It would be difficult to argue that I’ve ever known real scarcity, but there have been a few times in our travels when we’ve been left totally without cash and without an obvious way to access it. The first time was when, due to a sort of banking mixup, we ended up with no money in the only account for which we had a working ATM card. This was in Turkey, if I recall, during our 2008-09 big trip, and our friend Shan came to our rescue, quickly depositing a few thousand dollars into our bank account. Just the other month, we were staying overnight in the small village of Xidi in Anhui Province, China, which we discovered had only one ATM, connected only through the Chinese UnionPay network, and not Cirrus or Plus. We had enough money for our room but not for dinner or transport back to Hangzhou—our friend Haiping came to our aid with a quick WeChat virtual payment made from Hong Kong. Today, I was not the victim of my own poor planning, but one of the billion plus affected by the Modi government’s apparently rash plan to rid the country of “black money.” On the evening of November 8, the Indian Prime Minister announced that all existing 500 and 1000 rupee notes—over twenty billion bills that constituted about 85% of the Indian money supply—were to be worthless as of midnight, and must be exchanged for new 500 and 2000 rupee bills. There was an immediate shortage of cash everywhere, with ATMs emptying as soon as could be stocked with the new bills and businesses not able to make change. 
We wandered all over town looking for money, finally waiting in line for about half an hour when we found a stocked ATM. (The line wasn’t even that long, but the ATM was hideously slow with a confusing interface.) 
Success! It is easy to view the chaos that resulted as typically Indian. Disorder on the order of billions is, after all, a sort of hallmark of the world’s largest democracy. The decrease in economic activity will hit GDP substantially, though estimates vary, and of course there’s a corruption angle to even this anti-corruption measure—it is said that leaks allowed those who were connected to launder their money in advance. But for all the short term disruption, the possible benefits are clear. In one fell swoop, the government rid the economy of billions of dollars in counterfeit and illegally obtained hoards of cash. For example, it was almost universal for Indian real estate transactions to have both a legal component and an under-the-table component, for purposes of tax evasion. Such large black market payments would now be difficult. Entire industries ran on the unreported cash economy, and may now have to be formalized. Buying a US$3 lunch with a credit card today (the restaurant couldn’t provide change for our 2000 rupee notes), it occurred to me that the government will have from this cash shortage period all sorts of new data on the volume of transactions done by businesses, revenues that probably went entirely unreported on the cash economy. Lack of cash is not only triggering the use of ordinary credit cards but also new mobile wallet schemes, the growth of which will help India not only locally but perhaps establish systems and brands that it can then market, using its IT prowess, around the world. The long term consequences will of course be unclear for a while, but India does have perhaps a unique . . . tolerance? ability? to muddle through chaos, and things seemed to be working out. Our hotel was obviously grateful when we handed them approximately $60 in rupee notes to settle our bill, but Uber to the airport was as smooth and cashless as anywhere else.
Category: India
Back in 2009, I put together a pretty thorough post on train travel in India, including the booking system, different classes of travel, and things you’re likely to see while riding the Indian rails. This is a supplement of that post, including descriptions of some of the different kinds of trains that are available (some with distinct classes of service).
Also, an update on booking: In addition to the Indian Railways (IRCTC) website, which has always been a horror to use (and which does not currently accept overseas credit cards), you can now book train tickets on third party sites through a bridge to the Indian Railways, including my favorite, Cleartrip. Cleartrip, in addition to providing a very pleasant and simple booking interface, has iPhone Passbook integration, bringing Indian rail travel into the 21st century. Please refer to the indispensable www.seat61.com for details on how to set up your IRCTC and Cleartrip accounts.
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If you’ve traveled a great deal around India by train, you’ve probably noticed that there are some “special” types of trains, with different levels of service and fares. One might argue that these trains add complexity to an already complex system, but knowing what they are and offer is important for frequent riders.
The “special” train that travelers are most likely to experience is the Shatabdi Express, which are the fastest and most luxurious daytime trains in the Indian train system. Many travelers end up taking the New Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi, which departs New Delhi Railway Station for Agra Cantonment Railway Station in the early morning and returns in the late evening, allowing a full day of sightseeing in Agra on a convenient daytrip. This particular run, which takes about two hours, also contains the fastest stretch of the Indian rails, at a maximum speed of 150 km/hr. Shatabdi Express trains offer only AC Chair Car and Executive classes, and cost a pretty hefty premium relative to other trains–but also include meals, tea service and bottled water. In Executive Class the servers also wear nifty outfits! (Unfortunately I don’t have a picture, so you’ll just have to be surprised.)
The overnight equivalent of the Shatabdi Express is the Rajdhani Express. Rajdhani means “capital,” and the Rajdhani Express trains link Delhi to the largest cities in India. Rajdhanis, like Shatabdis, include free meals and snacks, and are all AC (1AC, 2AC and 3AC classes).
