I can’t wait to see this beautiful monument as my clients and I visit it during our 2011 Silver Legends Himalayan Tour next month.

Emperor Shah Jehan commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal, a final resting place and mausoleum for his beloved bride and wife Mumtaz Mahal, starting one year after she died. The building started in 1632, took twenty-two years to build and twenty thousand laborers. It is spread over forty-two acres on the banks of the River Yamuna near the city of Agra and was designed in such a way that no further addition or alteration to it would be possible.

On my Himalayan tours, I can go from a very hot to a very cold climate in a matter of hours and being from North America I am used to thinking of temperatures in Fahrenheit.

However Fahrenheit is becoming obsolete in many parts of the world, so I have learned to understand Celsius and be comfortable with conversions.

So I thought it might be useful to do a short little blog post on temperature conversions so you know exactly how comfortable you will be once you step into your new surroundings.

I am starting first with the actual temperature conversion formulas, just in case you want to know how the numbers came about (although there are tons of apps you can download to do this for you in a jiffy).  I will also be providing my favorite app later in this post.

To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius use (F – 32) x 5/9 = C

Example: If it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Bali, Indonesia, (100 – 32) x 5/9, it is 37.7 degrees Celsius.

To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit use (C x 1.8) + 32 = F

Example: If it is 20 degrees Celsius in Kathmandu, Nepal, (20 X 1.8) + 32, it is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ConvertMe App is my personal favorite for temperature conversions without having to do the math.

What are some of your experiences?  Is there a process or conversion app that you use and like very much that you can share?

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The holiday season is a very stressful time for many people. I am especially conscious of how much we spend, both in time and money.

So I thought I would take a few moments to focus on a couple of memories of a simpler time. I also hope you share some of your memories so we can all benefit from the pleasure of reading them during this time of hectic activity.

I grew up with my grandparents  in Meghalaya, India – a State that is primarily Christian. The Christmas season was very exciting for me as a child and I could not wait for it to arrive. There were never any presents under the tree but that was not what it was all about.

One of my favorite memories every year was a beautiful little cake with royal icing that my grandmother would bring out for us to enjoy – a slice with our tea at midnight on Christmas eve  (I would always get the roses from the cake as a special treat). We only bought a cake with icing at Christmas time so you can imagine how special that was.

The rest of the cake would be carefully put away to share with our extended family members who would be paying their respects to my grandparents on Christmas day. Although we celebrated modestly, we were rich with the loving presence of our family and friends.

The music of angels, or so I thought…

Another special memory was waking up in the middle of the night and hearing carols. I was raised in the Himalayan foothills of India and the nights were very cold but some folks were out there caroling! Can you imagine being snug inside warm blankets listening to this beautiful music on a cold dark night?

You see, there are a group of tribal people in the town I lived in known as the Mizos who were blessed with some of the most wonderful voices and certainly to me as a child they sounded like a choir of angels, similar to what the shepherds heard a long long time ago when Jesus was born.

I hope you enjoy the video below sung by these tribal people – the singers are different but the style and beauty of the music is the same.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Although my grandparents and aunt have long passed away, these treasured moments and memories are a beautiful part of my life that I would not trade for all the toys in the world. Although gifts are nice, one does not need very much to enjoy the beauty of this season – loved ones, music, a little desert, it was enough.

What memories do you have of this special season that were meaningful to you? Please share and let us help each other be aware of the simpler pleasures and values amidst the commercialization that surrounds us.

I look forward to your comments.

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All types of tea contain flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants. These flavonoids in tea also help maintain bone mineral density, reducing osteoporosis and preventing fractures as we age. Green tea flavonoids stimulate the body’s ability to burn calories by increasing fat oxidation and raising the metabolism.

Dr. Jack Bukowski of Harvard Medical School concludes that the flavonoids and antioxidants found in tea may inhibit the formation of cancer cells, and protect the cardiovascular system by decreasing free radicals.

Flavonoids also work as anti-clotting agents, enhance the body’s immune functions, lower LDL cholesterol levels while raising HDL, boost longevity, assist digestion, and lower blood pressure.

So bottoms up to a nice cup of tea!

You can read more about teas, tips on making a perfect cup, as well as my yummy chai recipe in my book, The Deity Diet.

In my last blog post I discussed the withering process of tea after the leaves are initially plucked.

In this 2nd part of my three part blog post, I will discuss fermentation and oxidation process, and the differences between green tea, oohlong, black and white teas.

Once the withering process is completed and the essential oils and enzymes are released, the next stage is the fermentation process, which involves oxidization of the leaves in a humid atmosphere for up to four hours. During the fermentation process oxidation takes place, and the leaves change from dark green to a rusty brown color. After this, the tea is ready for drying and hot air is again passed over the leaves.

