Day 4 (13/02/12) - Delhi to Agra

The Mughal Empire, Sacred Cows, Mausoleums, and Marble

We left Delhi and traveled to the Mughal Emperor historical period of India, centered around Agra.  This was our first time outside of the Delhi area and we traveled on highways that were somewhat less crowded and a bit faster but still nothing like our freeways.  Given the large number of people, vehicles, and things on the road, this is probably good.  Indeed, we even encountered the stereotypical case of a cow standing in one lane of our two lanes of a two lane road with the resultant slowing of traffic.  Please excuse the poor quality of the photo as it was taken from within the bus -- but I think you can get what's happening here. 

Our group leader talked about why the cow is sacred in India.  His version -- and admittedly he is somewhat original in his thinking at times -- is that the cow is sacred because it provides milk and manure and leather when it dies (cows are generally skinned when they die).  Thus, they should not be killed for food in addition.  And most of the cows that walk about, often eating garbage or anything planted that is within their reach and hasn't been eaten by goats, belong to someone.  It's just that when they're not producing milk, it is cheaper to let them just wander until they are ready to start producing milk again.

In addition to the cow, much milk is produced and distributed from the water buffalo, an animal always black with curved horns.  

The photo showing the water buffalo being milked by a young Indian woman was taken at a village we visited (and which will be talked about later).  Notice also the cow patties (whether from an actual cow or from a water buffalo as there were both in this village) on the roof of the structure nearby.  Cow patties serve as an important fuel in a country that runs a trade deficit in large if not total measure due to gasoline imports.  We have been told that they don't give off an objectionable order when dried and burned and my admittedly very limited experience bears this out.

The Mughal Emperors ruled much of northern India from 1526 to 1857.  And lots of mausoleums of the emperors and their family remain.  We visited several of these today -- the Mausoleum of Akbar and the Itmad ud Daulah.  The fairly involved history of interrelationships which were given to us are interesting to me but doesn't really add much to an appreciation of the beauty of the places.  The first place was the Mausoleum of Akbar.  

And the second place was Itmad ud Daulah.  

Note especially the beautiful marble work in the a couple of the preceding pictures - great examples of inlaid marble about which more in a bit.  

Some of you might see where this is going, especially when I mention that both of these beautiful sights are in the Agra area.  Well, tonight at sunset we were across the river from the Taj Mahal.  But I'll save that discussion and the pictures for tomorrow when we visited it.