Even faster than the Rajdhani is the Duronto (“restless”) Express, which is a nonstop service. It’s actually pretty impressive that these nonstop services exist, given the significant distances they cover. What other train systems have 16-20 hour journeys without a single stop?
The Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duronto are premium services. The Indian Rail also has special economical services, the Janshatabdi and Garib Rath.
The Janshatabdi Express, or “common” shatabdi, offers similarly fast service as a Shatabdi, but instead of Executive and AC Chair Car classes, has AC Chair Car and Second Class, and no free meals. The Garib Rath offers service that is similar to a Rajdhani, but offers only 3AC and AC Chair Car. Garib Raths are unusual in two respects: they are basically the only trains to offer an air-conditioned seated class for long distance trains, and the 3AC is a special “tighter” configuration that allows more berths per car, and correspondingly lower fares.
And, of course, the suburban rails. With subways being built in so many Indian cities now (Delhi’s system is ever expanding, while Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi and Jaipur are building out new systems), the suburban rail systems may not last too much longer… but with their open air configurations, they can be quite a joy to ride, as long as not during crowded rush hours.
Categories
Delhi QuickTrip: Pushkar
Pushkar’s camel fair, which takes place in the fall, is deservedly one of India’s most famous festivals. Derek and I went together in 2003, and Derek again, alone, in 2009. Last weekend, we thought we’d try Pushkar sans fair, and found it a very enjoyable getaway.
To get to Pushkar, we traveled by the Haridwar Ahmedabad Mail, which is scheduled to leave Old Delhi Railway Station at 10:20 PM and arrive in Ajmer at 6:40 AM, though our train ran a bit late. We traveled via 2AC tickets we bought last minute using the tatkal system. We returned to Delhi on the Ajmer Jat Express, which leaves Ajmer at 2:15 PM and arrives at Delhi Cantonment at 9:13 (and New Delhi Railway Station a bit later). If tickets had been available, we would probably have preferred the Shatabdi, which leaves Ajmer at 3:45 PM and arrives at New Delhi Railway Station at 10:40 PM. Those comfortable taking an overnight train back to Delhi could take the Chetak Express, which leaves Ajmer at 10:45 PM and arrives at Delhi’s S Rohilla Station at 5:10 AM.
In Ajmer, we took a quick look at Ajmer’s most famous site before we headed out to Pushkar. A short autorickshaw ride away from the railway station is the famous shrine of Sufi saint Muinuddin Chisti, which is probably the most significant Muslim religious site in India, if not all of South Asia. A place of pilgrimage for centuries, the Ajmer shrine is in some ways a giant version of the Nizamuddin shrine in Delhi, a huge religious site full of living medieval architecture and hundreds of pilgrims. Bags and photography are not allowed–which is a bit annoying–but the energy is incredibly positive and you are likely to hear a bit of Sufi qawwali music. (Before going to the shrine we also went to the Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, a Jain temple-to-mosque conversion dating from the 12th century–but this is optional. In case you decide to go, it is walking distance from the shrine.) From the shrine, we took an autorickshaw direct to Pushkar, which cost 300 rupees. Cheaper, and probably just as fast, would be to go to the bus station and take a proper bus, although that would also require two short autorickshaw rides to/from the bus stations. Returning to Ajmer we took a bus, which was fast, and fun. Early for our train, we had lunch at the local/divey, terrific Medina Hotel across the street from Ajmer’s railway station.
In Pushkar we stayed at the Paramount Palace, in a lovely room with a small balcony overlooking Pushkar, perhaps slightly overpriced at 1000 rupees. Had we booked in advance, we probably would have stayed at Seventh Heaven, which is the most proper/professional of the budget hotels in Pushkar. The Bharapur Palace was also tempting, with its lakeside location.
What is there to see or do in Pushkar? Almost nothing, which makes for a very relaxing weekend indeed. We walked over to see the fairgrounds just outside of town, which were almost entirely empty (since the fair was not on), and did one circuit of Pushkar’s holy lake, where people were bathing (and some guards/priests enforcing the “no shoe” rule in an annoying manner). Pushkar is a huge destination for both tourists and pilgrims, even when the fair is not on, making for good people watching (everything from very colorful Rajputs in marvelous turbans to Israelis with dreads) and shopping. We had kurtas tailored, with special iPhone-sized pockets. We had cokes and pots of chai on our balcony, overlooking the town. We sat eating terrific falafel wraps and watched folks walk down the main bazaar (the town is entirely veg–not even eggs available for breakfast!). Admittedly, some of the relaxingness of the weekend wore away with the long slog back home (which would have been better, I think, had we been on the Shatabdi), but we will certainly return to Pushkar again, for both the camel fair and for simple relaxation.
Camel Fair
For the past three-day weekend, we decided to revisit a site we’d already visited, and to take in a new site on the way back. One should probably choose one of the two for an ideal weekend trip, and I will provide the logistics for those preferred itineraries.
