Iniziamo il viaggio partendo verso fine febbraio da Singapore. Dopo un comodo viaggio di circa sei ore con la Sahara Airlines, atterriamo a Delhi. Dopo le formalità, c’incontriamo con un addetto locale, il quale ci fa salire su una “Ambassador” paragonabile ad una nostra topolino. Si tratta di un vecchissimo modello su licenza Morris, ancora in produzione dopo mezzo secolo e la nostra guida ci dice che e’ una vettura riservata in genere ai VIP ( figuriamoci gli altri!).
Dopo circa un’oretta impiegata a districarci tra motorette, bici e carretti vari, arriviamo al Grand Intercontinental, vetusto albergone ricoperto nel foyer di marmi in stile indiano-coloniale.
Poiché ci incontreremo solo all’indomani con il gruppo proveniente dall’Italia, decidiamo di fare un giretto nei dintorni visto che siamo nel centro commerciale della città.
Veniamo immediatamente assaliti da personaggi che offrono di tutto ed uno in particolare ci dice di non seguire la strada a destra perché ci sono delle manifestazioni “pericolose”. Immediatamente mi sovviene di aver letto del trucchetto sulla “Lonely Planet” ed imbocchiamo la strada a destra con decisione. Infatti non troviamo alcuna manifestazione e il personaggio ci indica che sulla destra della nuova strada ci sono dei negozi statali, quelli cioè a prezzo fisso.
Sicuri di aver seminato il “figuro”, entriamo nel Central Cottage Industries Emporium, ove troviamo articoli provenienti da tutta l’India di ottima fattura. Regalo un anello con un’acqua marina a mia moglie, dopo aver trattato lungamente il prezzo ed aver ottenuto uno sconto del 30% ca.
Scopro, poi consultando la guida, che non si trattava di negozi statali, ma di una catena privatizzata, che incontrerò successivamente in altre città indiane.
Il sub continente indiano è grande quasi quanto L’Europa e la popolazione è ora ben superiore al miliardo di individui.I colori della bandiera sono: l’arancione= energia, bianco=pace e verde= agricoltura.
Una percentuale irrisoria di cittadini paga le tasse e la classe medio-alta e’ rappresentata dal 18% della popolazione. La costituzione riconosce 18 lingue ufficiali. Inoltre secondo l’ultimo censimento esistono più di 1600 lingue e dialetti minori, per cui l’inglese e’ ancora ampiamente usato ed e’ la lingua ufficiale del sistema giudiziario. All’ora di pranzo incontriamo la guida che ci seguirà nel viaggio e noto con piacere che parla un perfetto italiano, avendo studiato all’Università di Perugia. Incontriamo poi il gruppo e comincia un giro dei principali monumenti di Delhi: il Forte Rosso costruito all’epoca dei Moghul( qui accampati nelle vicinanze, vediamo gli indiani più’ poveri ovvero i profughi del Bangladesh ), il Mausoleo di Humayun ( secondo imperatore Moghul) , il complesso del Qutb Minar con la Torre della Vittoria – simbolo di Delhi – alta ca 73 mt, ed infine il Raj Ghat ove venne cremato nel gennaio del 1948 il corpo del Mahatma Gandhi, assassinato da un fanatico religioso che lo accusava di connivenza con i mussulmani.
La mattina successiva partiamo per Varanasi ( Benares) la citta’ santa.
Il volo parte con circa un’ora di ritardo ed i due successivi voli interni totalizzeranno ritardi di due e tre ore ciascuno. Nessuno si scompone, in quanto ci dicono che tali ritardi sono di normale mministrazione.Varanasi ogni anno e’ visitata da diversi milioni di pellegrini ed e’, in un certo senso, anche la città della morte perché chi muore e viene qui cremato sfugge al ciclo per il quale si rinasce sempre e si ricongiunge all’Essere Divino. Se ci comporta male nell’aldilà, comunque, si riprende il ciclo della reincarnazione.
Attraversiamo la città in risciò in mezzo ad una folla di mendicanti, pellegrini , santoni e giungiamo finalmente al Gange, il fiume sacro.
Qui abbiamo visto dall’alto del Jaisain Ghat le fiamme che si levavano dalle pire di legno sandalo per la cremazione dei ricchi. I poveri invece accedono a crematori elettrici.
Dopo una visita alla citta’ vecchia in un dedalo di sordidi violetti , abbiamo assistito alla preghiera della sera da un barcone. Mi sembrava di assistere ad un film di Cecil B. De Mille con bramini che sotto ombrellini sospesi ed illuminati cantavano litanie e roteavano delle torce, accompagnati da musica sacra.
La mattina seguente sveglia alle 5 e passeggiata su un barcone a remi, alle prime luci dell’alba, ammirando i pellegrini che si immergono nelle acque sacre e gli splendidi palazzi i “Ghat”.
Alcuni giorno dopo sono esplose due bombe causando una ventina di morti e diversi feriti. La colpa sembra sia dei soliti terroristi mussulmani.
Trasferimento aereo a Khajuraho e visita ai templi eretti dal X al XII secolo dai re della dinastia Chandela.
Nel parco archeologico molto ben tenuto, sono rimasti circa 10 templi di modeste dimensioni, ma riccamente scolpiti con processioni, battaglie, scene di corte , rappresentazioni di divinità , bellissime fanciulle “Apsara” danzanti, gruppi erotici in posizioni complesse e spesso acrobatiche.
