Entry #41

Agra and Agra Fort...Our guide guided us to a rug-making shop. It is a way for the local people to make a living and for the tourists to spend their money!

This man has lit a match and the flame gets rid of all those fuzzies.

This is where all of their yarns are stored.

This is the rug that I had shipped home. The travel book said, "If you see something you really want, buy it. If it is specifically local or particularly good, you may not see something similar again." -- so I did. The pattern is called "Taj Mahal".

A craftsman checking the knots for accuracy. These rugs take thousands of hours to weave and have hundreds of knots within one inch. They have to memorize the pattern and could be apprentices for several years.

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The Agra Fort was built by three of the greatest Moghal emperors. The construction of this massive structure began in 1565, under Akbar, and continued till the time of his grandson, Shahjahan. Armed with massive double walls, punctuated by four gateways, the fort houses palaces, courts, mosques, baths, gardens and gracious pavilions within its premises. Among the fascinating structures that are to be found within the fort is the red sandstone Jehangiri Mahal built by Akbar for his Hindu queen, Jodhabai, was one of the earliest constructions illustrating the fort's change from a military structure to a palace. The palace is also notable for its smooth blending of Hindu and central Asian architectural styles. The Diwan-i-Am, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Khas Mahal, The Palace of Mirrors, The Pearl Mosque, the Nagina Masjid, the Garden of Grapes, and the Fish Pavilion are the other monuments in the fort complex (in case you are writing a term paper!).

The main gate (with our tour guide to the far right).


A walkway to another inner entrance.

Indian women, each wearing a sari or chudidar.

This is actually a residence inside the fort.

An intricately carved arch.

Interior of a room inside one of the palaces.

This is when my battery ran down -- I had taken so many pictures.

Our next entry, we'll be in London.

Entry #40

If in India...you had better see the Taj Mahal. After flying from Visakhapatnam to Delhi, we took a two-hour train trip to the city of Agra. Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It stands on the bank of River Yamuna. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 14th child. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and took a fleet of 1,000 elephants to transport it to the site.

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December 5, 2009

The Great Gateway prepares you to "leave chaos for order".

Inside the main gate, this arch frames the Taj. This was the "WOW" moment. You are not prepared for how large the Taj is. It symbolizes entering Paradise.

You then emerge in char bagh (four gardens) , which is how paradise is described in the Koran. You can enjoy the well-planted, walled garden divided symmetrically by water channels.

To the left of the Taj stands the Masjid (mosque).

To the right is the Mehmankhana (guest house).

Sandstone walls and octagonal pavillions at the corners surround the garden and grounds.

Interior of the guest house with detailed inlay.

View of the Taj Mahal from the gardens. The color can change during the day; pink in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.

The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a 313 square foot white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. The dome is 60 feet in diameter and rises 80 feet over the building with verses of the holy Quran inscribed on it. Semi-precious stones are inlaid into the marble in beautiful patterns and with superb craftsmanship in a process known as pietra dura.

One last look.

Entry #39

Joy in the Journey...It's time to go now. "Who knew Temple Square could be so much fun?" India has had many challenges; understanding the lifestyle, traditions and cultures. We have endured the heat and humidity, did without a car, oven, dishwasher or clothes dryer. We lost a few things (Kent - 40 lbs., Carol - 10 lbs.). but we have gained many life experiences and have made many friends. We hope that we have made a difference.

Carol, Carol Nielsen, Nick Nielsen and Kent

Visakhapatnam airport - December 4, 2009

These four pictures are compliments of Nick Nielsen. I once asked him, "How did you get such great pictures." His answer was, "You have to get up early!"

A simple fishing boat - Bay of Bengal

The beach in Visakhapatnam at sunrise

A fisherman with his nets.

This property was recently purchased by the Church

for a new chapel. Hope to see those pictures in the future.

I've been saving this picture a long time - just for this spot.

Found it at an entrance to a house in Visakhapatnam.

Entry #38

The key is under the mat...

Moving Out Day

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

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We were very happy when the landlord told us that he had new tenants for our flat. But he tried to delicately tell us that they wanted to perform a "punja" in the apartment before they moved in. This is not an unusual tradition. But, soon, we began to learn more details. First, it needed to be done at 4 o'clock in the morning of Thursday, December 3rd to coincide with the full moon -- not before and not after. Since we were not leaving until the 4th, this became inconvenient and inconceivable. If they could not perform the punja at 4AM, then they would back out of the contract. We then learned that the dining room table and chairs needed to be removed and the floor scrubbed clean. No walking across the floor after (even though my much needed washing machine is on the other side). The new tenants wanted to bring in a priest, their children, burn incense and who knows what else or who else. Also, part of this plan was for them to stay overnight. And, they did not want us to be in the flat while all of this was taking place. That's when my husband's blood pressure soared above the "safe" level. It did not take me long to figure out that this would require bringing food and needing bathroom facilities. Is this just a little too much to ask? Our landlord kept on saying, "You need to be understanding." So, to make a long story short, when the going gets tough, the tough just pick up and go to the nice hotel down by the beach. . . at the expense of the landlord.

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In order to accomplish this, we needed a quick-packing crew, some great organizational help (the Nielsens), all of our suitcases and "a room at the inn". Chalk this up to one more saga and one more chapter to add to our experiences here in India. What a way to go . . . out!

Entry #37

Counting down...Trying to sneak out of town isn't so easy. A going away party is always a requirement.

Farewell Party - Gajuwaka Branch

Monday, November 30, 2009

Cutting a cake is a tradition in India, whether it is your birthday or any special event but especially when you go away. Small pieces are cut and served. No plates. No forks.

Did these guys come just for the cake? What a great support team.

Elders Sorenson, Morrison, Alred and Mickelson

Do not enlarge this or put it on the internet. This is probably one of the few pics that will be taken of me in a sari. The women took me behind a curtain and pinned, tucked and wrapped me up. It does take a long time to dress; it is more than just a long piece of fabric! I thought they did this only at bridal showers!




Far left: Santosh
Far right: President Ratnam, former Branch President of Gajuwaka and presently District President of the new Visakhapatnam District.

Prabhu, Kent, Swaroopa and Carol

Actually, this is a future bride and groom, but they refused to have their picture taken together or just the two of them or standing next to each other. They are waiting for his mother to give them permission to marry. Swaroopa wants us to come back to India for the wedding....

Does it look like I changed clothes? This is either another tradition or they just couldn't decide which one to get for me. Before the end of the party they insisted that I change into another sari. And these were their presents to me. Naturally, they took great joy in dressing me up.

We received flowers, cards and gifts and lots of hugs.

Thanks for the memories.

Entry #36

The beginning of the end...Our final date here in Visakhapatnam will be December 4th, 2009. We are already saying our good-byes. We have been warmly received and have made many friends. Here are just a few of the people we are going to miss:

Nick and Carol Nielsen from Paradise, Utah.

Senior missionary couple also serving in Visakhapatnam.

Primary children in Visakhapatnam on Children's Day.

Young Women of Gajuwaka Branch.

Young Single Adults on Family Home Evening Night.
(We told them that we were going to put this picture on the internet

and find a wife for each of them!)

Relief Society sisters from Gajuwaka Branch.

Families with new babies - The Naveena Family.

Families with young children - The Kelam Family.

The missionaries from the United States and India.

Archana and Aparna Vuppada from Rajahmundry.

Aparna is on her way to the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission.

We are going to miss new members.

and all the kids from the Truth Orphan Home.

We are going to miss the weddings and festivities

and the 10 grandchildren who live in our apartment building

and the kids you meet on the street.

Kent teaching them how to "high 5" and "low 5".