Khajuraho is a peaceful small town in Madhya Pradesh famous for the amazing sculpture, much of it erotic and some of it downright “pornographic”, on its 10th/11th century Hindu and Jain temples. Khajuraho is certainly worthy of a revisit, but what really drove it as a destination for us this past weekend was the relatively last minute availability of overnight train tickets–on the UP Sampark Kranti which departs Delhi’s Nizamuddin Station at 8:15 PM and arrives in Khajuraho at 6:35 AM. The rail connection to Khajuraho is fairly new–when we first visited in 2003, Khajuraho was, for those who didn’t want to fly, a painful multihour jeep/bus journey from the nearest railheads–and the rail connection seems to have caused fairly positive developments in Kharuraho’s tourist infrastructure, including a better selection of hotels and restaurants and a pedestrianized area in the core of the town near the greatest set of ruins. We stayed at the Hotel Surya, which cost less than 600 rupees for a non-AC room booked online. (I should note that while there are some upscale hotels in town, none of them are walking distance from the ruins.)
One could easily spend two nights or more in Khajuraho. The town is peaceful, the selection of food and lodging pretty good, and, even if the ruins themselves would occupy only a day of sightseeing, there are likely pleasant walks and bicycle rides that could be had, strengths that come from it’s being pleasantly quasi-rural for a major Indian tourist site. But because my time was limited, we didn’t want to take an overnight train back to Delhi and Khajuraho still has no nonstop flights to Delhi (flights to Khajuraho go on a triangular Delhi to Khajuraho to Varanasi to Delhi routing), we stayed only one night in Khajuraho and took a rather painfully slow daytime passenger train to Orchha, which left Khajuraho at 12:30 PM and arrived after sunset. To return directly from Khajuraho to Delhi, you could take the UP Sampark Kranti back, which departs Khajuraho at 6:20 PM and arrives at Nizamuddin at 5:30 AM, if you are okay with an overnight return trip, or take the Khajuraho – Udaipur InterCity, which departs Khajuraho at 9:10 AM, and then transfer to a Delhi train (such as the Shatabdi, see below) at Jhansi, Gwalior or Agra (probably the first, in order to have the safest connection).
From Orchha station, which is right before Jhansi Junction, we caught an auto rickshaw to Orchha town, about a 20 minute journey for which you will certainly be overcharged. By the time we checked into our hotel (unremarkable but cheap Fort View Guest House), it was dark. Were we to do it again, or arrive at Orchha earlier, we would certainly try to book the Maharaja Suite at the Hotel Sheesh Mahal, which is the state-run establishment that is the only lodging in the fort itself. Being a state-run hotel the Sheesh Mahal is not fancy, but the Maharaja Suite is fairly impressive, and for a relatively low price of around $100 allows you the experience of staying in a unique and private part of the old palace. The Maharani Suite, next to the dining room, is nowhere near as impressive–we imagine the substantially cheaper regular rooms may be more appealing. The Sheesh Mahal is also, by our limited experience, probably the best place to eat in town. We visited some of the more upscale hotels located just away from the town center but were not really drawn to any of them (despite really wanting to be). With one’s own transport the Bundelkhand Riverside may be okay, and we didn’t visit the fanciest hotel in town (the Amar Mahal), though its location didn’t inspire us.
Orchha may be one of the most impressive sites in India that are not commonly visited. Though seemingly well frequented by tour groups (including especially Korean tour groups), which may find it an easy stop from Khajuraho, there are not very many tourists considering the tremendousness of the fort. The Jahangir Mahal, in particular, is extremely explorable, and in most ways just as impressive as any of the palaces in Rajasthan. Chaturbhuj Temple, which is in Orchha town, is also unique–a vast cathederal-like Hindu temple with an impressively high roof with a good view. Like Khajuraho, Orchha is also pleasantly rural (and less tourist-oriented to boot), and would be a good base for walks and bicycle rides (we are also intrigued by the “mud-hut home stays” listed in the Lonely Planet). Of the places we’ve visited “near” Delhi so far, Orchha is the one that we could most easily imagine visiting repeatedly.
To return to Delhi from Orchha, we took an auto rickshaw to Jhansi Junction and then the comfortable Shatabdi to New Delhi Railway Station, which leaves Jhansi at 5:59 PM and arrives in Delhi at 10:45 PM (though odds seem to be that it will run late). The excellent timing of the Shatabdi return trip makes a simple weekend trip to Orchha easy. Any number of overnight trains departs Delhi for Jhansi, including the Dakshin Link SF Express, which departs Nizamuddin at 11:00 PM and arrives in Jhansi at 5:20 AM, giving you a full 1.5 days in Orchha for a two-day weekend. If you want to arrive Friday night, a few different trains leave Delhi in the afternoon and make it to Jhansi Junction about five to six hours later, though unless you leave a bit earlier in the afternoon that would mean an Orchha arrival after midnight.
