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When In India | written by: Dalal Shafi AlMahboub

The 23rd of January,2017 was the awaited day for 64 people. The day were the “PAAET Faculty Association” along with their friends and families were headed to India. I could speak for myself and say that I didn’t really know what to expect, all I knew was that a new adventure was waiting ahead.  
Through out the flight I was certainly drowned with thoughts and the feeling of excitement. “Were all those stories and tales true” and “Is it really as breath taking as it was described?”, those were the two main questions that had taken over my mind. Needless to say that the excitement and enthusiasm kept me awake and counting every minute left until the landing.

The trip was divided into three Major cities that were: New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. Also known as the “Golden Triangle”. Each city has its own story, its own vibe and its own rhythm. First Stop was New Delhi where the first day was set to rest, so the adventures rolled in at day two. The first site seeing visit was The Islamic monument “Qutab Minar”. Built in the 6th century according to the Islamic Hijry date, this place sure was a place where religion and peace has given a graceful touch. The Qutab Minar was said to be approximately 1600 years old. It was a museum that kept the people upon different religions wondering and left them with many questions. This was a place that our beloved religion Islam takes over the atmosphere with its beautiful Islamic architecture. After that we visited “Hamayon Graveyard”. Dedicated to “Hamayon” this graveyard was actually built by his wife “Baja Bejoum”. Instead of making it a place of sadness and depression it was far from that. “Hamayon” was surprisingly beautiful besides its main purpose. The place was alive even though it was for the dead, with its eye filling garden and engraved pillar’s. There were more than 100 shrines involved all over. The garden had water running through and around it. The Islamic elements was not left out in any sense were the shrines had “La Elah Ela Allah Muhammad Rasoul Allah” in Arabic written on them. Due to the fact that its was the Republic Day of India on the 26th of January, many places and roads were closed down so some adventures had to be postponed.

Soon enough, it was time for the second stop, my personal favorite which was Jaipur. Jaipur, commonly know as The Pink City was surely a place that had kindness and joy flowing all around. There was much to see in this city but so little time, so everybody put their comfortable sneakers on and headed for an adventure. First stop was the astonishing “Amber Port”. When we arrived our eyes were quickly drawn to the fact that we had to ride elephants just to get to the top of the Port. An amazing tourist attraction that certainly was unforgettable. After the fun elephant ride which its purpose was to get us to the top, we had reached the port. The weather was amazing and the breeze of the winds made it even more worth being there. Each wind carried the smell of India, its nature and its beauty. We looked around and the view kept on getting more breath-taking with every step we took. No picture and no words could explain how being at that place was and how it felt, but sadly it soon ended and it was time for us to head to the next destination. Our second destination was much more scientific, a place that time and space was the main focus. Geometric devices were used to measure the time. Points, angles and the shade of the sun was used for the time as well as tracking stars in their orbits. For lovers of Astrology, there was a structure representing each star sign. After that quick academic stop, our final site for the day was the most famous museum in Jaipur which goes by the name The City Palace. This Museum combines the art of history and cultures. A place where the culture was kept locked and safe for people to see through out the years and decade’s. This place was a “Synthesis of Rajasthani and Mughal styles”. The museum showcased the belongings of the royals that date back to the 15th century. The Jaipur visit was ended by visiting local markets, such as Bapu Bazaar. Soon we packed up and headed to Agra.

After a long and exhausting 9hr drive, we had finally arrived to the long awaited Agra. There was a reason why this drive took 9hrs when it was supposed to be 6hrs, and that reason was because we had taken a break to visit the amazing “Fatephur Sikri” built by the “Emperor Akbar” himself as his headquarters. The place was outstanding, designed in such a smart way. “Fatephur Sikri” was built to suit all of his wishes and needs. It was place for him to rest, work and even had a place for him to enjoy his interest such as musical one’s. You would think that the place had it all but sadly it didn’t. He had to leave this place due to the shortage of water. Never the less the place was kept safe and polished through out the years by the UNESCO and it is today a world heritage site. After that we continued of drive and safely arrived to Agra.

30/1/2017. The date we had all been anxiously waiting for, for some of us it was the main reason why they decided to visit the Land of India. It was the day to visit the ever so famous, one of the seven wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal. From the moment we walked in, we were completely breath taken, astonished and mind blown. The Taj Mahal was even more extraordinary in real life and it was hard to describe how amazing this place actually is. Gorgeous in every angle, symmetrical and the marble looks like it had been put together yesterday. Islamic writings left a beautifully unique statement on the Taj Mahal, a reflection of beauty and religion. Even though the view from far away was beautiful, every step we took and the closer we got things got even more unbelievably amazing. A love story turned into a wonder, from love a king who had for his queen to an astounding work of art. Taking a total of 22 years to built and 20,000 workers in total, Emperor Shah Jahan built The Taj Mahal as an expression for his love, his wife Mumtaz Mahal. After passing away she was buried inside. Following up years later her husband joined her and was buried next to his beloved queen. A love story that had shaken the world for centuries and still gives people shivers every time they see it.

That was our summed up journey in India. No words can describe what we saw and what we felt. I still remember how it felt touching a cashmere shawl for the first time and looking at all the different patterns and being fascinated by them. The blend of the colors and the unique-ness of every style. Every museum every market had its own essence. India surely describes the combination beauty and culture. Everything represents something, everything had it own touch. The things that tie it all together is that the people of India themselves are proud of their region and proud of their history, you can easily see it in their eyes. Overall, I would like to say that we thank god for every moment we had. الحمدلله على كل لحظة

Written by:

Dalal Shafi AlMahboub

دلال شافي المحبوب – جامعة الشرق الأوسط – تخصص هندسة الكمبيوتر

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