Get it INDIA

Jacques Vert · Mar 4, 2019

Wagah Border

The border crossing between India and Pakistan is at Wagah-Attari, approximately 30km west of Amritsar along the Grand Trunk Road. And around the same distance further west is Lahore.

Each evening the border is closed following a colourful ceremony. At least that's the way it was when we were there. Not sure what the current situation is following the recent skirmishes. I dare say it would be a place to avoid at present.

Even back in November I was a little surprised at the aggressive gestures being made by a small minority of spectators (on both sides) towards those on the other side of the border. Of course I don't know these people's backgrounds; maybe they or their family members have suffered during past conflicts. Who knows; but this minority was certainly doing nothing to help advance peace.

There is/was a bus that travels (with a Police escort) from Lahore to Amritsar (and v.v.) and also a train but given the current tensions, who knows if and when either will operate.

This is the stadium built on the Indian side for spectators to watch the (nightly) closing ceremony...

and some of the crowd...

the border and some spectators on the Pakistan side...

Pakistan troops

Indian troops...

more Indian troops in full regalia...

The Pakistan stadium:

The Indian stadium after most of the crowd have departed:

+1 took a couple of wonderful videos of the closing ceremony and my thanks to @samh004 and @Justinf for their advice on ways to link to a video via YouTube or Facebook. However, as of now, I haven't been able to work out how to restrict access to them so that only members of this forum can watch. (One of her photos from our African travels has been "lifted" from her Facebook account and used extensively by others; at least extensively enough that we have seen it used many times by people we have never met.) Perhaps not a big issue but a little annoying when there is no recognition of who took the original photo.

If anyone knows the secret to doing this you are welcome to send me a private message/conversation.

Meanwhile, you can view this (inferior) video from YouTube...

Jacques Vert · Mar 4, 2019

Amritsar Street Scenes

As we head into the "CBD", Amritsar is not unlike many parts of India...

But as we get closer we notice the civic leaders have been hard at work

Guess where we're headed

Jacques Vert · Mar 4, 2019

The Golden Temple

Words not required:

Jacques Vert · Mar 4, 2019

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre has been described as '...one of the bloodiest days in British history'.

With thanks to Britannica and Wikipedia:

In 1919 on the afternoon of April 13, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women, and children gathered in an open space known as the Jallianwalla Bagh, which was nearly completely enclosed by walls and had only one exit. It is not clear how many people there were protesters who were defying the ban on public meetings and how many had come to the city from the surrounding region to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival.

Colonel Reginald Dyer and his soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd, reportedly shooting hundreds of rounds until they ran out of ammunition. It is not certain how many died in the bloodbath, but, according to one official report, an estimated 379 people were killed, and about 1,200 more were wounded. According to the Indian National Congress, approximately 1,000 died and more than 1,500 were wounded.

Dyer stated that approximately 1,650 rounds had been fired. After they ceased firing, the troops immediately withdrew from the place, leaving behind the dead and wounded. The shooting was followed by the proclamation of martial law in the Punjab that included public floggings and other humiliations.

The government of India ordered an investigation of the incident (the Hunter Commission), which in 1920 censured Dyer for his actions and ordered him to resign from the military. Reaction in Britain to the massacre was mixed, however.

Many condemned Dyer’s actions—including Sir Winston Churchill, then secretary of war, in a speech to the House of Commons in 1920—but the House of Lords praised Dyer and gave him a sword inscribed with the motto “Saviour of the Punjab.” In addition, a large fund was raised by Dyer’s sympathizers and presented to him.

The Bagh is now a National Monument...

SeatBackForward · Mar 5, 2019

And Train trips planned? i'm hoping to squeeze in an overnight train (potentially) in July.

Justinf · Mar 5, 2019

Loving this.
Thinking of going to India next year.

Jacques Vert · Mar 5, 2019

SeatBackForward said:
And Train trips planned? i'm hoping to squeeze in an overnight train (potentially) in July.

Our one and only train trip was the KSR Toy Train reported on above; but we did have a couple of internal flights.

Have you looked at The Man in Seat 61? Train travel in India - a beginner's guide | How to buy tickets online

SeatBackForward · Mar 5, 2019

Jacques Vert said:
Our one and only train trip was the KSR Toy Train reported on above; but we did have a couple of internal flights.