Jali window at Sidi Sayid Mosque
My first QuickTrip is actually pretty far afield: Ahmedabad, the largest city of Gujarat. We headed to Ahmedabad last weekend not because it was a logical destination for a QuickTrip (rather, I think it’s better as part of an extended Gujarat trip, since any travel in Gujarat likely passes through Ahmedabad), but because a friend of ours from New York happened to be in town visiting family during a festival, and we wanted to take the trip down to see her and to experience the festival. Uttarayan, a holiday also known as Mahar Sakranti and celebrated in Ahmedabad as a kite festival, takes place from January 13-15 or so, and is an excellent time to visit Ahmedabad. However, the city has more than enough to merit a visit even outside of those dates: beautiful, impressive and distinct architecture; a lively old city that is a mix of different religious/cultural groups; and of course the distinct and tasty cuisine, available at a good selection of restaurants. Oh, by the way, you should know that Ahmedabad is not pronounced Ahmed-a-bad, but rather Ahm’dabad (three syllables).
To get from Delhi to Ahmedabad we took an overnight train, the Rajdhani, which departs New Delhi Railway Station at 7:55 PM and arrives at Ahmedabad Junction at 9:35 AM. As those of you familiar with Indian trains may be aware, the Rajdhani is the fanciest big category of overnight trains, and the timeliness and maintenance of the cars is kept to a fairly high standard. Meals are also included in the slightly premium fares. In order to be well-rested for work on Monday, I flew back, on an Indigo flight departing Ahmedabad at 7:50 PM and arriving in Delhi at 9:20 PM. In Ahmedabad we stayed at the Hotel Volga, which cost around 1000 rupees. Those looking for fancier digs should consider the House of MG, a heritage property located in an old mansion, that is upward of $100 or so and also in a prime downtown location. Memorable meals included Agashiye, the Gujarati thali restaurant on the roof of the House of MG, and Gopi Dining Hall, a more affordable restaurant that also did a very good Gujarati thali.
Gujarati thali at House of MG
We spent our first day seeing the major historical sites of the town. Our first stop was the “shaking minarets” of Sidi Bashir Mosque, which is just south of the railway station (a 5-10 minute walk). The mosque is not impressive in size, but it is quite old (built 1452) and represents an unusual style of mosque. Then, before we even checked into our hotel, we went to the Dada Hari Vav, an amazing stepwell not too far from the railway station. This is a pretty astonishing example of a Gujarati stepwell, though I understand that there are a few that are even more amazing in the state. We also saw a second stepwell nearby–while the walk was interesting, the well itself was nowhere near the Dada Hari.
After checking into our hotel, we walked from the Sidi Sayid Mosque to the Friday Mosque, which takes in much of the historical core of the city. Sidi Sayid’s Mosque, known in town simply as “jali” for its famous jail windows, and located just across the street from House of MG and also near the Hotel Volga. A walk from there toward the Friday Mosque takes you through the most colorful parts of the city, which also happens to be a largely Muslim area. We strongly recommend seeing this area during both the day and the night, as nighttime brings a different atmosphere, especially around the market areas. Near the central Teen Darwaja is the Bahdra Fort, which is somewhat ruined but the roof of which provides interesting exploration for a good half hour.
Jama Masjid
The Friday Mosque, dating from 1423, is easily one of the most beautiful in India, and interestingly different from the red Mughal creations further north (though the carved pillars are similar to the also reused Jain pillars at the Qutb Minar). The area just south of the mosque is an interesting market area. For a quirky and interesting view of the mosque, take the (scary/decrepit) cast iron spiral staircase in the back of the fruit market up to the roof.
On the second day, following the recommendation of our friend, we took the government walking tour, starting from the Swaminarayan Temple. We recommend the tour, which takes you not through the city’s major sites (which we covered on the first day), but through the city’s fascinating “pols,” or neighborhoods. The House of MG also organizes walking tours, which I imagine are good.
After spending part of the afternoon revisiting some of the sites from the previous day, I taxied to the airport for my flight, while Derek stayed behind to take kite festival pictures.
Now that we’re living in Delhi, not only will most of my posts be based on our India travels, but I will also do a series of QuickTrips, easy trips that can be done in 2-4 day weekends out of Delhi. As with previous QuickTrips, these posts will not necessarily be based on an idea or a theme, but will be focused principally on the logistics necessary to squeeze as much experience into limited time, along with some recommendations on things to do and see.
