Mahal is one of the most popular seven wonders of the world, very little is known about the beautiful river in which bank it stands — the Yamuna River. Also referred to as Jamuna, the Yamuna River is the biggest tributary river to Ganges River, one of the holiest rivers in India and Hinduism. I learned that today by reading the Wikipedia entry on the Yamuna River since I’ve already forgotten! Hinduism promotes the belief that the Yamuna River is actually a goddess, and revered as such, with the legend that bathing in her waters will “free you from the torment of death” (I don’t really know what that meant). So, when you happen to visit Taj Mahal (or Agra Fort, where I took the photo), take a moment to enjoy the view the Yamuna River offers and maybe, just maybe, your whispered prayer or wish might be granted by the goddess. In the meantime, there’s a YouTube playlist widget (on the right) on my Taj Mahal and Agra Fort tour, with more Yamuna River views should you want to armchair travel!>
Life is short so take a leap of faith. Let’s wander, explore and discover. Come and journey with me.
The Diarist Wanders 