India : Heading to Agra

Continuation from here ...

Around 7.15am, I checked out from the hostel and walked to the railway station. My train to Agra would depart at 8.10am. The station is just 5 minutes walk from my hostel but I decided to go there early. Since it was my first journey with the Indian Railways, and New Delhi Railway Station is one of the largest station in India, I thought I should be there earlier just to be prepared.

There are display boards at the train station displaying the scheduled train name and its number, its departure time and departing platform. 

 

I checked my ticket and the display board, and headed to my train's platform, Platform 8. Altogether, New Delhi Railway Station (or NDLS for short, also as stated in your train ticket) has 16 platforms. 

I looked around the platform and all I saw was the locals looking curiously at me. Agra is one of the most popular destinations in India so I was expecting to see fellow foreign travellers at the platform. When I saw none in sight, I thought to myself, did I go to the correct platform? I was convinced I was at the right platform though so I just waited there.

It hit me a moment later. Of course they took the earlier train, the Shatabdi Express (number 12002). This express train departs at 6.15am and arrives at 8.12am in Agra so most travellers will opt for this train. Unfortunately, it was already full at the time of my booking.

As my trip was during the peak period (Christmas - New Year holiday), it was fortunate that I was able to get a seat on one of the trains. My train, Hirakund Express (number 18508), is a long distance train operating between Amritsar Junction station in Punjab to Visakhapatnam Junction station in Visakhapatnam. The route covers a total of 2574 km.  

I got a seat at 3A class for only Rs301. It was quite cheap as Shatabdi Express will cost Rs370 for the CC class and Rs700 for the 1A class.

A few minutes later, a Mat Salleh couple turned up. Ok I was at the correct platform. hahaha... We said hi to each other and talked about our journey. They also wanted to take the earlier Shatabdi Express but it was already full.

The train arrived around 7.50am. Thank God it wasn't delayed as I heard a few announcements about some delayed trains due to the heavy fog. It was a Thursday so we couldn't afford the train to be delayed as Taj Mahal, the main attraction in Agra is closed on Friday. So we MUST arrive in Agra that day, no matter what.

When the train stopped in front of me, I saw the coach number S5. My coach number was B1. The train was super longgg so finding our coach would be a challenge.

Okayyy.. so where should we head now? To the left or to the right?

All the coaches are numbered so you can always refer to your train ticket which coach you would be in. The couple and I were in the same coach, B1 so we walked together finding our coach.

It is actually easy to find the coach as they are numbered according to classes. Each class will have a number of coaches per train.

Class 2A is numbered as A1, A2 and so on while Class 3A coaches are identified as B1, B2 and so on. As for the sleeper class, they are indexed as S1, S2, S3 and so on. These sleeper class are usually the main chunk of an express train, with about 10-15 coaches per train.

So as the train passed you while stopping, look out for the coach number. Tak la terpinga-pinga nak pergi arah mana like us previously. :p

We went in our coach and looked out for our seat number. The train departed from Amritsar the night before so some people were still sleeping. 

As I explained in my previous post, class 3A has six beds in each compartment. When I found my seat number, the upper and the middle beds had already been folded down for passengers to sit. There were three other Mat Sallehs already seated in the compartment. They were heading to Agra too.

The train departed at 8.10am sharp. The journey took around 3 hours and 30 minutes. We arrived in Agra Cantonment station at almost noon.

I wasted no time and quickly went out of the railway station. There is a pre-paid auto-rickshaw booth just outside the station. The fares to each area are already fixed so you don't have to worry about your haggling skill or being overcharged by the driver.

I asked to be sent to Taj Ganj, a backpacker area immediately south of Taj Mahal. The ride only cost me Rs100.

Chowk Kagzi at Taj Ganj

Before coming to Agra, I actually searched through the Internet looking for hostels to stay in but I found none of the choices given were suitable. I then found one hotel in my guide book which looked good. The hotel is situated within walking distance to Taj Mahal so I thought it was a very good deal. Unfortunately when I contacted them through email, they didn't reply it. :(

But considering the location and the price, I decided to gamble and tried my luck. If they're full, I would just walk around and find other hotel or hostels. So I asked the auto-rickshaw driver to send me to the hotel, Shanti Lodge.

I guessed throughout this trip, lady luck was on my side. Luckily they had a vacant room. The staff showed me the room at the annexe building just behind the main building and I immediately agreed. 

 the annexe building at the back

Accommodation in India, if you managed to find the right one, is really cheap. I got this double room for only Rs400!

