India Day Ten: A Visit To An Ancient Step Well And Temple On A Long Drive To Agra And A Wonderful Evening At Diwali Celebration.

I was  up early again at the beautiful Tigress resort near Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan in Northwestern, India. Our tour group was driving to Agra, home of the famous Taj Mahal. It was Kali Chaudas, the second day of the five day Diwali holiday. The third day was Diwali the main day of the “festival of lights’ . Families gathered from all over India and the globe to celebrate  the triumph of good over evil. Our group was invited to attend a Diwali celebration that evening in Agra.

I was traveling with a group on a Royal Q Tour and had already accomplished one of my goals in visiting India. . I saw two tigers in the wild at Ranthambore National Park.   The Taj Mahal was next. After a 6:30 AM wake up call I had breakfast,  packed my luggage, and was boarding our bus for our 5 1/2 hour drive to Agra.

As we were leaving this large  rhesus macaque monkey climbed a wall as if to say farewell on behalf of all of the wildlife we saw in the National Park. I was very satisfied with our visit, seeing so many species of birds and other midlife and especially the tigers.

We left the resort and at first drove through some rural farmlands. We drove past a field were young boys were playing cricket , a favorite pastime in India.

We continued on,  I believe Indian route 21, not a major highway.  And, as we have throughout our journeys through India , drove  past small produce stands along the highway,

where we usually also saw a lot of cows raoming around. The cows are sacred in the Hindu religion and are free to roam the countryside.

 We also saw a lot of traffiic in the small villages, mostly motorcycles ,

and tuk-tuks, the small, three wheeled vehicles that I remember driving through the streets of Delhi.

The vendors looked  at our  bus with curiosity and many of them waved as we passed.

I knew when we were entering  a  small  town or villages  when our bus was shaken by driving over the speed bumps. All of the villages  were decorated for the Diwali celebration. The street vendors had  colorful displays  of candles, flowers and candy for the festivities. It was a nice time to travel in India.

We crossed Banda River. It was a  180 mile,  5 1/2  hour journey to Agra and our guide. Aparna occupied our time  time either informing us about the culture, history and people of India and particularly the Diwali festival.  She also  engaged a group in quizzes and other activities to pass the time.

I would listen in but I was also very interestd   in observing the passing countryside and again reflected on the people I saw along the road.  Where did they live,  did they go to school, did they travel far, and  so many other question about aspects of their lives. I would aloes wonder where all side roads we past would lead me. I am never bored.

A few hours into our journey, we stopped again at the Tiger Treat restauraay,

While other members of the group visited  the bathroom facilities or shopped,

I roamed  around the gardens photographing wildflowers visited by insects,

butterflies ,

and a few birds including this jungle jabbler.

We continued on our journey, passing a few more towns which again were congested with traffic, mostly motorcycles.

Around noon we stopped at a small village where the Abhaneri step well Chand Baori is located.

Aparna gave us an informative history of the 1100 year-old well.  It  is over 100 feet deep and has 3500 steps. It is one of the oldest and deepest step wells in India.

In addition to supplying the residence with water, the well was used for ceremonial activities and as a swimming hole for the local maharajahs. to the lowest level allowed,  where I found a diving board used by the royal family to enjoy the waters.

Adjacent to the step well is the Harshat Mata Temple. There was no time to visit the temple as we soon boarded our bus for lunch at the Aagman Abhaneri Restaurant.

I had another delicious meal sampling all types of Indian food.

After liunh we continued our journey  through the rural Indian countryside,

We soon  passed large smokestacks,  as we approached Agra, which we learned were used  for the brick building businesses that surrounded Agra. We had left the state of Rajasthan province, and we’re now in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

As we neared Agra, we ran into some heavy  traffic, associated with the Diwali celebration. 

We drove past the colorful roadside shops which were  displaying gifts,

, flowers, candy

, and candles for the Diwali festivities.

It was evening when we entered downtown Agra  and arrived at the elegant Jaypee Palace Hotel.

The hotel was decorated for the Diwali festivals.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with more photos from our travel to Agra. India Day 10 travel to Agra October 19, 2025.

Our guide, Perna had arranged for us to attend a Diwali celebration at her friend, a local business woman’s home. We quickly changed into traditional Indian outfits that Aparna had provided us.

and we drove through the busy Agra  traffic to the Diwali celebration. It was a truly wonderful celebration.  We were warmly greeted  by our hostess and her family as well as Aparna’s  family.  The celebration began with a prayer the lighting of the dryas,  candles in small clay holders. ,

and a prayer. We then played a traditional card game. We  each had  300 rupees, about $5, in smaller bills .  I am going to play it with my family at Christmas. .  This gambling is part of the Diwali tradition in India on this holidy. . It was a lot of fun and I won one round. We were treated to traditional snack and some drinks while we played.

After the card game we were treated to a celebratory dance by relatives of the the host and Aparna.

We then had a wonderful meal of traditional Indian food.

Afterward we listened  to traditional  Indian music.  Many of the guest in our group joined in and danced.  I am not a dancer and just watched  the entertainment.  It was a wonderful night.  It was so  very kind of  Aparna and  and our  hostess  to share their Diwali celebration with us. It this very special day and a highlight of the trip. .

The celebration ended with a spectacular fireworks display outside of our hostess’  home.  Here is a link to a  a video of the wonderful Diwali celebration  prepared by Aparna, our  tour guide from Royal Q Travels.  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Jwr6VT9sd/

t was late when we boarded our bus for the ride back to our hotel  . It was a long day and I was tired. I quickly retired, reflecting on another wonderful day in India. .  I was excited to see  Taj Mahal, which was on my bucket list since third grade,  the next day.

“Let’s rise from ignorance to truth. Let’s rise from darkness to light.” ― Abhijit Naskar

“Allow the earthen lamp’s flame to cleanse your heart, mind, and soul.” ― Shree Shambav