(Day 2) Extra visit to Marble manufacturing shop

It's has been getting dark when we reached this Agra famous marble shop. The door to go in was special because the structure built was almost looked like the Taj Mahal entrance door.



Inside we could see some of the trained workers performed theirs' daily work.



A lot of beautiful products everywhere. Below are some photos in the shop.





All of us were getting hungry and very cold outside. Then we went back to the hotel to take dinner. In the hotel, there was a festival performance, we just watched for a while.




That night, there was a married couple having theirs' marriage ceremony in the hotel. May they had a very beautiful and happily marriage.



We just stayed for a moment to watch the great event, then mom and I went back to the room to have a rest.

(Day 2) Extra visit to Taj Mahal

After we had lunch in Holiday Inn Agra, we proceed our journey to the "Taj Mahal" The 7 Wonders of the world and also the world heritage.

Taj Mahal is the mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. This building was built with the Persian and the earlier Islamic Mughal architecture and by thousands of artisan and craftmen. Mumtaz Mahal died when she gave birth to the fourteen children, Gauhara Begum.

Emperor Shah Jahan granted his wife wish to built this mausoleum. Taj mahal was built right after one year after Mumtaz Mahal passed away, that was 1631. It was completed in 1648 but used another 5 years to complete the beautiful Muhgal garden.

After the Taj Mahal built, according to local people said, many craftmen and artisan had been killed or badly hurt until handicap in order not to let them built the second Taj Mahal. All these great poeple sacrificed a lot for the love between Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife. Anyway, now it just remain as a great building to the eyes of alls.

Do not bring too many items with you to the Taj Mahal. You can bring in transparent water bottle, small video camera or camera, mobile handphone and small purse.

Taj Mahal is open from 6.00am till 7.00pm for visitors. Friday will be close for 2 hours for the prayers time. If you wan to see the fullmoon in Taj Mahal, arragement can be made.

We reached there almost in the evening already. The tour guide leaded us to go in after bought the ticket and the camera ticket. However the securities were very tied at the entrace door. Don't be surprised if your body had been touched.

After the entrance, we were very anxious to see the great building.





Well ! The great gate (Darwaza Irauza) was the gateway to Taj Mahal. This was the first time I visited the great building. In front of me, A great onion dome, 4 minarets, a Mughal garden, marble water tank. There have the beautiful walkway too, the grass neat and very nice for the view. Taj Mahal also reflected on the pool. It's awesome.





According to the tour guide the 4 cylinder domes were built a bit slanting to prevent the damage of main building which cause by the earthquake. The compound also had another 2 buildings. The Taj Mahal will closed on Friday for a few hours. Muslims will come in and have theirs' Friday prayers.



We need to wear the thin booties in order to step on the building floor. This was the protection against the valueable building in the world.



It's cool to step on the floor because the whole building made from marble. The mild wind made us feel good and fresh.



When we go into the building, well ! It became a bit warm, no wind cause every window and door were closed. In the centre we saw the Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal marble coffin.

Inside they just put small yellow bulbs, not so bright. However the wall showed the beautiful craft. Even the outside of the building the wall was beautifully crafted too.




At the back of the Taj Mahal, there was a beautiful Yamuna river....What can I said...it's a very nice view !


The view from the Taj Mahal main building also very nice.

Do not trust any people who want to safe guard your camera or video cam, better pay for the tickets and bring the belongings by your ownself. There was a case that camera lost because the wrong handling to the stranger. It's getting dark when we left the place. The shop already put on the bulb light or candle light. Looked like a ancient old city.

Then we proceeded to the famous Marble shop in Agra.

(Day 2) New Delhi to Agra

This was our Indian tour guide who could speak in Mandarin. We started our journey to Agra, once the bus tyre was fixed.

Along the road to Agra, some houses looked standard but some were not. The morning was dried and cold. The leaves from the tree were covered by dust.

On the road there were some people not wearing any shoes and walked on the road. Many people used the bicycles too. Cows also on road.

There were many shops houses which operating the business. Small business boothes or huts could be seen any where.

This round, 2 buses of members went for pilgrimage to India. This kind of bus were considered very good. Well maintained.

Recalled, the first time went to India, the bus we took was bad....'a wild wild horse'...seat were not comfortable....with the bumpy road...we were always threw to the air, and bounced back to the seat. There were 2 members even bounced and fell on the walkway of the bus....

On the way to Agra, we stopped by a restaurant for the monk to have lunch. ( Theravada monks were refrained from taking lunch after the noon). The garden was decorated beautifully.

Outside the restaurant, there was a group of 3 members with the beautiful costumes, played the music instrument and dance for the visitors for earnings. Looked like a family group. Awesome culture performance.

