During my summer vacation in 1997, my parents, brother and
myself went on a very exciting and interesting journey on an exploration of Northern India. We discovered many
interesting places and learnt more about our beautiful country.
We reached Delhi at night, where our cousins staying there received us. Next morning, after a good night's sleep
and a heavy breakfast, we set out in a car from our hotel to see Delhi city. We went to the India Gate, also known
as the "All India War Memorial" which was built in 1921 in memory of the Indian soldiers who had died
in the First World War.
Near it, is the Rashtrapathi Bhavan where we took some photos; the Republic Day March Past takes place here. The Parliament House next to it, is a very important landmark. We also visited Connaught Place, which is the main shopping centre of the city. We had our lunch and then went to the Indira Gandhi Memorial, which was the house of the late Prime Minister. There we saw the place where she was assassinated and also many photographs, which were displayed inside the building.
Old Delhi has many historical monuments. We could go there
only the next day. We visited the Qutb-Minar, which is 73 Mts. high, and also the world's tallest free-standing
minaret. We also saw the Red Fort where the Independence Day Celebrations take place. Coming back from there, it
was so late, we thought of going to Agra the next day.
We set out the next morning to Agra, which we thought was quite near, but it took us several hours to reach there.
On the way, there weren't any proper restaurants, so we had our lunch at a roadside Dhaba, which is popular
there. At the first sight of Taj Mahal, we were all dumb-found. The Taj Mahal, situated on the Yamuna, is a majestic
sight. The white-marble structure, built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is one
of the "Wonders of the World". A visit to Delhi is not complete without seeing it. We took a few photos
outside, as it was prohibited inside. There were many people there and we were allowed to enter only after security
check. The tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal lie side-by-side. We were not allowed to enter that area. The walls
were inlaid with precious stones and decorated with calligraphic inscriptions. There is a beautiful garden and
fountains in front of the Taj Mahal. We were saddened to see the effect of pollutants from nearby factories on
it's marble. Returning from the Taj Mahal, we also visited the Agra Fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his
son, Aurangazeb. It was an enormous fort, and so we couldn't see it entirely. By the time, it became very late,
so we checked into a hotel.
The next day, we set out to Fatehpur Sikri, which was founded by Akbar the Great, in honour of the Muslim Saint,
Salim Chishti. It is a town with many palaces. The tomb of the Saint lies in the Great Mosque there. There is also
a gateway in memory of Akbar's conquests. Wandering through the large courtyards, we came across a gigantic functional
chessboard on the courtyard itself. There, we lost track of our time and we found out that it was time for us to
return.
Next day, we set out early in the morning to Rishikesh. We were going through villages when suddenly, we found
ourselves driving through a road lined by thick forests through which monkeys were peeping out. The scene was very
beautiful with a river flowing on one side and trees on the on the other side. Our driver said that we could not
stop in that area because of dacoits. We finally reached Rishikesh and we thanked God for arriving there safely.
We checked into a hotel, which had a fantastic view of the meandering Ganges. The hotel was aptly named "Ganga
Kinare" which means "The bank of the Ganges". After a bath and a snack to refresh ourselves,
we set off to see the famous Lakshman Jhoola, which is a hanging bridge across the river, leading to a temple
dedicated to Lord Lakshman. That night, we had a sound sleep in the picturesque surroundings and the serenity of
the Holy Ganges.
Next morning, we woke up to the song of the birds and the flow of the river, which looked like a mirror in the
morning sun. Soon we set out again on an excellent highway to Dehradun, a peaceful and interesting place which
has many schools and the Indian Military Academy. Mussoorie, one of the most popular hill-stations in northern
India, was our next destination. It is famous for it's scenic beauty and great hills and hotels. We had to travel
through many twisting and turning roads around mountains and hairpin bends to reach Mussoorie. It was so cold,
that we had to go shopping for sweaters and shawls straight away. Dehradun and Mussoorie are best seen by foot,
that is, by trekking and camping outside. We couldn't do so because we weren't equipped for it. In Mussoorie, we
went to Gun Hill in a cable car -- it gave us the full view of the valley and many fantastic waterfalls. There
were many more places to visit in Mussoorie, but we couldn't go anywhere else as we had to reach Delhi next day
to catch our flight to Kerala, where our grandparents and cousins were eagerly waiting for us.
We thought of returning next year, we have only the souvenirs and photographs to renew our memory of our visit
till next time.
