Temples and (mini) Taj

The second day of our tour dawns with us feeling rather jaded after being woken up by our room lights coming off and on with no rhyme or reason - apparently due to an electrical storm and quickly reset by reception once we’d phoned. 

Today we’re heading to Aurangabad for the next two nights. We stop en route to visit the Shri Saibaba Temple at Shidri, a huge complex drawing pilgrims from all over India. Getting into the compound necessitates leaving behind shoes   - as always - and handing in both cameras and mobile phones, as well as paying an entry fee. Going into the temple itself would involve long queues and we decide we’ll just get the sense of atmosphere from the outer compounds. There’s chanting and incense in the air, and we get a glimpse of the sacred rites on TV screens relaying to the masses. But it’s amazing serene and peaceful here despite the activity. 

Outside, all is frenetic with crowds of pilgrims filling the streets, every so often pushed aside by groups of worshippers who have travelled on foot from distant villages carrying a colourful coffer of offerings. Obviously elated to reach their destination, they push through the streets like an unstoppable wave. 

Not surprisingly, there are also large numbers of beggars, mostly satisfied to sit cross legged at the side of the road, but some are far more intrusive and insistent, following , grabbing hold of your clothes, poking. This is India at its most difficult. It’s hard to give to one and not all, and having small change is a constant problem. We prefer to make a donation to the temple where huge amounts of food are prepared to feed anyone who needs or wants a meal. 

We leave Shidri behind to continue our journey to Aurangubad. We have one more visit to make today and that’s to what’s known as ‘The Mini Taj’. Built some thirty years after the famous Taj in Agra, and clearly heavily influenced by this beautiful building, Bibi-ka- Maqbara is a mausoleum built by Emperor Aurangazeb’s as a tribute to his mother. 

To be honest, we’re surprised how beautiful it is. It’s a pity the reflecting pool is empty of water, painting takes the place of semi precious stone, and it’s constructed out of …sandstone rather than marble, but in the late afternoon light it’s really rather special  - and far less crowded  than the Agra Taj. 

We wander round, progress impeded either by me taking photographs or Indians wanting to have photos taken with us. This reaches a frenzy as we walk around the tomb and I find I can’t take more than a few steps without being photographed with someone. Everyone is very polite and there’s lots of interaction and hand shaking, but it does get tiring, but of course, there’s often reciprocal photo taking on my part! 

As we leave, the sky becomes particularly dramatic, lighting up the …. against the dark clouds and allowing the towers to stand as magnificent silhouettes against the fast-descending sun. 

Back at the hotel we meet the chef while we are enjoying a much-needed beer, and he offers to make us a special local dish for dinner. Sure enough when we return an hour or so later, we are presented with two delicious meas - ‘veg’ for me and ‘non veg’ for G accompanied by the most perfect naans I’ve ever eaten - all accompanied by a Sula red wine! Both chefs come out to discuss our views on their efforts - presumably someone was still in the kitchen which generally produces buffets for the small tour groups that stay here. And then there’s an Indian desert for G - with more conversations with the chef! I go for an Old Fashioned instead - and of course the bartender wants to know what I think of it! 


My main is the late afternoon sun at the Bibi-ka-Maqbara.
Extras 1-4 are scenes around the temple at Shidri.
Extra 5 is the Mini Taj 
Extra 6 a street vendor
Extra 7 - a young girl showing me her henna- decorated hands 
Extra 8 - part of the boundary wall at Bibi-ka-Maqbara 

Thanks again for following the journey.