#indiaaah

The alarm went off at 04:30 this morning so that we could be at the Taj for sunrise. We started queuing at about 05:30 in the dark. Although it was a horribly early start, I’m so glad we made the effort because we were first in the queue. Our guide bought the tickets while we were waiting and also bought us chai to keep us going. By the time the gates opened, there were hundreds of people waiting to get in, both Indian and foreign tourists. It’s difficult to describe the Taj, it is an amazing monument and to see it without too many people around was truly magical (and worth the early start). It seems both bigger and smaller than you imagine. I doubt this will be my last visit...I hope not anyway. By around 08:30 when it started to get busier, I made sure to take some time to just sit and people watch. It’s easy to get distracted by taking lots of photos but those quiet moments of reflection are just as valuable to me. . . . . . #tajmahal #realtravel #indiaaah #incredibleindia #tajsunrise #magicaltaj #thisanxiousadventurer #digitalhumanbeans #iphonephotography #photographersofinstagram #instamoments (at Taj Mahal, India)

Lath mar or hurang is one of the parts of Holi that I didn’t know about. The women have sticks and beat the men who defend themselves with another stick. Some of the women were pretty gentle and just did some tapping. This seemed to apply to the young boys and older men but everyone else got a fair whack and woe betide the bystanders who also often got a quick thwack to the legs. Despite her diminutive size lady in the orange sari was really going for it. Women and men would typically pair up with the man walking backwards with his stick in front of him and the woman would try to land a blow. Every now and then the women would break and land a sneaky blow on a passing male. The story behind the ceremony is that the god Krishna went to the village of Radha and playfully teased her and her friends, the women took offence at this so they chased him away with sticks. It was great fun to watch especially the woman who chased a policeman down the street, everybody cheered loudly at that! Holi Mubarak everyone! . . . . . #realtravel #indiaaah #incredibleindia #holi #holimubarak #radharules #hindugods #krishna #womendoingitforthemselves #womenfightback #thisanxiousadventurer #digitalhumanbeans (at Vrindavan)