Bazaars, small shops and emporiums sprawl all around India, specifically in New Delhi. India’s colorful markets bustle with commercial dynamism; shops have all the stuff – from the smallest item to the biggest deal.

Bazaars, small shops and emporiums sprawl all around India, specifically in New Delhi. India’s colorful markets bustle with commercial dynamism; shops have all the stuff -? from the smallest item to the biggest deal.

Indians just love to shop and spend their money on so many things like jewelery, cloths, books, shoes, beauty care stuff, handicrafts, and the list never ends. We also willingly adopted this culture and I could say shopping was one of the best times I had in India.

Sellers will usually offer foreigners or non-Indian nationals an escalated price, and one has to be smart enough to make a deal at a reasonable price. ?Kitna Bhaiya?? ( ?How much??) are the familiar words I heard all around the market, and eventually learned how to use them. Most of the time, the Indian sellers were annoyingly convincing as they try to coax the money out of you with? great marketing skills. I presumed they never wanted their customers to say ?nahi? or no to them, hence, they will bargain to the last centavo just to get the ?ji? or the nod from the customers. Bargaining was another skill that I learned in India, apart from learning information technology.

Playing the Holi

Holi Hai!

In our 3rd week in New Delhi, we were fortunate enough to witness the Holi celebration or the Festival of Colors. It is a festive celebration for Hindus where most of the Indians celebrate the occasion by throwing colored powder, and water at each other. The powder is made of ?neem?, ?kumkum? and other herbal ingredients.

On the Holi Day, we were all playing Holi outside, on the street and enjoyed throwing colored powder and? water at everyone. We had loads of fun dancing and singing on the street. It was such a joyful celebration and we had the chance to be kids all over again!

Jaipur bridled with contrasts

Perched on a remote zenith of rocks and arid land, the Amer Fort in Jaipur is a combination of cornucopia of historical palaces and scarcity of natural resources. The place parades the rich structures of the past affluence as well as the mystifying sight of an arid land. We reached there via a very steep climb, thankfully, in a car. The Amer Palace is built in red sandstone and white marble and is accessible through a very beautiful ‘Dil-e-Aaram‘ Garden. The palace is a marvelous fusion of architectures from the Mughal and the Hindu era.

I was overwhelmed by the history of the great Mughal emperors and their palaces through the artistry of the City Palace. The complex consists of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to many a regal edifice which are mostly covered with gemstones from walls to ceilings, and the floors? are reall white marble.

I was fascinated by the various emperor apartments that were at the top most area, and? gave a very good view of the city The buildings are richly decorated with elegant pieces of valuable material, like the hall of victory with a roofi that glittered with mirror pieces on stucco. Not to forget, the hall of private audience (Jai Mandir), which is similarly decorated with thousands of mirror pieces on the walls and ceilings. In front of this hall is the Sukh Niwas or the hall of happiness, with a door made of sandalwood with ivory on the door to keep the heat from coming inside the hall.

The Taj Mahal – A Monument of Love

“Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor?s love wrought in living stones.” These are the words of an English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold and for many, the Taj Mahal is an emblem of a man?s enduring love for his wife. The plethora of crowd that throngs this place despite the long arduous trip clearly reveals that the monument possess a mystery that pulls people towards its splendor.

Our tourist guide recounted the history of Taj Mahal, although his story did not interest me much as I was? excited by merely being there. However, my attention was captivated when he related how the building was erected, which stimulated my quixotic side, that of a hopeless romantic. According to the guide, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor (Shah Jahan) who built it as a? mausoleum? as a sign of his never-ending love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Crown Palace (English translation for Taj Mahal), as the name itself says, is one of the most beautiful tomb in the world.