Jaipur, February 28
Door: rikdegoede
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Rick
28 Februari 2012 | India, Jaipur
Although still considered one of the most popular rulers in India's history, I'm not sure if the emperor Akbar (16th century) was the greatest Indian of all time. It was definitely the emperor Akbar who invented the execution elephant though. The creatures were trained to trample convicted criminals to death. Or maybe not. Who knows what tales got invented in this land. I saw the courtyard where he supervised the executions though.
Akbar listened patiently to the emissaries of all different religions found in his empire. He heard them out and let them debate amongst themselves. Although the resulting fight must have had a high amusement value, the emperor was unconvinced by any of the guys. He therefore started his own religion. He didn't spread it much, just used it for himself.
And if you're emperor and play ludo, you use slave girls as pieces. And you have three different wives and build palaces for all of them. These were the ways in which Akbar killed his time. He must not have had a very boring life.
That much I found out in Fatehpur Sikri. The palaces of the three wives, the ponds and city gates, all built from red sandstone: very impressive. And that just after having seen the Taj Mahal in Agra.
I have new travel companions in the form of two Norwegian girls. In Fatehpur two of us (including myself) got Delhi belly (people are real food poisoners in these parts), so we didn't do much in the past days. Anyway: I'm now in Jaipur, the pink city, capital of Rajasthan. The locals are a colourful, friendly bunch. The city is as chaotic as the rest of India. The food as spicy (although I still don't eat much). The rickshaw drivers as dishonest. The mosquitoes as stingy. The climate seems to be a bit dryer here though, so if I continue further west I expect to find desert again. We will see...
Akbar listened patiently to the emissaries of all different religions found in his empire. He heard them out and let them debate amongst themselves. Although the resulting fight must have had a high amusement value, the emperor was unconvinced by any of the guys. He therefore started his own religion. He didn't spread it much, just used it for himself.
And if you're emperor and play ludo, you use slave girls as pieces. And you have three different wives and build palaces for all of them. These were the ways in which Akbar killed his time. He must not have had a very boring life.
That much I found out in Fatehpur Sikri. The palaces of the three wives, the ponds and city gates, all built from red sandstone: very impressive. And that just after having seen the Taj Mahal in Agra.
I have new travel companions in the form of two Norwegian girls. In Fatehpur two of us (including myself) got Delhi belly (people are real food poisoners in these parts), so we didn't do much in the past days. Anyway: I'm now in Jaipur, the pink city, capital of Rajasthan. The locals are a colourful, friendly bunch. The city is as chaotic as the rest of India. The food as spicy (although I still don't eat much). The rickshaw drivers as dishonest. The mosquitoes as stingy. The climate seems to be a bit dryer here though, so if I continue further west I expect to find desert again. We will see...
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28 Februari 2012 - 22:29
Hanny:
Ha Rik, je bent in Jaipur! Weer een stap verder. Ik vroeg me af waarom de foto's in Agra bij de taj mahal zo mistig waren? Vochtig of luchtverontreiniging of zo? Wel een heel apart sfeertje! Ik stuur je een email met laatste nieuws. Sterkte met je buik en de muggen (heb je malariapillen intussen?)
liefs, mamma Groeten van fam uit Zwolle- waren hier vanavond vanwege Henk's verjaardag -
29 Februari 2012 - 15:24
Minny En Oma:
weer mooie foto's! oma heeft ook je tekst gelezen deze keer.
ze vraagt of je ook eens een foto waar je zelf op staat wilt sturen!
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