Mom and I walked beside the restaurant. We saw so many beautiful cabbages on a small farm. Couldn't resist to take a photo.

We reached Agra Holiday Inn to have a lunch. A buffet. The curry which had been served in the hotel restaurant was not so spicy and hot compared to our curry here. It's good for the people who cannot take the spicy one. Most of the restaurant served the 'roti nan' or 'nan bread'.

(Day 2) In New Delhi

We got up very early in the morning, very cold and in the heavy mist. The vision was blur even in the short distance. Then we walked to the opposite hotel building to take breakfast.



Hotel cafe was nobody there, we just took a seat together with 2 friends. The waiter never said anything. We wait for a while but nothing happened, so I asked the waiters. Then he told us the breakfast was prepared in other place.

He gave the direction, we just followed. Goodness ! Quite dark to go to the location of breakfast. By the time we reached there, a lot of members already gathered there. Anyway... a gap of communication.

Looked like open air compound. The light weakly shone from the pavement and room to this area. Not comfortable for the vision....but I really care of the safety portion. The floor was wet and slippery. Really Dangerous !

Then we offered monks the breakfast. Followed by us to take the breakfast in the dark. I don't even could see properly for the food inside my plate. Ha..ha...not the eye sight problem..but it's real dark.

The driver found that one of the tyre was punctured, he fixed it with the spare tyre.

We delayed a bit to Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

We took some photos while waiting for the repairing. This is the Hotel Wested Inn and my lovely mom with her friend.

(Day 1) Penang to India

In Buddha's time, India was known as "Jambudipa". It meant the rose-apple continent. It was considered as the home of Buddhism.

It had the unpleasant environment. The climate also dry.

There were many dusty roads, deep rivers, steep rugged area, dry forest, mountains which were difficult to enter, with so much scrubs and thorns.

Buddha also said not many pleasant land, lakes, parks or groves in Jambudipa.

The great Indian human civilization was sprang from the central Ganges valley, known as "Majjhimadesa" or Middle Land. It extended to the east of Kajangata town, southeast to Salalavati river, southwest to Satakannika, west to Brahmin village Thuna and northern to Usiraddhaja Mountains.

We cannot identify these place anymore, however all those places in the modern day are around Terai in Nepal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India.

Buddha was born here, he spent his whole life time teaching dhamma in the villages, towns and cities. In this Middle Land, he also entered into Mahaparinibbhana.

In the Mahaparinibbhana Sutta (the sutta of Digha Nikaya in the Pali Canon of the Tripitaka), it was stated that :

Venerable Ananda asked Buddha how to seek the inspiriration after the Buddha entered nibbhana.

The Buddha said : " Ananda, there are 4 places of the sight which arouse strong emotion in those with faith. Which are the four ?

"Here the Tathagata was born , this, Ananda, is a place that a pious man should visit and look upon with the feelings of reverence."--(Lumbini)

"Here the Tathagata became fully enlightened, in unsurpassed Supreme Enlightenment, this, Ananda, is a place that a pious man should visit and look upon with the feelings of reverence."--(Bodhgaya)

"Here the Tathagata set rolling the unexcelled wheel of the law, this, Ananda, is a place that a pious man should visit and look upon with the feeling sof reverence."--(Sarnath)

"Here the Tathagata passed away to Nibbhana wherein the elements of clinging do not arise, this, Ananda, is a place that a pious man should visit and look upon with the feelings of reverence."--(Kusinara)

" And whosover, Ananda, should die on such a pilgrimage, with his heart established in faith, he at the breaking up of the body, after death, will be reborn in a realm of heavenly happiness."

Mom and myself made decision to follow a pilgrimage trip to India and Nepal again.

On Dec 11th, 2006, early in the morning, we rent a villager private taxi and rushed to Buddhist society in our area. Then we had been transfered to a rent bus and went to Penang International airpot. We took a morning flight to Bangkok.

It was still early when we reached the Bangkok international airport. We had been transfered again to Amari Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. We had a luncheon there and rest in the room. Quite a nice and comfortable room. Very relaxing.

In the evening, we went back to Suvarnabhumi Interntaional Airpot.

Then we took a flight to New Delhi, India. It's been late at night when we reached there. Somehow the airport looked like day time, very crowded and a bit warm.

With the help of the potter, our luggaged had been moved into the bus with the fast speed. Eveyone looked a bit tired, some already started to close the eyes and snoring sound started to hear........

The bus took us to Hotel Westerd Inn in New Delhi. It was quite dark along the way to the hotel because lack of street lamp pole. The hotel service was quite slow. We had been waiting and waiting for our turn to get the room key, actually was considered as so patiently to wait.

Mom and I quickly did a fast wash and jumped into bed. Time was precious because 4 hours later need to wake up and started our interesting journey.