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 The Thar Desert by BarbaraForza
Visas are valid for a limited time only (usually six months) from the date of their issue. There are also one-month tourist visas valid from the date of your entry in India. It apparently depends on where you apply for it.
Just make sure you know exactly what conditions apply to the visa you have. They could be single-entry or multiple-entry, request it specifically if you intend to go across Nepal as well.
The cost of the visa varies depending on your nationality.
Be sure the application is sent few weeks before your departure, in order to have your passport back in time.
Once you are in India, it is possible to extend your visa, but it would take you few days... Leave a Comment
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 Lara & Jessica in the Salwar
Kameez by Canadienne
On my first visit, I wore loose pants, long skirts and t-shirts, occasionally wearing a salwar kameez. This time around, I was determined to immerse myself further in the experience by making the latter my primary outfit. . .
Cheap, comfortable, and extremely versatile, the salwar kameez is an excellent choice. You can buy them in the markets in any city (or buy fabric and have them tailor-made if you’re larger or smaller than the "average").
The reaction we got to our dress was always extremely positive. It wasn't simply that we received less male attention (in the absence of a control group, that's a tough one to argue), moreso it was that we were approached by women and families who used the outfits to initiate contact with us.
I am confident that a number of these cherished exchanges would not have happened otherwise. . . Leave a Comment
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India is a country of a billion people. It has for centuries endured many upheavals of historic proportion. Things don't always run smoothly- in fact, they seldom do. There are power-cuts and computers go down, water shortages or no hot water- Bureaucracy is heavy handed. Buying a train ticket is a slow business.Waiting in long queues, one purchases the ticket at on window, gets sent to another queue to get it stamped- then gets sent to yet another window for a signature.And YET again- to another for a counter-signature. Much patience is needed.
Traffic is totally chaotic- it overwhelms you, just close your eyes if you are in a cab. It is organized chaos, and you will always eventually get to you destination.
Little hands reach out for a hand-out. Its very hard to feel indifference to the plight of the beggers and their children. Each traveller has to find their own way to deal with this sad fact of life.
The best and only way that I handle all the above mentioned problems is by keeping a sense of reality, and a sense of humour. It gets me through every hurdle.
It is India- where anything can happen - and usually does. Just relax, smile and enjoy the new and very different cutural experience.
The smells and sights. The smiling faces. The total, wonderful chaos. Knowing that there are still places where life is being lived almost exactly the way it has been for the past thousand years- and seeing the wonderful old buildings and ruins that still remain.
In no other country is there such emphasis on the spiritual aspect of life. Where a river is so revered, where pilgrims will travel many miles to pay homage to it. Mother Ganga. River of Life.
The sheer diversity of this country will amaze every new traveller in India. Leave a Comment
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 A Station Begging Boy.
Who I met one evening.
ADI by Hmmmm
What makes me sad most, is that often they are sent out to beg by a boss ( sorta like Oliver Twist and the artful Dodger and their conniving career criminal boss - Fagin ). These boys are often ill-dressed, un-shod and hungry. Some are young around 6 or 8. They are obviously homeless, and for survival they fall under the umbrella of older undesireables.
If you spend a lot of time on the railway platforms you will see that simply giving them money is no good. they will simply give it to their 'Fagin' and literally come back asking for more,afterall they are annoying for a living.No, its better to take them to a kiosk and buy them a hot meal, and then sit there with them until they eat it and chat with them. They are just normal little boys.
Poverty is one of the ugliest things in the world, but unfortunately its not good enough just to throw money at it. Often people are scared and overwhelmed by it. One shouldn't be. Leave a Comment
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 A Wooden Rendition of
Ganesh. Pic: Aaron Irving by Hmmmm
So who is Ganesh?
Ganesh is the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesha (or Ganesh) is known (by various names in different parts of India and on different occasions) as the Remover of Obstacles, the god of domestic harmony and of success. He is the most beloved and revered of all the Hindu gods, and is always invoked first in any Hindu ceremony or festival. He is the son of Parvati (the wife of Shiva, the Destroyer, the most powerful of the Hindu trinity of principal gods). There are many stories about how Ganesha got his elephant head, and about his exploits and antics. He was created as an ordinary boy, but was decapitated in battle. Shiva's emissaries were sent into the forest and told to get the head of the first animal they found and to fit that head onto the boy's neck. They found a little elephant, and it worked!
Why does Ganesh, who is obviously a person have a head of an elephant?
