Travels to Jaipur and Agra

I have recently returned from a small trip to Jaipur and Agra. Jaipur, the Pink City, rests in the desert state of Rajasthan and was once the home to the royal families. Forts and Palaces seem to adorn every corner and the sheer grandeur of many buildings challenges my ideas of civilisation. Agra lies to the east in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The city is dirty and impoverished, the streets teem with tourist-hungry merchants, and the most beautiful building in the world lies in its heart. The Taj Mahal took my breath away and left me forever changed. As we left the monument I felt as though a part of me was forever left in the shadow of that white marble. So totally enriched and honored to have seen it, so sad to leave and know I may never see her again.

Jaipur is exactly what I think of as India; elephants and camels walk the streets, snake charmers serenade their sinuous charges, stunning artwork decorates historic building, bright turbans don the heads of most men, and markets bustle in haggling abundance. My children enjoyed their first elephant and camel rides. Their mother, too, enjoyed the experience, however much longer on that camel and the experience may not have been so fun. Over the course of the 4 days I grew very fond of camels - they contain an elegance that belies their burdensome life as they look down from above with a smile, certain of their superiority and dignity.

My father and I debate on the cost of freedom throughout the trip. When Jaipur was ruled by royalty, wealth poured in to the royal family who built the most spectacular palaces, observatories, and monuments. These buildings exude elegance and harmony. Over time, as invaders came and went, the money left the hands of the few and is still trickling in to the hands of the many. The result of this is that the beautiful buildings are no longer created and are in fact difficult to maintain. Is it better to have wealth devoted to cultural advance and the arts? Or better to distribute it to the masses at the cost of cultural advance? As my father says, "What is the cost of freedom?" I am perhaps a socialist at heart, but I see his point - were wealth distributed among the people, we would never see such glorious sights, perhaps we would not even be able to imagine them.