Viene spontaneo il richiamo ai meravigliosi templi cambogiani.
In genere negli alberghi il cibo è offerto in buffet e, dopo quattro giorni, si comincia a risentire l’onnipresenza delle spezie che accompagnano le principali pietanze. Ottima la birra locale. L’acqua minerale e’ sempre naturale.
Cominciano quindi dal quinto giorno le lunghe trasferte in pullman.
Durante il viaggio la guida affronta i più disparati argomenti con acute analisi su politica, religione, economia, conflitti interni presenti e passati, usi e costumi. Spesso si accende anche un interessante dibattito.La carreggiata e’ quasi sempre a una corsia e si incontra di tutto: mucche, carretti trainati da dromedari, donne – nei loro coloratissimi sari- che portano in testa enormi fasci di paglia o grandi brocche metalliche d’acqua, motorette, autobus con passeggeri sul tetto.Ci capita anche di competere con un treno, i cui finestrini sono protetti da sbarre.
Dopo ben 190 km, ad andature varianti tra i 30 e 50 km/h, arriviamo a Orcha. Visita quindi di due magnifici palazzi del 1700 sul fiume Betwa.
La cosa che non ha mai cessato di stupirmi lungo tutto il viaggio e’ stata quella di vedere sempre nuovi scenari e rinnovare l’emozione nell’ammirare la varietà delle espressioni artistiche delle epoche passate.
Il sesto giorno e’ caratterizzato da altri 116 km per arrivare a Gwailor.Qui veniamo alloggiati presso l’Hotel Taj Usha Kiran Palace, un tempo riservata agli ospiti del maharaja. Un albergo bellissimo con ampi divani, stanze molto spaziose e bagni in marmo: insomma vita da maraja! Visita alla cittadella, cioè una collina fortificata. A metà salita, c’e’ un gruppo di 22 grandi statue scolpite nella roccia che vanno da 3 ai 20 metri d’altezza. Le facce sono state distrutte nel 1527 per ordine di Babur, primo imperatore Moghul. Dopo altri 11° km raggiungiamo Agra, la Firenze dell’India.Qui ci attende la visita del Taj Mahal , ovvero l’emblema turistico dell’India. L’edificio in marmo bianco e’ immacolato come al tempo in cui fu fatto costruire dall’imperatore della dinastia Mogol, Shah Jahan, in ricordo della sua seconda moglie Mumtaz Mahal, morta di parto nel 1631.La costruzione inizio’ quell’anno, ma i lavori giunsero a termine solo nel 1653, richiedendo l’opera di circa 20mila persone. Questa visita da sola, vale il viaggio in India e davvero non si può non emozionarsi di fronte a questa splendida realizzazione. Ho lasciato che un ragazzo mi mostrasse le angolature da cui scattare le foto e consiglio di fare altrettanto .
Il nono giorno da Agra, ci portiamo a Jaipur, capitale del Rajastan. Questo Stato, la cui popolazione e’ pari a circa 70 milioni di abitanti, rappresenta ora la principale meta dei turisti. Precedentemente richiamava il 75% circa del turismo lo stato del Kashmir per i suoi splendidi paesaggi, il clima fresco e le “house boat”.
Dalla fine degli anni ’80 la regione, a maggioranza mussulmana, annessa all’India e contesa dal Pakistan e’ teatro di continui conflitti, per cui è sconsigliato ai turisti di far capolino colà, pena rapine a mano armata o rapimenti.
Jaipur e’ detta la città rosa per il colore degli edifici che caratterizzano la splendida parte vecchia. Tale colore ( in realtà rosso ruggine) venne applicato nel 1883 in occasione della visita del principe di Galles (poi Edoardo VII). Nel bazar si possono fare buoni acquisti di pietre preziose pari a circa il 40% in meno rispetto ai prezzi italiani.Per quello che mi riguarda, corroborato anche dalle esperienze di alcuni compagni di viaggio, in genere i migliori acquisti li abbiamo effettuati nei negozi annessi ai grandi alberghi. Ovviamente i prezzi vanno sempre contrattati a lungo.
Quindi dopo un tratto di autostrada ( sorprendente la presenza di passaggi pedonali), la mattina successiva siamo a Jodhpur, detta la citta’ azzurra.
Mirabolante il Meherangarh, palazzo del maraja locale, con annesso museo. Sale di specchi che si illuminavano al chiarore di una candela.
Insomma cosa da mille e una notte! Infine, dulcis in fundo, approdiamo a Devigarh, un magnifico forte trasformato- dopo anni di completo abbandono – in un hotel di lusso.
La suite principale, con annessa piscina privata, costa mille dollari usa al giorno.
Nel paesino di Eklingji, si trovano alcuni templi antichi.Il tempio di Shiva fu edificato nel 734ma la sua forma attuale risale al regno del maraja Raimal, che governo’ dal 1473 al 1509. Protetto tutt’intorno da mura, ha una sala con una statua di marmo nero, raffigurante Shiva a quattro facce.
Di fronte al dio , un piccolo toro in argento.
Rientro quindi da Udaipur a Delhi e proseguimento per Francoforte-Linate( dopo una coda di ben 1 ora e ½ per accedere ai controlli) con partenza alle 03.00, del giorno successivo.
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