Having had a busy week at work, we were ready for a much needed 1 and a half day break. Marty had been in the operating theatre by 7.30 am every morning, so relished the idea of a lie in! Melman and Gloria had to attend the hospital briefly in the morning but were soon back at the hotel in need of rest.
Much of Saturday was spent resting - which involved watching The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum; napping; ordering room service; watching cricket etc etc etc. We did however have exciting evening plans! My consultant had invited us to accompany her to a wedding at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. For those of you unfamiliar with the location, let me enlighten you. This is one of Delhi's finest 5* hotels. It shows of stunning Mughal architecture, and is situated in one of the most distinguished areas of the city. Needless to say, it's a high class venue ... and we had not planned on attending weddings, so had only work/casual clothes with us! Cue panic.
We felt so privileged to be invited, but did not want to embarrass our consultant!! So we rushed to the shops, bought some shirts for Marty and Melman, and a kurti for Gloria.
Having gotten dolled up, we were collected by Ma'am and taken to the hotel. The decor of the hotel lobby was stunning ... lavish and contemporary but with traditional warmth and an elegant feel. We were still definitely undressed!!!! The wedding celebrations were a Sangeet evening for both the bride and groom's side of the family. Exquisitely colourful sari's filled the banqueting room. Flower arrangements on all the tables, and hanging decorations, added to the vibrant atmosphere. There were dance performances by many members of the immediate family, and this was followed by a buffet dinner. The buffet dinner had stalls with different world cuisines. There were chinese, italian, indian and chaat main courses, followed by an extravagant array of mithai and desserts.
The evening was a new experience for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite looking a little out of place, people were friendly and warm - encouraging us all to eat more!
Sunday, was spent at Akshardham Temple. This beautiful complex was opened in 2005 and sits on the bank of River Yamuna in Eastern Delhi, adjacent to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village. This is not just a temple, also onsite is the life story of Swaminaryan shown as a model exhibition and as an IMAX feature. Not only this, but there is a boat ride which explore Indian culture and heritage; a musical fountain; the 'Garden of India' which has 65 bronze statues of major Indian leaders, politicians, scientists and other greats; a sunken garden and an extensive food court.
Inside the temple itself, there is a huge murti of Swaminaryan himself - 3.4m tall - and there are also other Hindu deities. Intricate architecture can be seen throughout on the 234 pillars, 9 domes and 20,000 murtis. Despite being full of visitors, the temple had an aura of peacefulness. We explored the temple, and for me it was a place to reflect. I am not particularly religious, but for me, visiting temples - or any places of worship - brings a certain calmness for the mind. In fact, I always feel disappointment when I leave the temple, as I can feel the weight of my thoughts and troubles on my shoulders once more.
The musical fountain was a show held in the evening at 7.30pm. The Yagnapurush Kund is the largest step well in India. The kund measures 300 ft by 300 ft, and has a 27 feet murti of Neelkanth Varni. The show was stunning. It began with a puja. This was a puja like none other. Firstly, it was outside, and secondly the aarti was sung with such reverence you could not help but be in awe. After this, there was a story of the circle of life regarding the Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This same story was then depicted using music, lights and water fountains ... in a fantastic show.
Once again we visited Connaught Place for dinner, and this ended our lovely weekend.
Lots of love,
Marty, Melman and Gloria.
PS - Sorry no cameras were allowed at Akshardham so we couldn't take pictures in character :(
Much of Saturday was spent resting - which involved watching The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum; napping; ordering room service; watching cricket etc etc etc. We did however have exciting evening plans! My consultant had invited us to accompany her to a wedding at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. For those of you unfamiliar with the location, let me enlighten you. This is one of Delhi's finest 5* hotels. It shows of stunning Mughal architecture, and is situated in one of the most distinguished areas of the city. Needless to say, it's a high class venue ... and we had not planned on attending weddings, so had only work/casual clothes with us! Cue panic. 
We felt so privileged to be invited, but did not want to embarrass our consultant!! So we rushed to the shops, bought some shirts for Marty and Melman, and a kurti for Gloria.
Having gotten dolled up, we were collected by Ma'am and taken to the hotel. The decor of the hotel lobby was stunning ... lavish and contemporary but with traditional warmth and an elegant feel. We were still definitely undressed!!!! The wedding celebrations were a Sangeet evening for both the bride and groom's side of the family. Exquisitely colourful sari's filled the banqueting room. Flower arrangements on all the tables, and hanging decorations, added to the vibrant atmosphere. There were dance performances by many members of the immediate family, and this was followed by a buffet dinner. The buffet dinner had stalls with different world cuisines. There were chinese, italian, indian and chaat main courses, followed by an extravagant array of mithai and desserts. The evening was a new experience for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite looking a little out of place, people were friendly and warm - encouraging us all to eat more!
Sunday, was spent at Akshardham Temple. This beautiful complex was opened in 2005 and sits on the bank of River Yamuna in Eastern Delhi, adjacent to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village. This is not just a temple, also onsite is the life story of Swaminaryan shown as a model exhibition and as an IMAX feature. Not only this, but there is a boat ride which explore Indian culture and heritage; a musical fountain; the 'Garden of India' which has 65 bronze statues of major Indian leaders, politicians, scientists and other greats; a sunken garden and an extensive food court.
Inside the temple itself, there is a huge murti of Swaminaryan himself - 3.4m tall - and there are also other Hindu deities. Intricate architecture can be seen throughout on the 234 pillars, 9 domes and 20,000 murtis. Despite being full of visitors, the temple had an aura of peacefulness. We explored the temple, and for me it was a place to reflect. I am not particularly religious, but for me, visiting temples - or any places of worship - brings a certain calmness for the mind. In fact, I always feel disappointment when I leave the temple, as I can feel the weight of my thoughts and troubles on my shoulders once more.
The musical fountain was a show held in the evening at 7.30pm. The Yagnapurush Kund is the largest step well in India. The kund measures 300 ft by 300 ft, and has a 27 feet murti of Neelkanth Varni. The show was stunning. It began with a puja. This was a puja like none other. Firstly, it was outside, and secondly the aarti was sung with such reverence you could not help but be in awe. After this, there was a story of the circle of life regarding the Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This same story was then depicted using music, lights and water fountains ... in a fantastic show.Once again we visited Connaught Place for dinner, and this ended our lovely weekend.
Lots of love,
Marty, Melman and Gloria.
PS - Sorry no cameras were allowed at Akshardham so we couldn't take pictures in character :(
Heaven on earth. The spirituality of India is unsurpassable.
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