The black tea is marked and ready for testing by an expert tea taster, who describes the tea, documents it, and issues a certificate of release. The manufacturing process for black tea is now complete: it is ready for storage and transportation to the marketplace.

Green tea does NOT go through the fermentation process however. The veins in the leaves are not broken; instead, the leaves are steamed to destroy the enzymes that would otherwise lead to oxidation. This is why green tea retains its green color and delicate flavor.

Oolong (which means “black dragon” in Chinese) tea, manufactured in the Fujian province of China, is fermented for a much shorter span of time than black tea, ending at about the halfway point. Oolong teas are a cross between black and green teas, with a shorter fermentation process than black, but longer than the green.

White tea is a relatively new type of tea. It is the rarest of teas, as there is only a small window of time when the leaves can be picked – just a few weeks each year. The processing method for white tea involves raising the small silvery hairs on the leaves and buds. White tea is known for its anti-oxidant and detoxifying properties.

In my next blog post I will conclude with Part 3 which highlights different studies and research into the health benefits of the different types of teas.

Picture source: Wikipedia commons (Sten Porse)

The Goji berry is another fruit rich in antioxidants, specifically carotenoids such as beta carotene and zeaxanthin. It is found in China and the Himalayas and is a dark red fruit related to the cranberry and blueberry. Goji berries have a tangy sweet taste and are considered nutrient dense, rich in phytonutrients and containing essential vitamins and minerals.

I grew up eating Goji berries in the Himalayan foothills. My aunt had huge bushes on her property that grew these little berries abundantly by the hundreds. I would gather the large, ripe soft ones and eat them by the dozens.  They were juicy and delicious!

And guess what! I found a website that actually sells seeds so I will be ordering some and growing my own. They are known to be very hardy plants so I am hoping to enjoy some fresh fruit in a couple of seasons. Can’t wait.

Do you have any experience with Goji Berries? I would love to hear about them.

Part II (For part 1, please refer to my Jan 7^th blog post)

Painting of Mumtaz Mahal

Though only fourteen years of age, Arjumand was stunning, and it was clear she could not lack for suitors.  Arjumand’s thick hair was the color of the midnight sky and reached down to her waist.  Her charcoal-colored eyes mesmerized him with unimagined and unspoken promises in their depths.  Her golden skin was smooth and her lips red and full.  She moved with such grace that she seemed to float about.  And when she met his eyes ever so briefly, the prince was sure that her small smile that followed was meant for him alone.  He was right.  Arjumand herself was captivated by the attractive young prince and knew in her heart that they were destined for each other.

Though Prince Khurram was temporarily rendered speechless with Arjumand’s beauty and grace, upon his recovery he inquired as to Arjumand’s name and family.  He learned that Arjumand was born to one of the noble houses of his court, and to his amazement, was not yet engaged to any man.

As the days and weeks passed, Prince Khurram could not stop thinking about Arjumand.  At this time, he was already betrothed to two other princesses in arranged marriages by his father the Emperor, but the prince did not love or even know either of these princesses.  On the other hand, he was completely besotted with Arjumand.

Upon much reflection, he requested permission from his father, Emperor Jehangir, to marry Arjumand.  His father agreed, and with the proper review and recommendations of the astrologers and the correct alignment of the stars, Prince Khurram was betrothed to Arjumand in 1607 and their wedding date was set.

Finally, the happy day approached, and on March 27, 1612, five years later, handsome Prince Khurram, at the age of twenty, married the beautiful nineteen-year old Arjumand.

Prince Khurram favored Arjumand above all others, including his two other wives, and he showered her with love and affection.  To the great delight of their subjects, Arjumand was just as in love with him as he was with her.  The prince broke all tradition by being with her as much as possible, and the two were inseparable.  The prince loved to bestow upon his bride unusual and beautiful gifts from all over the kingdom, but one gift he gave her was more than a mere object, more than even just a symbol of his love for her.  Rather, it represented not only the special place she held in his heart, but also her place in their kingdom, and the love of the Court and its subjects for her – a new name.  From now on she would be known as Mumtaz Mahal, which meant “Chosen One of the Palace.”

The years passed and eventually Emperor Jehangir died. Prince Khurram became the new emperor on February 4, 1628 and from that time became known as Shah Jehan.

Shah Jehan ruled with Mumtaz Mahal by his side.  Mumtaz was renowned for the major role she played in her husband’s monarchy. Her wisdom was legendary and she became his counselor, companion and partner and it was said, a critical advisor as he ruled his kingdom. Their combined intelligence and astute judgment created a monarchy at this time that was comparable to no other.