When Lord Shiva, was away fighting for the gods, the lady of the house, goddess Parvathi was alone at home. On one occasion, she needed someone to guard the house when she was going for a bath. Unable to think of an alternative, she used her powers to create a son, Ganesh. She instructed Ganesh to keep strict vigil on the entrance to the house and not to allow anyone into the house. Ganesh agreed and stayed on the strictest of strict vigils.
In the meantime Lord Shiva returned happy after a glorious victory for the gods, only to be stopped at the entrance by Ganesh. Ganesh, acting on Parvathi's orders verbatim, did not allow Shiva to enter the house. Lord Shiva became enraged beyond control and in a fit of rage slashed the head of Ganesh. Paravti came out from her bath and was aghast at the scene. She was very very angry at her lordship for what had happened and explained him the situation.
Lord Shiva wanted to make it up to Parvathi and agreed to put life back into Ganesha by putting the head of the first sleeping living creature that came in sight which was sleeping with its head to the north. He sent his soldiers to go in search of the creature. The first creature which came in sight was an elephant. So Lord Shiva re-created his son with the head of the elephant. Hence the trunk of Lord Ganesha. Parvathi was still not totally happy so Shiva granted Ganesha a boon that before beginning of any undertaking or task people would worship Lord Ganesh. Thus the reason for worship of Ganesha before start of any work.
You'll see many small shrines for Ganesh on road signs. All over India and even in Nepal too. Ganesh is a much loved deity. Leave a Comment
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 with schoolchildren, ajantha
caves by mizzzthanggg
Useful phrases:
1. Namashkar... (hello/goodbye)
2. Nam kya he? (What's your name?) - enough to get anyone starting up a long conversation with you!
3. Meere nam Ashvini! (My name is Ashwini...) - hahaha.. this was my local name.
4. Shukriya or Dhanya vad (Thank You)
5. Bahut Achha (Very Good)
6. Aap Kaise Hain? (How Are You?)
7. Theek Hain (I'm Fine)
8. Mujhe Yeh Chahiye (I Want That One)
9. Nahi Chahiye (I Don't Want It)
10. Dam Kya He? (How Much?)
11. Hanji (Yes)
12. Nahi (No)
13. Kya? (What?)
14. Achha (Ok)
15. Hindi Nahi (I Don't Speak Hindi!!)
16. Chalo (Let's Go)
17. Mahi Nahi Chalo!! (Don't Want, Enough, Go Away!!!) - very useful for touts of all age and sizes!
I felt very Bollywood movie-ish when I used these phrases, and for some reason, I was shaking my head along with the best of them as I spoke hahahhaa ;) Leave a Comment
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 Jaipur is a City Full of
Traffic. Pic: ADI by Hmmmm
The 'pink city' label, applies specifically, to the old walled quarter of the Rajasthani capital, while in the northeast of the town, glorious palaces and temples, in an assortment of styles, spanning centuries, are scattered throughout the, predominantly, urban area. The Capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is steeped in history and culture. Here the past comes alive in magnificient forts and palaces, blushed pink, where once lived the Maharajas. The bustling bazaars of Jaipur, Famous for Rajasthani jewellery, fabric and shoes, possess a timeless quality and are surely a treasure trove for the shoppers. This fascinating city with its romantic charm takes you to epoch of royalty and tradition
The city owes its name, its foundations and its careful planning, to the great warrior - astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. His predecessors, had enjoyed good relations with the Mughals, and Jai Singh was careful to cultivate this alliance. In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh decided to move down from his capital hillside fortress at Amber, to a new site on the plains. A Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city, using the principles of town planning, as laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. He built the City Palace, and the largest stone observatory in the world, employing the same principles.
The best time to visit Jaipur is between October and March.Getting to Jaipur: Jaipur is 262 kms from Delhi and is well connected by road, rail and air. A big fleet of deluxe and air conditioned buses is operated by the Rajasthan Roadways between Delhi and Jaipur. Leave a Comment
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 View of Ranthambore NP from
the fort by Paul2001
Most famously the park is part of Project Tiger created in an attempt to re-estabish and preserve the tiger in the wild in several parks throughout India. The project has had mixed success as some of the so called wardens have in fact turned to poaching in some cases. However I understand that this has stopped and some of these people of come to realize that it is more profitable in the long run to show off the wildlife to tourists like me than it is to kill it off. Hence there are now suppose to be about 35 to 40 tigers in the 274.50sq.Km park.