Delhi may be the best city in the world for QuickTrips. Not only is India perhaps the country in the world with the greatest density of world class tourist attractions, but the extensive transportation infrastructure, including especially the cheap domestic airlines and the extensive rail network, mean that literally dozens of excellent destinations can be explored over a regular or long weekend. Even the (sometimes tediously) slow speed of the Indian rails plays to one’s advantage, as destinations that, at faster speeds, would be more awkward distances are actually stretched into overnight trips that allow great efficiency of travel. And, of course, for cost, travel in India is hard to beat, with overnight sleeper trains in 3AC (for information on classes of Indian rail travel, see these posts (1,2)) available from about 600 rupees, or about $12, basic but comfortable AC hotel rooms often available for around 1000 rupees, or about $20, and domestic flight segments often available for less than 5000 rupees, or about $100. Many QuickTrips will cost less than $100 for a couple, if a flight is not involved.
Two young slumdogs at Calcutta’s Sealdah Railway Station
There is little doubt that India is the most photogenic place in the world. Yes, the landscape is beautiful and diverse, and the monuments tremendous, but most of this is due to the incredibly colorful and beautiful people of the country. Derek likes to say that Indians, northern ones in particular, have wet eyes (he suggests maybe it’s all the ghee) that make them particularly good photo subjects. And of course they are some of the most accommodating, playful and gracious anywhere, making for ideal models. With no further ado, some portraits from India.
Indian soldiers at Delhi Airport flying out to serve as UN peacekeeping forces. UN peacekeeping is a financially attractive proposition for relatively poor countries.
Celebrating Holi in Calcutta
Local boy on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train. The Indian Himalayas see many more Asian faces, including those of Tibetan refugees.
Bengali man, Calcutta. Calcutta’s fame to the rest of the world is, unfortunately in part due to Mother Teresa’s work, that of wretched poverty, but within India it is actually a center of culture and high education.
In this man, who was praying at the Nakhoda Mosque in Calcutta, one can see perhaps an ethnic residue of the Mughal’s Central Asian heritage
On the steps of Fatehpur Sikri’s Friday Mosque
Inside Fatehpur Sikri’s Friday Mosque. The keffiyeh, an Arab accessory, is not common in India, but looks cute on the first boy!
A Rajput woman, taking in Agra Rajasthan. Even among Indians, Rajputs stand out as exotic and beautifully accoutered.
Rajput woman at Tirumalai Temple in Tamil Nadu
Handsome Rajputs near Rasathani, Rajasthan
Sufi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi
At Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
Sikh man, Old Delhi
A fashionable young hijra in Delhi (see post of 2008.08.29)
In Old Delhi
Young man near Daulatabad, Maharashtra
Schoolgirl in Bombay
Porter in Bombay’s Crawford Market
Fellow tourists at Golconda Fort outside Hyderabad. The dress is austere, the attitudes not.
Cochin, Kerala. Indian smiles can be among the fullest and most ecstastic. The relatively dark skin of this South Indian man contrasts sharply against his perfect set of pearly whites.
Schoolgirl in the Keralan backwaters
Young Girl in Varkala, Kerala
Domestic tourist at Kanniyakumari, or Cape Comorin, the southern tip of India
A Nepali guard in a Pondicherry store. To the rest of the world, India may seem a poor country and a source of labor, but for even poorer Nepalis, India is a destination to look for work.
Young girl, Karaikkudi, Tamil Nadu
Bus Station, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu. In a country of great extremes, some look crazier than most!
Boy with puppies, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Cute little beggar in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Homeless woman in Madras
A (playful) young priest inside Thanjavur’s big temple in Tamil Nadu
From inside Madurai’s Sri Meenakshi Temple
Sadhu, Varanasi
This is the third in a series of posts on reuse of existing religious sites by new/different religions. Please read my posts of 2008.11.10 and 2009.02.01 for additional background and examples from Europe and the Middle East.
Religious sites tend to be converted according to whoever is in power, of course, and religious sites in the Middle East often went from pagan to Christian to Muslim, while religious sites in Spain went from Christian to Muslim back to Christian. In India, religious sites generally went from Hindu or Jain to Muslim, and in some cases back to Hindu again after independence. The reuse of religious sites is an extremely controversial topic in India, because it touches on Muslim/Hindu rivalries which are fraught with tremendous historical weight.
The single most controversial (in recent years) temple-to-mosque conversion was the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Built by Mughal Emperor Babur in the 16th century, Hindus claimed that it was built on the site of a Hindu temple commemorating Rama’s birthplace (while Jains claimed that it was built on the site of a Jain temple). (Indeed, the destruction/conversion of “heathen” temples has been a favorite activity of Abrahamic faiths–the zeal with which medieval Christians destroyed and converted pagan temples is well-recorded in literature. Similarly, some of the Muslim conquerors from the west arrived in India and felt compelled to wreak havoc to the native polytheistic faith.) Controversy over the site raged through the British Raj. In 1949, a couple of Hindu idols were furtively erected in the mosque, and in the 1980s the mosque, which was previously under lock and key, was opened to Hindu worshippers. Finally, in 1992, a crowd of Hindu extremists known as the Kar Sevaks gathered outside the Babri Mosque and formed a rampaging crowd that completed destroyed it. A Muslim mob retaliated in 2002 by attacking a group of Kar Sevaks heading back from Ayodhya, killing 58 aboard a train, after which horrific mob violence resulted all over Gujarat State, resulting in over a thousand deaths, largely Muslim. The violence was said to be aided by local Hindu nationalist authorities–post to come.