Mumtaz Mahal was the only one of Shah Jehan’s wives to bear him children.  During their nineteen-year marriage, she bore him fourteen children.  However, only seven of their children survived infancy.

In 1631, Shah Jehan readied himself for battle against the warlord of a neighboring kingdom; a battle that he guessed would last for many months as the enemy was a fierce one. Normally, Mumtaz accompanied the emperor to his battles, staying at a nearby palace, but she was pregnant with her fourteenth child at the time and the palace physicians did not recommend travelling in her condition. Despite the circumstances however, Mumtaz, who was strong in body and in mind, insisted on going along as she normally would and Shah Jehan was unable to deny her request.

While Shah Jehan led his army into battle, his wife Mumtaz stayed at a royal harem a few hours away. When her time came, she went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl at the harem. A messenger brought word to the emperor that he had a healthy daughter and that the queen was tired but doing well. Since the news was good, the shah decided he would wait until morning, when he would leave his troops and set out for the harem to visit Mumtaz and their new daughter.

After an exhausting but triumphant day on the battlefield, the emperor was readying himself for a few hours sleep before his journey to see his queen, when he received some disturbing news. It looked like Mumtaz had taken a turn for the worse and was in very serious condition.  The harem physicians recommended that he get there as quickly as possible to see his wife.

Immediately, Shah Jehan left the camp with his bodyguards, riding as fast as they could into the early hours of the morning. When he arrived at Mumtaz’s bedside, he was shocked and terrified to see her so weak and pale, and deep in his heart he feared that she would not make it past morning. This fear was worse than anything he ever encountered, even during his most fierce battles. How would he make it without her by his side?

For the next few hours, Shah Jehan held his beloved Mumtaz in his arms until, in the early hour of dawn, she breathed her last faint breath.  As he lay by her side, his heart heavy and breaking, his world turned dark with sorrow and pain, only the gods knew that Shah Jehan would never be the same man again.  His spirit and love of life had died along with Mumtaz. She was all of 38 years old.

It was said that following his wife’s death, Shah Jehan was so heartbroken, that he locked himself in his private chambers where all the people in the palace heard were cries of anguish.  When he finally emerged days later, he declared a mourning period throughout the kingdom.

After his first year of sorrow and pain, Shah Jehan commissioned the building of the mausoleum – the Taj Mahal – for his beloved bride and wife. The building of Mumtaz’s tomb started in 1632, one year after her death.  It took twenty-two years to build and twenty thousand laborers. It is spread over forty-two acres on the banks of the River Yamuna near the city of Agra and was designed in such a way that no further addition or alteration to it would be possible.

The Taj Mahal was built on a raised square platform of 186 feet by 186 feet. The central dome was fifty-eight feet in diameter and 213 feet in height. There are four minarets, one at each corner of the Taj at a height of 162.5 feet each.

Deep inside the mausoleum are the actual crypts containing the bodies of the emperor and the queen, while the two marble tombs above them are the two false tombs viewable to the general public.

Enormous quantities of white marble and sandstone were brought in from different areas of the Munhall empire. Precious stones from different parts of the emperor’s kingdom and beyond were brought in to adorn the walls and ceilings – pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, jade and more.

According to art historian Shobita Punja, “as you walk closer to [the Taj Mahal], its magnificence just takes over. Reflected in a long pool is the mausoleum in all its majesty. The dome floats two hundred and fifty feet into the sky, its simplicity and proportions perfect, subtle variations in the veined marble creating changes in color with every mood of the heavens. Four minarets frame the space like the setting of a jewel”
“The sky forms a curtain to the Taj,” Shobita further adds. “It’s the backdrop. At night, when the sky is black, this little marble jewel box stands glistening in the moonlight; in the early morning, when the sky is pink and orange, the white marble reflects those colors; and at sunset it has a completely different look. So the sky is as important as any other physical detail around the Taj. And the way it’s set on that platform, standing up against the huge expanse of sky, it seems as though they were evoking a sort of heavenly curtain to play a part in the scheme of things…. That’s why it’s so perfect. It’s a symbol of perfect love and of great beauty.”

The years went by and Shah Jehan never took on another wife but continued to rule his kingdom in peace for another 26 years until he became seriously ill in the year 1657. At that time, he had five sons, the youngest of which was Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb wanted the throne and for almost two years he fought his four brothers until he had eliminated all of them. In 1658, Aurangzeb declared himself emperor and imprisoned his father at the Jasmine tower of the Red Fort in Agra.  Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jehan for eight years at that tower.

