Submitted by Madeline Greenly on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in India …
We have arrived back In Delhi, and finally got to experience the many shops and long winding streets that are Old Delhi. There are many things to see here, and it was pretty overwhelming at first. Very quickly I took to liking it. Old Delhi is exactly how I pictured all of India to look, just from all the stories I have heard from people and the pictures I have seen on the internet. It’s packed, fast paced, exploding with colors, sounds, and speeding rickshaws. We got the opportunity to visit Jama Masjid, which is one of the largest Mosques in India. It was absolutely gorgeous. We had to remove our shoes to enter and don some robes over our clothing. Afterwards we braved the streets, weaving in and out of the crowds and stopping quickly to buy Knick knacks, spices and tea.
After old Delhi we were off to Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located. There is really nothing that could have prepared me for the sight of this thing. Shah Jahan was the emperor that commissioned the Taj Mahal to be built, in honor of his favorite wife. It was built with walls surrounding it so that the building is not visible until you are directly in front of it. It was huge, with stunning white marble inlaid with many precious gems and stones. Flowers were carved into the walls, the petals gleaming with vibrant colors. We took hundreds of pictures, none of them really doing the building justice. Many pictures were taken of us as well. By this time we were accustomed to it, so we told many people to kindly delete them.
Following this we visited Agra fort, which was bigger than it looked on the outside. Many places were blocked off and were being used by the Indian military. We were shocked to learn what we had only explored about ⅓ of the entire fort. The same flowers and stones that decorated the Taj Mahal also appeared in the craftsmanship of these walls.
Next, we were off to Jaipur. Here we tried many Rajasthani dishes, and watched a bollywood movie called Fighter. It reminds me a ton of Top Gun, except this film had two amazing dance scenes. The whole movie experience felt more like a broadway show than a movie theater. People were cheering, taking videos with their phones, and there was even an intermission. While in Jaipur, we also visited the Amer Fort. This place was massive, located on top of a huge hill. We ran around in the upper levels of the fort, looking down from the fort’s walls at the many tourists below. Many people had come there to take pictures for their engagements. They donned wedding attire, and posed with each other romantically in the beautiful curving archways. We also visited the Monkey temple, Hawa Mahal, and the royal palace.
Soon we will be leaving India. We are back in Delhi currently, and we will explore more of Old Delhi today for more shopping. I’m going to try and find the oldest perfume shop in Delhi today. Crossing my fingers…
I have learned and experienced so much while studying in India. Each day has been jam packed with activities and traveling. Being with such a small group, 7 girls total, has been so much fun. I believe the friendships I made on this trip will continue through my lifetime. I am always going to miss the mountains we climbed, the momos we ate, and the people we met. I have had the privilege to explore so many places in India thanks to our amazing professor Dr. Barua. I fully plan on returning to India one day! (Submitted on January 29, 2024)
