🇮🇳Intriguing India

Fun Fact: Cochin means coconut because the city is the land of coconuts.

Spending six days in India was definitely a whirlwind of emotions and never left me a second without being in awe. The first day in India, I went on a tour of the Highlights of Kochi (Cochin). We went around to see the most important sights of the city, such as, the Chinese Fishing Nets, St. Francis Church, Jew Street, and Kochi’s first Synagogue. The majority of my week was spent touring around Delhi, Old Delhi and Agra, to see the magnificent Taj Mahal! I traveled with a Semester at Sea program on the Urban Village Community Service Project and Taj Mahal visit. We flew to Delhi on day two to spend two days with elementary students at a government school, touring their home village and conversing with women in the crafting business. I spent my two days with a 5th grade class teaching long division, geography, English and learning a bit of Hindi from the students as well! It was such a blessing getting to spend so much time with these kids while learning about their families and culture from first-hand experiences. I was roped into a group of about 7 young girls and a few boys that begged me to braid my hair. After they braided my hair and adorned it with floral accents, they proceeded to parade me around the school showing off their up-do masterpiece. That same group of kids also made it their mission to teach me as much Hindi as they could while I was there. I learned counting to ten, basic greetings and various classroom-related words. Our group also got to meet with a few crafting ladies of the village to discuss their business and details of Diwali. I bought a handmade bucket hat that is reversible in color and pattern from the women and they also gifted us all with a handmade fabric folder.

Diwali is the Hindi Festival of Lights. It is much like Christmas in terms of celebration. The whole country of India is lit up by various forms of lights, such as candles, paper lanterns, string lights or street lights! The day begins with the women dressing in their most exquisite saris and decorating their arms and legs in intricate designs of henna. They eat breakfast before the sun rises and continue to fast throughout the day until the sun sets. The rest of the daylight hours are spent preparing meals for the whole family in the evening and praying for the long-life and well-being of their husbands and the other men in their lives. Nearly all businesses and offices are shut down for the week and sometimes the whole month to celebrate the Festival of Lights. At the end of the day, families gather to watch the moon rise and fireworks explode into the darkness of the night. They then enjoy a hearty meal together.

After learning about Diwali and spending time with the kids and women of the Bandhwari Village, our program group set out to visit the world’s largest spice market in Old Delhi. We rode around the packed streets of the Spice Market in rickshaws that carry up to four passengers. The streets were so tightly packed with pedestrians, rickshaws, cars and scooters that the traffic was bumper to bumper, literally. Pedestrians weave in and around the vehicles as traffic stops and goes. There was so many things happening at once and I couldn’t possibly look at everything as my eyes darted back and forth out the sides of the rickshaw. I bought a few different types of loose tea leaves to try once I get home! The World’s Largest Spice Market will surely have your senses on overload in all the best ways!

Our last day in Delhi was spent driving to Agra to catch the magnificent Taj Mahal for sunset. The bus ride was 5 hours each way, but boy was it worth it! The line at the entrance weaved up and down the sidewalk as people shuffled along in the gates like cattle. There are no words to describe how I felt walking through the gates entering to the front courtyards of the Taj. Referring to the Taj Mahal as one of the Modern Wonders of the World really does encompass the acute detail put into the building of this architectural masterpiece. Seeing the setting sun paint the skies behind the purely white exterior of the Taj gave the perfect backdrop to this surreal experience. The warm rays of the sun as it sunk below the horizon casted illuminating highlights on the wonderous tomb. My jaw was literally dragging across the ground as I walked around the grounds snapping pictures and admiring the beauty of the iconic domed building.

If you ever find yourself in India, do take the trip to Agra to experience the Taj Mahal. It will leave you with lasting impressions and appreciation for the ingenious work of carpenters of our world.

Below are a few pictures from my travels through India! Enjoy!!

Jaiden Lynn 🙂

Author: Jaiden Lynn

Hello friends! I am a spunky 26 year old who lives for travel to experience as much of this beautiful earth as possible! Follow my blog to keep up with my adventures! If you feel inclined to support my blog with a donation, please check out the 'Blog Support' page under the main menu. Jump into the journey with me!! View all posts by Jaiden Lynn