Day 12, Ajmer: Adhai Dinka Jhonpra, Ana Sagar Lake, Dargah Sharif

We did a little bit of sightseeing today. There really wasn't a lot to see, but the places we did go to were worth visiting. Our first stop was Adhai Dinka Jhonpra, an ancient mosque that was originally a Hindu temple. Dating back to around 1150, the architecture and splendor of the ruins are quite a sight, even if it is slightly dampened by the graffiti/vandalism that also exists. We walked through the busy, busy alleys of the marketplace to get here, but it is only a short walk from the main dargah entrance.

Heading to the site

Adhai Din ka Jhonpra

Still a functioning mosque

Details

I felt like I was inside of village...

Afterwards, we hailed down an autorickshaw and headed to Ana Sagar lake, which felt like a breath of fresh air! The dargah is surrounded by a crowded, dusty and bustling marketplace, and there are people and noise everyone; the lake provided a significant contrast, as I took in the greenery and tranquility. It's a nice getaway spot for anyone in Ajmer.

Green = sanctuary

My soul feels rejuvenated

I enjoyed this moment

Music Man

I loved the random yet impressive bits of architecture scattered throughout

We did a little bit of shopping (because you HAVE to shop with all these markets!) and I bought some gifts for family and friends back home. After a brief respite in the guesthouse, we made another trip to the dargah to pay our respects to the saint, to pray, and to listen to qawwali.

Walking back from Ana Sagar Lake

Inside the dargah, vendors sell flowers and sweets as offerings

A peek inside

AMAZING qawwali music!

Right outside of the tomb

Another Facebook Post From India

This was the second facebook post I wrote while in India


1. I've been getting ripped off everyday since I don't have the heart or energy for bargaining 
2. Indian guys love asking to take pictures with me 
3. Beggar kids will mob your vehicle for money, school kids will mob it for candy 
4. I think I should have aimed for veterinary school instead since it breaks my heart every time I see neglected animals scavenging the garbage to find food 
5. Which makes me wonder what kind of a human being I am since I have more sympathy for animals than people sometimes 
6. I thought I was being kind by leaving a pool of water for a tired dog 
7. It turns out I was being a nuisance since he got up and moved elsewhere 
8. I'm understanding the American mentality of not wanting to learn a second language since everyone around the world really does speak English 
9. I will probably start jay-walking back home since I have learned to fearlessly cross Indian streets 10. Bollywood has fed me lies all of my life 
11. After seeing slums, hustling and human degradation everyday, I've been doing a lot of soul searching 
12. I now understand why Bollywood is all about the good life - I'm dying to see a legit mansion.

Day 11, Ajmer: Dargah Sharif

Once again we headed back to the Ajmer Shatabdi, this time to head to the city of Ajmer for a pilgrimage. The dargah of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti, aka "Gharib Nawaz" (Benefactor of the Poor), is there and it is a site where Hindus and Christians visit in addition to Muslims.

Posing with a cooli (a rail porter)

The Rajasthani desert on the way to Ajmer

Heading to the guesthouse

My aunt regularly donates to the dargah, and a couple of the dargah caretakers arranged transportation and a room for us in their guesthouse. It was all nice until we finally met the father/son duo in an office in the dargah. The first question they had for us was concerning how much we were going to donate. My mother and I were so put off by this question! We were of course going to donate, but we naively assumed that there would be time for that later, after paying our respects to the saint. After offering $50 or so (for the time being), the father told us that it wasn't enough! Honestly, it's so sad to see what a business religion has become in the world today. Anyway, we did get a good tour of the place and donated here and there throughout the day. The dargah complex is massive!

Buland Darwaza

Cameras are not allowed inside... so I whipped out my phone instead

Getting ready for prayer

The "choti deg," (small pot) used to cook meals to feed the poor

A peek inside the "bara deg," (big pot) where donations in cash and food are thrown in

Getting ready for evening prayer

The shrine lit up at night

Day 10, Jaipur: Hawa Mahal, Royal Albert Hall, Jantar Mantar

It's ridiculous how I came home from my travels in early February and I am STILL transcribing my journal/uploading my pictures. Maybe I am not cut out for blogging, since God knows that I had all the time in the world to do this. Where did the last 5 months go? And in a month and a half I'll be starting medical school so I really have no idea where the future of this blog is going.

Anyway, I'm going to take a shortcut now. I'm still stubborn about displaying my travels but too lazy to write everything out.

The iconic Hawa Mahal - The Wind Palace

We had bought a city pass the other day, and it covered the entrance fees for our tourist attractions today. We hired Moin again as our driver, because once you find someone dependable you will definitely want to stick with that person even if it definitely is pricier than hailing autorickshaws. Truth be told, it was nice to be driven around, especially since it was starting to become hot (even though it was still January!)

Inside of the palace

Peek-a-boo!

Moin told us that the palace contains 300 such windows, for all of the princesses to peek out of.

There was a dejected-looking dog in the parking lot of the Royal Albert Hall. He looked so forlorn and thirsty that I created a puddle of water right next to him. Rather than the dog greedily lapping up the water, he gave it a disdainful look, got up and walked away! Never would I have thought that I was being an inconvenience to him, and, to add salt on my wounds, passerby started laughing at me.

Ancient war relics

Strike a pose

A little oasis in the desert

We bought some nuts and hung out on a bench on the museum grounds

By the time we got to Jantar Mantar, it was really hot and the place is such a wide, open, and bright area. The heat and light made it hard to enjoy our time here, and even with the audio tour I had no idea how any of those instruments were created or what their purpose was - but I did marvel at the sheer brilliance of it all!

An ancient sundial

I still have no idea what this is

Old City gates

Mmmm I miss these flavors!