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My employers have something referred to as the 48 hour rule. They pay for my flights to and from Astana. I can take any route within the budget but cannot have a layover longer than 48 hours. It is a stupid rule that does nothing to save them money. It is designed to stop people enjoying a week long holiday somewhere but means that multiple layovers are possible within the same time frame! So I had two layovers, firstly Delhi with a trip to Agra and later Frankfurt.
Taj Mahal
I arrived at New Delhi Airport at 01:30 in the morning and took a car to Agra, arriving there at around 06:00 having stopped off for a coffee and samosa on the way. It had been my intention to go straight to the Taj Mahal to photograph it at sunrise. It was very foggy, but that could have made for a very atmospheric photograph. As it was, I rested and headed out at around lunchtime. This probably meant better conditions for most of my photographs, especially the fauna. One thing that any photographers should note is that tripods ate not allowed into the grounds.
Agra Fort
Day 2 and I only had half a day before taking a car back to New Delhi Airport. Vikrant at the Orchid Retreat guesthouse arranged for a tuk-tuk to take me to the Agra Fort and the Baby Taj. I could have spent a little longer at the Agra Fort but things were not too rushed. Really 90 minutes or so is enough. I avoided the guides as I just wanted to explore by myself and take photographs.
Baby Taj
Back to the tuk-tuk and onwards to the "Bachcha Taj" or the "Baby Taj which is the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah. Obviously, much quieter than the Taj Mahal and easier to take photos without any people in them. For me the highlight was probably the Macaque monkeys. They have been know to attack people, with there having been some serious incidents. Perhaps I didn't do anything to antagonise them. They just went about their business and did not pay me much attention.
Red Taj
This place was a bit of a surprise due to its combination of Indian architecture and Christian graves. The main mausoleum contains the grave of John Hessing, a dutchman, but there are other western graves. Joh Hessing was the commander of the Agra Fort and was killed when it was attacked by the British.
Tomb of Akbar
The grounds are extensive, and if I had not been becoming a little anxious about getting to the airport on time, I could happily have spent more time exploring the area, taking photographs from different angles and looking for wildlife. As it was, I was at the airport a good three hours ahead of take-off.
The tuk-tuk
This is definitely a more fun, as well as cheaper way to travel. Mine looked relatively new and was comfortable. All the horns are a bit noisy though! The photo below seriously back focused but it is still a part of my story.
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There seems to be little importance placed on health and safety when it comes to transport in India. On at least two occasions, I saw Mum, Dad and two kids on one motorcycle, with nobody wearing a helmet. On one occasion, there was a small boy sprawled over the petrol tank, asleep despite all the noise.
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Again, this was a short trip within the 48 hour rule. I arrived on the Friday morning and headed for the Tatvamasi homestay, which I give my very highest recommendations. The owner, Pankaj, was so very helpful. He suggested that I took the Metro to Akshardham,
and recommended a fast food restaurant. I headed out mid afternoon, having had a rest following a night of little sleep on the plane. Cameras are not allowed into the temple complex, so there are no photos here. In a way it was liberating to visit this place without my camera. I do like to do lots of photography, but it can be nice to occasionally visit somewhere without a camera. I even had to hand in my phone and smart watch at the cloakroom. The main sites are the temple itself, a fountain/light show, a high definition film telling the life Sahajanand Swami and a "boat ride" thought number of exhibits outlining the history and culture of India. Pankaj checked up on my progress and collected me from the Metro station.
and recommended a fast food restaurant. I headed out mid afternoon, having had a rest following a night of little sleep on the plane. Cameras are not allowed into the temple complex, so there are no photos here. In a way it was liberating to visit this place without my camera. I do like to do lots of photography, but it can be nice to occasionally visit somewhere without a camera. I even had to hand in my phone and smart watch at the cloakroom. The main sites are the temple itself, a fountain/light show, a high definition film telling the life Sahajanand Swami and a "boat ride" thought number of exhibits outlining the history and culture of India. Pankaj checked up on my progress and collected me from the Metro station.
The Saturday was spent on a coach tour aimed at Indians, so it was cheap! It got me to a lot of places over a 12 hour period. I carried two cameras, my Pentax K3iii with a 20-40mm lens and my Pentax K-70 with a 300mm f/4 lens. As I was trying to stay with the group, many of the photographs below used the telephoto lens including those of the military, who were practicing ready for the upcoming Indian national day.
The places visited were the Indian Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan (presidential palace), the Lotus Temple, Qutb Minar, Indira Gandhi Museum (her home where she was assassinated), Raj Ghat (site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation) and the Red Fort. Cameras are not allowed into the Indira Gandhi Museum.
The places visited were the Indian Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan (presidential palace), the Lotus Temple, Qutb Minar, Indira Gandhi Museum (her home where she was assassinated), Raj Ghat (site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation) and the Red Fort. Cameras are not allowed into the Indira Gandhi Museum.
Pankaj helped me to book the excursion, as Panicker's website would not accept my foreign card. He even helped me with my case to the Uber taxi taking me to the airport!
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Jaipur 20-26 March 2024 |
Click the image below!
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