Especially given the destruction of the Babri Mosque, but even before its destruction, the most famous temple-to-mosque conversion, for tourists, is the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque next to the Qutb Minar in southern Delhi. The Qutb Minar and Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque were built by India’s first Muslim ruler and the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, in the late 12th century. According to an inscription, the mosque was built by parts taken from the destruction of twenty-seven temples, believed to be Jain.
The Qutb Minar, as seen from the columns of the ruined mosque, and a second image of the columns. In the first picture, note that the head of the small figure on the corner has been defaced, a common occurrence given Muslim prohibitions on representations of human forms. The elaborate carvings on the columns are clearly non-Muslim, and are said to be from preceding temples or created by local (non-Muslim) artisans.
Near the lower right corner of this picture, an empty space where there would have been a figure of a Hindu or Jain deity.
One of the most famous objects at the Qutb Complex is the “iron pillar of Delhi,” cast in the 4th century, centuries before the arrival of Aibak. The pillar is celebrated for its astonishing purity of 98% and its resistance to corrosion for all of these centuries.
We were quite struck by the resemblance of some of the ceilings at the Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque to ceilings in the Pamirs and Hunza, as well as Timbuktu.
Ceilings in the Tajikistan Pamirs and Pakistan’s Hunza Valley
Ceiling in Timbuktu. This ceiling was at a market, but I believe references another famous structure in Mali.
Another conversion by Qutb-ud-din Aibak is the Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, or “Two and a Half Day Mosque” of Ajmer, the Muslim city located in otherwise Hindu Rajasthan. The name of the mosque references the supposed (and astonishing) story that it was built in two and a half days–I imagine this can’t be wholly accurate, but certainly time was saved by reusing an existing Jain temple. Again, the columns are a dead giveaway.
I mentioned in my post of 2009.03.13 Deogiri or Daulatabad Fort, a fortress believed to be have been built in the late 12th century that was captured by the Delhi Sultanate about a hundred years later and starting in 1317 briefly was used as its capital by Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq, who marched all of the citizens of Delhi to the city hundreds of miles away. The principal mosque of Daulatabad was a conversion from a Jain temple, as is visible not only from its columns, but from blocks of non-Muslim carvings nearby. In the twentieth century, locals placed a Hindu idol inside, effectively converting the mosque ruin into an active Bharat Mata (Mother India) temple.
Mosque overview, with detail showing the multi-armed Hindu idol in the place of the former mihrab
Blocks of stone found at the site, showing Jain and tantric carvings
The 15th century Adina, or Friday, Mosque of Pandua, located some 250 miles north of Calcutta, incorporates parts of a Hindu temple. (See post of 2009.03.13 on Pandua.)
The bases of the columns are lotus-shaped, while the mihrab uses the swastika, both motifs associated with native Indian religions. Note that the pattern near the top of the mihrab is broken, suggesting that the stones were not originally cut for their current placement/arrangement.
Outside, more obvious clues. The entrance contains carvings with clear (but now empty) niches for Hindu deities while the outside wall incorporates decorated blocks from an older structure.
Malik Mughith’s Mosque at the ruins of Mandu in Madhya Pradesh also reveals reuse, in the empty niches of the column bases.
I do not want to defend the Muslim conquerors/rulers of India, who in any event were alive hundreds of years before ideas of historic preservation or cultural sensitivity had fully developed, but I do want to note that, to a medieval monotheistic outsider, especially one from such an austere tradition as Islam, certain Hindu
shrines must surely have seemed particularly evil and befitting destruction. Not only were the Muslims establishing their authority, but in an age before pluralism, they thought that they were doing everyone a favor by ridding the world of pagan shrines.
Shrine to Hindu Deity Chinnamasta in Gour, West Bengal, near the ruins of Pandua
A female friend of mine in her mid-thirties once told me that she felt that the Western scheme for finding mates had failed her; she thought that she would have much preferred that her parents had arranged a partner for her instead. And, I believe, some statistics have shown that arranged marriages are just as likely to last as “love marriages.” In India, of course, arranged marriages are still extremely common, but, India being a modern country at least in some respects, arranged marriages are not so much about matching up infants among family friends, but about using modern tools, including mass media, to find an ideal spouse.