Well, the room was good enough for me. 

I put my bag, refreshed myself and in no time, I was ready to go out.
 

India : Delhi (part 6)

Continuation from here ...

So there's another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi. Man, they have three World Heritage Site in only one city. Impressive right? Just shows how rich India is with history...

From Jama Masjid, I was lazy to walk back to Chandni Chowk metro station so I hailed an auto-rickshaw in front of Meena Bazaar to get to my next destination. As I was about to show the driver my haggling skill, he pointed his hand to the meter. Wahhh.. I couldn't believe my luck. I thought finding an auto-rickshaw driver who still uses meter was almost impossible in this city.

The site I was going, Humayun's Tomb, is located in South Delhi. We passed by a fort, Purana Qila, on the way to the tomb but I thought I've just visited the Red Fort earlier so one fort was enough. The fort was founded by Humayun and it used to be his capital. If you have extra days in Delhi maybe you can check it out.

The driver dropped me by the roadside nearby the parking lots. After a long ride (the distance was almost 9km), I was charged only Rs55! *happy tears*

As soon as I stepped down from the auto-rickshaw, guess what I saw. A cobra peeking from a basket! Yes. A snake charmer was standing by the roadside, holding a basket containing a cobra. :O He just looked around like he was waiting for someone but I guessed he's waiting for interested tourists to watch his performance. Yeah they don't perform for free ok. Sorry no picture of him cos I was too afraid to lift up my camera. But now I regret it cos throughout my trip afterwards, I didn't see any snake charmers around. Perhaps, it is true that this snake charming profession is in danger of dying out.

I was afraid of snakes so I quickly walked past him heading to the ticket counter.

entrance gateway to Humayun's Tomb

 Upon entering, my eyes caught this beautiful monument.

It looks familiar, right?

Standing majestically at the centre of a garden, the tomb holds a similarity to the much more famous tomb, the Taj Mahal. It was built before Taj Mahal though.

To get to the tomb, you need to climb rather steep steps. It could be tough for some, especially the elders.

During my visit, a lot of preservation works were going on but still, it was worth a visit.

Combination of red sandstone and white marble, with elements of Islamic, Indian and Persian architecture make this building stands out.

inside the main chamber

A little info about Humayun: he was the second Mughal Emperor, succeeding his father, Babur. The tomb was built by the order of his wife, 9 years after his death.

Humayun's cenotaph stands alone in the main chamber

The tomb was the very first Mughal garden tomb. The gardens incorporate Persian-style garden layout, known as Charbagh. Charbagh means four gardens, where the garden is divided by walkways or flowing water into four smaller parts.

Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station is just across the street so sometimes you can hear the horn sounds by the trains and even the announcement made from the station.

There are several other monuments outside the tomb compound.

One of them is the Arab Sarai. It is a rest house for the workers and craftsmen who were actually engaged in building the Humayun's Tomb. 



gateway into Arab Sarai



the Arab Sarai ruins

This is the Afsarwala mosque.

It is said there's an unidentified tomb located adjacent to the mosque but I didn't see it.

Humayun's Tomb is open daily.

Visiting hours are from sunrise to sunset.

Entrance fee is Rs250 for foreigners and Rs10 for Indians.

Direction: Take Metro Purple Line and stop at JLN Stadium or on Metro Blue Line stop at Pragati Maidan. From there auto-rickshaw will cost around Rs50.  

I went out from the tomb compound and walked towards the roadside, secretly hoping the snake charmer was still there. Who knew I might be able to watch his performance. But he was nowhere to be seen so I hailed an auto-rickshaw to the nearest metro station. The driver drove me to JLN Stadium metro station which cost only Rs50. 

The Red Fort, Jain Lal Mandir, Jama Masjid, Humayun's Tomb, I've covered quite a lot that day. I thought of going back to the hostel and have a rest but it was only 4pm. Still early to call it a day. 

So I decided to go to another attraction in Delhi, the Akshardam Temple. The journey by Metro was quite interesting because it crossed the Yamuna river and the views were great. From the metro station, it was only a short walk to the temple. 

Direction: Take Metro Blue Line and stop at Akshardam. 

Cameras, mobile phones and any electronic equipments are prohibited inside there. You can deposit them at the cloakroom outside.

