Bhopal Feb 1&2

Stage at the music festival

Sourbhab and I on the paddle boat

Upper Lake during sunset

Picking out bangles to go with the sari Sonita gifted to me

We arrived back into Bhopal and checked back into the same hotel we left from.  After a quick shower, we walked to the Taj-ul-Masjid, the largest mosque in Bhopal, if not India.  It had three beautiful white onion domes, a large courtyard, and two very tall minarets.   In Bhopal, there are two big lakes, Upper Lake and Lower Lake.  From the mosque, we walked to the Upper Lake area that has a beautifully landscaped walkway. We enjoyed an ice cream treat at a little café with a wonderful view.  We then decided it was time to walk back to our hotel. On our way back, we came across an open air theater with a festival going on.  We wandered around the displays of traditional masks from around the country and the world.  There were also booths selling shoes, pottery, saris, textiles, bangles, and other things.  Around seven o’clock on the main stage there was a music group that played traditional music from the region.  We stayed until the mosquitoes and the cold got to us and then hailed a tuck-tuck back to the hotel. 

When we got back to the hotel, our friend Sourabh was waiting for us.  One of his friends had spotted us on the street and let him know we were back in town.  We arranged to meet at his room the next day after he is done studying.  So the next morning we met at Sourabh’s apartment and his wonderful mom made us a delicious lunch.   We then headed off to Upper Lake and rented a paddle boat.  We enjoyed cruising around the lake for a bit.

The next day, we had a night train from Bhopal to Khajuraho.  We spent the afternoon with Sourabh, Sonita, and many of their neighbors.  We walked around the zoo area and saw some of the animals.  On our way back to gather our things, we stopped in the market.  Sonita bought me a set of purple glass bangles to go with the sari she gave me earlier in the week.  She said that it was an Indian mother’s duty to buy bangles for their daughters. 

We said teary goodbyes to Sonita as we left their apartment for the last time.  Sourabh insisted on accompanying us to the train station.  As the train pulled into the station, we said more teary goodbyes to Sourabh.  We were truly blessed to have meet such a wonderful family who not only opened their home to us, but their hearts as well.