India On My Mind

I have been to India twice so far... the first one was in 2006 when we were qualifying a packaging supplier and I came with a bunch of colleagues from the Plant and from the Regional HQ. We also took the opportunity to attend the Packaging Expo in Delhi, one of the biggest of its kind in the country.

We flew in earlier to be able to spend a weekend side trip to Agra which is the home of the historical Taj Mahal. Seeing the Taj Mahal in its full glory is a one of a kind experience. I was deeply in awe being able to see it up close and personal -- the precious stone detailing in precise execution is a wonder! We had a local acting as a tour guide around the Taj Mahal grounds- the whole time he was sharing the story behind how the Taj Mahal was built.

The Taj was truly majestic!

Its gonna be a bumpy ride!

Come and get me...

Our colleague Anirudh Dutta also brought us to see the Light and Sound show at the Red Fort. On the way to the fort, we were distracted by the sighting of this intricately beaded bag which we could not resist buying.  We had a weekful of sampling of various Indian cuisine. My favorites were the Tikka Paneer and the Gulab Jamun. We also went to this under-the-ground shops in Delhi were we bought Indian Pashmina and bracelets made from precious stones. I still have all those with me, including the beaded bag.

My second visit was just last month, a few days before our annual home leave last December. Having worked with the India Team for quite a while, meeting most of them for the first time is of course something I looked forward to. This time our destination was Bhopal in the Madya Pradesh state. We landed first at the (new) Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi where we had quite an adventure, running for life along the departure halls after a long security check only to find out the gate closed five minutes ago.

Having visited 5 years earlier, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that International Airport already relocated to a modern/posh looking airport looking much like Changi. Brings back to mind the embarrassing NAIA, no wonder it is the world 's worst :-(

Bird's Eye View of the Indira Gandhi Int'l Airport

You will find Yoga Poses dominating the airport's Interiors

We were housed in this Jeha Numa Palace Heritage Hotel, which I learned, was indeed, a Palace! It is nestled in the serene Shymala Hills of Bhopal.  It was built in the 19th century and was converted to a Heritage Hotel in 1983, while keeping most of its original structure. The facade was simple but I learned that the rooms were intricately located. There were sepia pictures around the palace from the British India days. I love looking pictures from the by-gone era. There was a small race track around the palace and one can have sightings of horses running around those tracks.

It was a chilly month which gave the Palace a mysterious air-- as if the spirits of its previous inhabitants were lurking amongsts the shruberries, but not in a creepy kind-of-way (besides which, scary stuff doesnt exactly give me the creeps so I am fine with the lurking scenario). I wish I had a long gown and I can have a photograph of me sashaying around the castle. Haha.

The Palace Lobby by Night

The interior design of the room gives you this old world feeling.
I love old world.

One of the many stairwells leading to intricate lobbies.
Sepia pictures lined across the walls. I had a good look of those pictures.

India - with its rich history and culture is more than meets the eye! I will always remember this as one of the memorable places I've visited!