Viewing the wildlife in the park was a wonderous experience. There are over 150 species of mammels and over 200 variety of birds. Before visiting the park I never dreamed I would see so many different species of animals. I saw all sorts of antelope, boars, snakes and lizards. Besides the tiger I suspect we also came very close to seeing a leopard which are actually numerous in the park but rarely seen. The one I speak of made some noise but refused to come out of the brush.
To visit the park you can either rent a jeep and driver for about $50.00. This was impossible for some reason when I was there. It had something to do with a state election and all the jeeps being diverted. I instead used the alternative being a cantor. These are something of a cross between a minibus and a jeep that whips around the park. They seat about 15 people and can be arranged through your hotel. I think that it cost about $10.00. I took two such tours of the park. The first at 4pm the first day I was there, the second at 7pm the following morning. This latter trip was far more fruitful for animal viewing. Leave a Comment
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 Windows inside the red
door - Agra Fort. ADI by Hmmmm
Okay a little Guff: Besides the Taj Mahal, Agra is also famous for the Agra Fort, which is a veritable treasure trove of the Mughal architectural tradition. The various buildings within this sprawling fort complex represent the assimilation of different cultures, which was the hallmark of the Mughals.
mperor Akbar began the construction of this massive fort made of red sandstone on the banks of River Yamuna in 1565. The fort was ready by 1571 though additions were made up until the rule of Shahjahan, who was Akbar's grandson. During the time of Akbar the fort mainly served military purpose, while by the time of Shahjahan it also served as a palace and court.
A visit to the Agra Fort during your Agra tour will offer an insight to the grandeur of the Mughals and their architecture. Most of the buildings within this fort represent a unique blending of different architectural styles. The most noteworthy building inside the Agra Fort is the Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangir's Palace), which was the principal zenana palace (palace for women belonging to the royal household), used mainly by the Rajput wives of Akbar. A splendid gateway leads to an interior courtyard surrounded by grand halls covered with profuse carvings on stone, heavily fashioned brackets, piers and crossbeams. One can still spot remnants of decoration in gold and blue done in the prevalent Persian style. Jahangiri Mahal mixes Transoxanian (Central Asian) features with courtyard halls styled in the broader Gujarat-Malwa-Rajasthan tradition as it had been passed onto the Mughals by the early 16th century architecture of Raja Man Singh of Gwalior. Tourists on Agra holidays will notice that the Jahangiri Mahal is the most important building of the Akbari period in the Agra Fort. Leave a Comment
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 Shiva and his second wife
Parvathi by Hmmmm
So Who is Shiva?
Shiva is the third deity of the Hindu triad of great gods, the Trimurti. Shiva is the destroyer of the world (but has also the aspect of regeneration), following Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on. Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. In Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva also represents the most essential goodness. Shiva is the god of the yogis, self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouse (shakti). Shiva's first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati, also known as Uma, Gauri, Durga, Kali and Shakti. His sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya. Shiva lives on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. Shiva is also the Keeper of Poison. He is the Provider of marijuana. Hence you'll often hear 'Boom Shiva' when Sadhu partake of it.
Do you wanna hear the story of the bowl of poison?
My friend Maddhu told me this story once. When the world was being made, using the butter churn, many things came into the world, one of the things was the poison and all the other substances that are dangerous to people. It was decided that the keeper of the bowl of poison would be Shiva. Shiva took the bowl of the world's poisons and drank from it. As he drank some drops fell to the ground. These drops grew into the canabis plant. The people were allowed to have this only. But the poisons in the bowl are forbidden to the people.
Shiva is also depicted with the moon in his hair. It was said that in the process of making the would with the butter churn, Shiva should house the moon in his hair. Shiva is after all the destroyer, and in the words of Madhu "Shiva's mind was veru crazy, so they put the moon in his hair and ..... Shanti".
Shiva is also depicted with a Black Cobra necklace. Shiva is depicted with the Ganga in his hair - When Ganga incarnated on Earth, Shiva captured her in his hair to avoid that she would flood all of Earth. He carries a trident and rides a white bull. Sometimes Shiva is depicted as white, with a dark-blue throat, with several arms and three eyes. Sometimes he wears necklaces of skulls, but usually he is meditating often beside his consort Parvathi (Devi).
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Actually one of my fondest memories of India is when my good friend Madhu would tell me stories of the Hindu Patheon of Deities. Maddhu really appreciated Shiva because he knew that one shoudl definately be on the right side of him. Leave a Comment
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