The security check was quite rigorous so please do not try to sneak in the prohibited items. If they find it, you will be sent back to the cloakroom to deposit the items and join the queue again. Also, remember to dress modestly as those wearing shorts and short skirt are not allowed to enter the temple.

The main temple is enormous and covered with fine carvings. It has nine domes and over 200 pillars and was built in just 5 years by more than 11000 workers and volunteers. It stands on top of a spectacular elephant platform with a hand carved frieze covered in life sized elephants and other animals. The temple stands on the plinth which in turn is surrounded by a square lake of sacred water. 

The temple is definitely a stunning piece of art. But sorry no photos cos I had to deposit everything in the cloakroom. You have to come here to see it yourself. 

Out from the temple, it was almost dark. I went back to Paharganj, had my dinner and walked around the bazaar for the last time. Tomorrow, I would be going to Agra!  

India : Delhi (part 5)

Continuation from here ...

Just opposite the Red Fort, across the main road is the Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir. This is the oldest Jain temple in Delhi. Since there was no admission charge, I went in to have a look. Note that you need to take off your shoes before entering the temple area.

Inside, there is a small courtyard and I saw people just sitting on the bench enjoying the peaceful ambience. The main praying area is on the first floor. You can go in and meditate but in this area; mobile, cameras etc are not allowed. 

I spent just around half an hour in there and continued my walk to another place of interest nearby.

In the same area, Old Delhi; lies the largest mosque in India, Jama Masjid. From Jain Lal Mandir, walk to the right around 500m until you see the entrance to Meena Bazaar Jama Masjid.

It is actually easy to see the mosque because this grand structure stands on a small hill so you can see its minaret from a distance. 

However, I took a short cut and walked through some narrow old alleys. While walking here, I saw the homeless people taking shelter just outside the mosque. It was so heartbreaking seeing them, whom I believe were Muslims. Heartbreaking to see the poverty in India, and also heartbreaking because I couldn't help them. 

Anyway, both routes will eventually lead to Gate 2 of the mosque. 

The gate to the mosque is monitored by police as there were a couple of terrorism incidents here before. In 2006, there were explosions within the mosque and in 2010, a gunmen opened fire nearby the mosque.

From the small gate, broad staircases lead to gateways on the east, south and northern sides of the mosque.

Upon entering the gateway, you will be asked to pay Rs200 if you have a camera with you. I was startled when a guy asked me to pay for the camera fee. I thought he was trying to con me so I was hesitant to pay. I referred to my guide book and confirmed about the fee.

It is quite weird because other monuments in India do not have this camera fee. I guess it's because the entrance to the mosque is free so they charge you other fees. Oh well, it's a mosque so I just paid for it. Considered it as 'sedekah'.

Also, you need to take off your shoes here. I didn't wanna leave my shoes outside the gateway as there were many visitors at that time, so what I did was I put my shoes in a plastic bag and took them in with me. Alternatively, you can leave your shoes outside and have a custodian guard it for you for a small tip.

Eastern Gate

Commissioned by Shah Jahan, the very same Mughal Emperor who built Taj Mahal, and the founder of Old Delhi, this mosque combines the best of the Hindu and Islamic architectures.

prayer area inside the mosque

the mihrab

ablution area

As it's a place of worship, do note that you have to dress appropriately when visiting the mosque. Ladies with short skirts, shorts or sleeveless top may be asked to wear a robe. Like the ladies below.
 

As I mentioned earlier, this mosque is the largest mosque in India. Its courtyard is large enough to accommodate about 25,000 worshippers at a time!

the large courtyard

For Rs200, you can climb up one of the minarets for a bird's-eye view of the city. Sadly I couldn't as they didn't allow single ladies to go up themselves. Apparently, you have to be accompanied by a man.

I stayed for a while until it was almost time for Zuhur prayer. The non-Muslims were ushered to go out from the mosque. Just moments after that, a young guy came and spreaded the red carpets for the prayer. The early-comers then went to perform the sunnah prayer. 

Shortly, the azan, or Islamic call to prayer were recited. Staying inside the mosque, a proud feeling crept over me. Hearing an azan being called out in a country whose main religion is not Islam was definitely great.

Jama Masjid is open daily.

Visiting hours are from dawn to dusk. However, it will be closed during prayer times

Entrance fee is free of charge but you have to pay Rs200 if you bring a camera.

Direction: Take Metro Yellow Line and stop at Chawri Bazaar. 

I spent some time wandering around the Meena Bazaar and moved on to my next destination, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

to be continued...