The Times of India, India’s premier English language daily, regularly runs matrimonial ads. How are they different from, say, personals ads in the United States? First, they are placed from the perspective of the parents rather than the individual, since it is the parents who have the ultimate responsibility for arranging a young person’s marriage. Second, and more importantly, since the ads are focused on finding the right marriage partner, rather than a romantic date, they dwell more on material compatibility than points of physical or emotional love. In fact, one might even say that they are horribly shallow and materialistic–but perhaps those are the kinds of factors that make marriages work (in India and elsewhere).
In this post, some typical and slightly funny (more so to the non-Indian?) matrimonial ads from one edition of the Sunday Times of India.
GIRL v.b’ful smart 28/5’2″ conv MBA CFA wkg MNC Bombay 13 Lack Anum Parents Doctor reputed f’mly. Cont: 09935134932 mailgarimanow@gmail.com
MNC means multinational corporation, and a Lack (usually spelled lakh) means 100,000 (meaning that the woman makes 1.3 million rupees, or about USD 26,000). I’ve heard that men in the U.S. sometimes include their salaries in online personals profiles, but it’s fairly common for both men and women in India. This may seem rather materialistic, but in a country where class divisions are so great, perhaps a coupling bridging a large income disparity would be unlikely to be successful, in terms of lifestyle compatibility. This ad appeared under “Vaish,” an Indian caste designation. The headings for Indian matrimonial ads are highly specialized, and range from geographic region and caste and religion to some odd categories indeed, such as “Doctors” and “Business.”
Suitable match Punjabi, Hindu or clean shaven Sikh of high status family background, for 1984 born Sikh girl, Class 1 Officer, posted at Mumbai. Father Senior Class 1 officer in Railways. Central Govt./PSU well settled at Mumbai, age 26-29 years will be preferred. Contact: paramjit84@gmail.com
This ad appeared under “Punjabi,” and indeed the familiy is open to varying religious backgrounds from that region (as long as not a hairy Sikh).
NRI North Indian father is looking for professionally qualified boys settled/willing to settle in USA for fair, beautiful girls. Elder 24, 5’1″ completing post graduation in 2011 in Pharmacy. Younger 22, 5’3″ working in Biotech firm at L.A. Father in India till March 3. Caste no bar. Response invited with Biodata & photo: justaudio@gmail.com
This was under the NRI/Green Card category. NRI means “non-resident Indian,” or an overseas Indian. The NRI/Green Card category is used not only to find partners from India for children overseas (i.e., a green card opportunity for the suitor and perhaps a way to get a step up in marriage partner for the advert placer), but also for NRIs to find other NRIs, such that parents will post an ad, in the Times of India, looking for Indian boys living in Michigan for their daughter based in Michigan. Three more things of note in this ad. First, the efficiency in posting an ad for two girls at once. An Indian-American friend we know, who grew up in New York State, traveled to India on a trip that was partially intended for finding a husband for her older sister, when suddenly the tables were turned on her and it was suggested that she too try to find a mate in India (which started with a trip to the fortune teller). The father here is in India on a temporary basis, and wants to kill two birds with one stone. Second, the reference to (“fair”) skin color. Finally, the “caste no bar” line. The Times of India actually provides a 25% discount for “caste/religion no bar” or “no dowry” ads, in the spirit of social progress.
South Delhi based Very Affluent Socially Very Well Connected and Sophisticated Punjabi Family of High Repute involved into Exports Business Seeks Suitable Alliance for their Very Handsome Dynamic and Sober Son 33/5’10″/Schooling from MODERN/Done B.E. from U.S./Engaged into the Flourishing Family Business. We are Looking for a Smart, Tall, Convent Educated Extremely Beautiful Family Oriented Girl hailing from a Cultured Respectable Broadminded Similar Status Family. Caste no bar. Respond with Bio-Data and Recent Photogaphs at luckymatch4u@yahoo.in
This was under “Business,” which I assume to mean that the marriage is intended as much as a family business alliance as a domestic partnership. The level of socioeconomic puffery in this ad is fairly astonishing, and would certainly be a huge turn-off or no-no in most other countries. It kind of makes you wonder why they need to place a newspaper ad, if they are so very well connected. None of the ads that I selected listed a street address, but we have also been told that people seeking marriage partners will sometimes stay at and use the home of a relative or friend instead of their own in order to have a more prestigious address for the search.
In reading the matrimonial ads, we were puzzled by the relatively frequent appearance of the word “manglik.” Ads would say that a girl or boy was “manglik” or “slightly manglik,” as if it were some sort of disclaimer, while some ads would seek out “manglik” spouses. Before doing a bit of research we thought that it might refer to being overweight or dark-skinned (often an undesired trait), but learned that it was actually an astrological condition related to a person’s birth. People born manglik, it is said, are likely to have disastrous (perhaps even fatal) marriages, unless there are certain mitigating factors or they marry another manglik person. Manglik-ness is a big enough factor for some that “manglik” even has its own category heading.