Have you looked at The Man in Seat 61? Train travel in India - a beginner's guide | How to buy tickets online

That's a very good website, but thankfully I've done enough train travel in India to be prepared for it. Including a 50hr trip from Delhi to Bangalore once as flights all cancelled due to weather.

Tip: find out if foreign quota seats are available, the busiest trains generally always keep a few of these, but you need to buy the ticket in foreign currencies.

daft009 · Mar 7, 2019

Really enjoying the TR!

Is the well in the Bagh still there? Sealed though I'm sure.

Jacques Vert · Mar 8, 2019

daft009 said:
Really enjoying the TR!

Is the well in the Bagh still there? Sealed though I'm sure.

No, not at all.

Those photos were taken by +1 in November 2018. A very sobering experience.

Jacques Vert · Mar 9, 2019

After visiting the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh, Mob dropped us back to the Hyatt.

We kept a "carry-on" bag with enough stuff to tide us over for one night while Mob took the rest of our bags and headed for Delhi, (about a ten hour drive @RooFlyer). Before heading off, Mob organised a hotel driver to pick us up the following morning.

There is an up-market shopping next to the Hyatt and we decided to check it out...

Like most shopping centres, this one had a food hall and we decided that Barrels craft brewery was the place for dinner and refreshments

:

Of course I had to do the tasting...

My favourite was the dark ale

Our dinner; Get it India!

I should mention that the BrewMaster invited me to do a tour of the (small) brewing room which was greatly appreciated. I seem to remember taking some photos but they are nowhere to be seen; maybe I just had another brew or two and intended to take some photos

Jacques Vert · Mar 9, 2019

Next morning our 'stand-in driver' arrived right on time and took us to ATQ for our flight to Delhi:

Flight 9W-340 (Jet Airways)
Dep: 10:10 Amritsar
Arr:11:25 Delhi
Class: Discount Economy..............Oh the shame

Fortunately it was only a short flight. Uneventful and pretty much your standard Y experience anywhere in the world; so much so +1 didn't remember to take any photos.

On arrival in DEL, there was Mob waiting for us, looking as professional as ever; and the car was again spotless.

We were headed south (a little more than 4 hours drive); a common scene on the highways is this area...

Jacques Vert · Mar 9, 2019

ITC Mughal

Our digs for the next two nights: the ITC Mughal.

As I understand it, ITC stands for the Indian Tobacco Company. Apparently they are trying to diversify away from Tobacco: I hope they succeed and move away from Tobacco altogether.

ITC are a Marriott partner and despite being booked through Magan, the check-in agent recognised my Platinum states and upgraded us to a suite and gave us lounge access much appreciated

This is a beautiful property..,

the bar area...

the overflow area for the bar...

Jacques Vert · Mar 10, 2019

Agra

Next morning it was an early start; breakfast before dawn and into the car for a short drive. We arrived at the Taj just on dawn..

Jacques Vert · Mar 16, 2019

Some more views of the Taj...

Jacques Vert · Mar 16, 2019

And a couple more before we move on (including the surrounding buildings)...

Jacques Vert · Mar 16, 2019

So after a couple of hours at the Taj, it was back to the ITC Mughal for a late breakfast...

Jacques Vert · Mar 16, 2019

Agra Fort

According to Wikipedia (Agra Fort - Wikipedia):

Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas. The Agra fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.[1] It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.

Jacques Vert · Mar 25, 2019

Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (Agra)

According to Wikipedia: (I'timād-ud-Daulah kā Maqbara) is a Mughal mausoleum in the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Often described as a "jewel box", sometimes called the "Baby Taj", the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal.

Along with the main building, the structure consists of numerous outbuildings and gardens. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628 represents a transition between the first phase of monumental Mughal architecture – primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, as in Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and Akbar's tomb in Sikandra – to its second phase, based on white marble and pietra dura inlay, most elegantly realized in the Taj Mahal.

The mausoleum was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, originally a Persian Amir in exile,[1] who had been given the title of I'timād-ud-Daulah (pillar of the state). Mirzā Ghiyās Beg was also the grandfather of Mumtāz Mahāl (originally named Arjumand Bano, daughter of Asaf Khan), the wife of the emperor Shah Jahan, responsible for the construction of the Taj Mahal. Nur Jahan was also responsible for the construction of the Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore.