Finally back at Delhi, we proceeded to do what would undoubtedly remain the highlight of our trip... shopping. After raiding the markets of Karol Bhag and Sarojini Nagar you would except us to be satiated with our loot which required us to get a huge (hiking style) backpack.. however we wanted to go back and buy more of the rs. 50 skirts and Capris, the Rs 75 pants, 100 rupee shirts and 200 rupee jeans! Like a friend said, we would have to wait and see if the sleeve falls off that shirt.. however while it lasts we are sure to enjoy it!
As we sat on the plane to head back home to Chennai.. the past week ran in my mind and the images swarmed my head! After all the excitement it was difficult to shut my eye and relax.. Instead I flipped out a pen and my e-ticket and started to write with fervent ardor!
In the labyrinths of a city so warm,
Finally some breeze rises hither;
The colors of brick and mortar left far behind,
The cool green of the trees rushes to welcome!
As we traverse the bushes, down the pebbled path,
The urchins look at us in wonder;
And we at them, for they own this gorgeous place!
Their eyes ask, who are these camera laden nomads,
Trespassing our blissful haven?
And lo behold the miracle in white...
The surroundings have now been forgotten!
There she stands gleaming a creamy hue now..
As the sun gently lights her while it prepares for bed!
My eyes refuse to blink for fear,
lest the vision where to (even momentarily) disappear!
We linger long and cant take our eyes away...
But the night begins to engulf the less trodden paths...
With a sorry heart and a heavy tread..
We slowly turn and leave her there!
For we leave a part of us behind!
But we can rest assured, that when we go back;
she will stand tall and beckon us in her splendor!
The view of Taj from Mehtab Bagh is one that will stay in my mind's eye forever.. it is a must see in Agra.. At dusk this view is so much better and gorgeous than even seeing Taj up close!
There they stand unshakable and tall,
Having seen men rise and fall!
Stories told and those untold,
They mutely watched them all unfold!
And after all these eons have passed,
I walk through the same old
paths!I press my ears on the tall red walls,
And peer down the depths of the dark corridors!
I urge them to tell me the forgotten tales,
Of valor, of conspiracy, yet the mystery prevails!
Was that a whisper from centuries beyond?
Was that a wisp of a figure long gone?
As I walk on through the enormous corridors,
The mystery and lore swirl and engulf!
The walls whisper to me their muted secrets,
And the paintings show me a window to the past!
I am torn and let the stories swirl..
I am torn, do I return to today's world?
If you guessed that I am going to bore you with a recap.. you were right!! These poems have been cross posted at Creative Outbursts
5 comments:
That was such a interesting account of your travel - I can't wait to do the same route next year !! If you have any tips do let me know as we will be travelling in end of July.
2BM - July is actually a bad time to go to these places.. as it is still pretty warm at that time.. howevre if you have to do it at that time like us, plan for a leisurely itinerary so you can see places in the morning and evening and rest in the afternoon! Again some places like Jaipur.. everything closes at 5, so you have to do it in 2 days... Use makemytrip.com to plan the flight/train and hotel accommodation. Again double check the hotel reviews with trip ad visor too.. to be doubly sure. Also get contacts for some good travels/ taxi/ auto guys as they can be half the trouble! A good guide book like lonely planet or rough guides is a big help. Good luck with it.. let me know if you need any other info :)
i think it was a great idea to do travel posts esp when the experience is fresh in your mind...i'm still in the process of penning down something about my australia trip..sigh
and july is not a great month to travel in the north...post october should be ideal
Lovely poetry….reflects how MUCH u appreciated the Taj and how mesmerized u were..by her!
N love these series of travel posts by you…I think u’ve tempted pretty much everyone to go on the same trip that u did! It will also help refresh Cheeky’s memories several years later!
As for shopping! Yippee! I love love love shopping in delhi. N rgdg the quality of the clothes… frankly, as far as my experience goes..these clothes will remain usable for long…just try to avoid washing them too many times(bright-colored clothes MAY lose color)..but even with frequent washin..they ll last ATLEAST a year! N 50 rs kapda..for a year..is a brilliant deal anywez! I yet have some tops n kurtis that I purchased in Apr 2005 n they look lovely n YET fetch me compliments.
One other tip..i suggest that before u leave india…u take all the stuff u bought to a tailor’s and ask him to give double stitches on the clothes…the stitches of readymade clothes tend to come off easily n that’s a major prob in the us unless of course unlike me..u know how to sew.
So when do u return to pardes?
Preethi, we can't avoid travelling in July as we are going there for my dad's 70th Birthday which is in July. Ideally, I would prefer to go there in December. North is nice and cold at that time and south is manageable.
May be closer to the travel time, I will mail you for some info.
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