From the shah’s chambers there, he would gaze daily at Mumtaz’s beautiful tomb across the river Yamuna.  He would remember the love they shared, the love which he knew even death could not contain.

After he died in 1666, he was buried in the inner crypt of the Taj Mahal, next to his beloved Mumtaz, the two lovers together at last for all eternity.

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I would like to provide my guests the opportunity to interact and give back to the local communities in India they visit during their Himalayan Boot Camp journeys. I truly believe that it can be a rewarding experience if one has brightened the life of someone less fortunate in the community one left behind after the vacation is over.

I am thinking of providing this interaction at a couple of the local schools that cater to the more impoverished children. Here are just a couple of my ideas for my guests:

1. Take 3-4 books and have a storybook session with the children. The local children will love this!
2. An afternoon of crafts with the children using supplies we take from here that those children have never seen and can take home with them (paper dolls, painting etc – the possibilities are endless)
3. Distribute some clothes (T-Shirts?) and have some afternoon refreshments and snacks.

These are just small things but they are a start. I grew up in this area of Meghalaya, India and know exactly how much brightness this will bring to the children. I am not sure where this idea will take me but I just have this gut feeling that both the givers and receivers of this kindness will be so blessed and the memories will be amazing.

Please provide feedback – tell me what you think. I also welcome any additional ideas you may have.

Here’s to a brighter world for children!

Connie

The poor man had never met so many relatives. Nor had he been what I consider so fortunate as to taste so many kinds of authentic home-made curries!

One of the most memorable aspects of that birthday celebration was, of course, the food. This was one of those Indian occasions where a wide variety of cultural delicacies was served. My Uncle Hubert, who was quite talented at making outstanding curries, volunteered to be in charge of the dinner. Uncle Hubert immediately called three of his old army buddies to assist him, along with my nephew Oliver.

They all showed up early on the morning of November 11th, my daughter’s birthday, and set out creating a commotion, banging and clanging pots and pans and utensils and ingredients, as they put together a makeshift kitchen in my grandmother’s backyard.

All day long one delicious smell after another drifted in from the backyard, until the guests began arriving and we transferred the food from the huge pots on the wood fires into serving bowls inside.

Some of the recipes for the food Uncle Hubert and his friends made that day are included in this book: Cumin Chicken, Saffron Flavored Rice Pilaf, Slow-Cooked Marinated Beef (a specialty of my grandfather’s when he was alive), Northeastern Indian Dal, Mint, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Daikon Salad. The food was authentic, delicious, and memorable, made from my uncle’s own favorite recipes, adjusted to fit the occasion.

My grandmother performed the ancestor blessings for my daughter’s future – the blessings for good health, peace, joy, prosperity, and abundance. Our culture considers these essential to a child’s future. My Uncle Roosevelt, as the honored Grand Uncle, added his blessings as well. My daughter probably received more blessings that day than most people get in a lifetime.

To this day my husband and I treasure our memories of that visit. We have passed them on to our daughter so she knows all about her First Birthday Indian Feast.

In the culture of Northeastern India, a baby’s first birthday is cause for celebration. We prepare a big feast for relatives, friends, and neighbors, who all gather to wish the baby well.

When my daughter was about to turn a year old, however, I was living in the United States with my American husband. Not a single Indian relative was here, and his family was so scattered about, it would have been impractical to get everyone together in one place.

We were fairly young and didn’t have much money, but I wanted so badly to take my daughter home and show her off to my family that we did what any proud modern-day parents would do: we racked up our credit cards and took off for India, baby in tow. Here is a picture of the happy baby before our trip.

At that time, I had six younger brothers and sisters still living at home, plus my mother, grandmother (sadly, my grandfather had passed away), a multitude of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and tons of old friends and neighbors.

You can probably imagine what it was like to bring an eleven-month-old baby into this lot, where the youngest child was my brother, age seven, practically ancient in comparison to his new niece. My daughter was passed around from one person to another, kissed, doted on, fed all kinds of very un-baby-like treats that I pretended not to notice, and was thoroughly spoiled.

And, of course, there was the complicated business of planning The Birthday Feast, who to invite, what to serve, how much to cook, who would cook it; and “should-we-only-have-tea-or-have-tea-and-then-later-on-dinner,” what music to play, who will provide the blessing, and so on and so forth. You would think we were planning a wedding.

By the time my mother and grandmother were through, it was almost like a wedding, with over two hundred guests. Most people in India think nothing of this – the celebration is both a feast and a religious ceremony – but to my American husband it was all a little mind-boggling.

(to be continued tomorrow)