As I have mentioned in previous posts (see posts of 2008.03.28 and 2009.03.06), Islam in India is not at all synonymous with the Mughals, who were really the last in a series of Muslim powers to arise in India. In this post, I wanted to go over some of many Muslim rulers of India that existed prior to the Mughal rulers, and to show some of their grand architectural remains.
The story of Muslim rulers in India starts with Mohammad Ghori, who invaded from now Afghanistan into now India and Pakistan in the 12th century. Muhammad’s general, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, established the Delhi Sultanate, which through various dynasties lasted until the arrival of the Mughals in the 16th century. The most notable of the Delhi Sultans included Shams ud din Iltutmish (1210-1235) and Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325-1351). It is during the rule of Sultan Mohammad bin Tughluq that Ibn Battuta landed in India, acting as a waqif, or judge (see post of 2009.01.23).
Qutb-ud-din Aybak ordered the construction of the Qutb Minar (in now southern Delhi) as a symbol of his establishment of Muslim rule in North India. One of the most spectacular architectural ruins anywhere, and said to resemble precedents in Afghanistan, it is perhaps the greatest symbol of the Delhi Sultanate. The Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque in the Qutb complex is said to be a conversion from Hindu or Jain temples–post to come.
The Qutb Minar
The Quwwat ul-Islam Mosque, with the Minar in the background
Tomb of Iltutmish, in the Qutb complex
Ruins of Tughluqabad, located to the south of New Delhi
Daulatabad, or Deogiri Fort. In 1327, Tughluq forced the entire population of Delhi to move to Daulatabad, thousand of miles away in the Deccan, a horrible and failed experiment.
Some of the tombs of the Lodi and Sayyid dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate are in an undervisited Delhi park known as the Lodi Gardens.
The Delhi Sultanate held on to power in the core northern areas around Delhi for most of its duration, but conquests outside of Delhi often split off into other sultanates and kingdoms, resulting in a great number of other Muslim rulers in the Subcontinent.
The Bahmani Sultanate, founded by a governor of Tughluq, ruled over much of the Deccan from 1347 to 1527, but then splintered into various smaller kingdoms, the most important of which was Golconda/Hyderabad. The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda was originally founded by a minister for the Bahmani Sultanate, and at its height built the new city of Hyderabad nearby. Hyderabad was eventually conquered by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, but then restored to independent rule under the Nizams, when Mughal control grew weak. For more information on the history of Hyderabad, see my post of 2008.03.28.
Golconda Fort. One of Golconda’s great claims to fame is as the origin of most of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor, now part of the British crown jewels, the Darya-ye Noor, part of the Iranian crown jewels and the Hope diamond, now part of the U.S. Smithsonian collection.
Qutb Shahi Tombs details. Note the Iranian influence of the glazed tiles in the second picture below.
Hyderabad’s famous Char Minar, built in 1591
Jaunpur, located near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, became an independent state controlled by the Sharqi dynasty after the 1398 sacking of Delhi by Tamerlane substantially weakened the Delhi Sultanate. Mughal Emperor Akbar incorporated Jaunpur into the Mughal Empire in 1559.
Atala Mosque, Jaunpur, built in 1423
Friday Mosque, Jaunpur, built in 1470. The Sharqi dynasty developed its own particular architectural styles, as seen in the Atala and Friday Mosques.
Medresa student, Friday Mosque, Jaunpur
The Ilyas Shah dynasty was created in Bengal in 1338, during another period of Delhi Sultanate weakness, and had its capitals at the cities of Gour and Pandua, located in West Bengal some 250 miles to the north of now Calcutta. Mughal Emperor Akbar incorporated the region into the Mughal Empire in 1576.
Adina, or Friday, Mosque, Pandua, which was built around 1430 and is said to incorporate parts of a Hindu temple (post to come). It was at one time the largest mosque in what is now India.
Bara Sona, or Big Golden, Mosque, Gour, built in 1526 by Sultan Nusrat Shah
Qadam Rasul Mosque, Gour, built in 1513 by Sultan Nusrat Shah and said to house a footprint of Mohammed
A contemporary of the early Mughals, Sher Shah Suri was a Muslim ruler who founded the Sur dynasty in 1540, based out of Sasaram in now Bihar. Sher Shah Suri was able to defeat Humayun, leaving him to retreat and seek assistance from Safavid Iran (see post of 2009.02.16), but was killed in battle after a reign of only five years.
Tomb of Isa Khan Niazi, an Afghan noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri, located near Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi
The Ghuri Kingdom, or Malwa Sultanate, of Mandu (now Madhya Pradesh) was established by Dilawar Khan, then governor of Malwa, when Delhi was sacked by Tamerlane. First Humayun, and later Akbar, added it to the Mughal Empire.
Mandu’s Jahaz Mahal, or Palace of the Winds
Malwa Sultan Hoshang Shah’s Tomb at Mandu is said to be a precursor to the Taj Mahal
