He visited the renowned 'golden triangle', Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, as well as Rajasthan and Kashmir. His trip was highlighted with visits to feel the rhythm of this beautiful country, from frantic Delhi with its wealth of architecture and history, to the magnificent Mughal Forts and the ultimate expression of love, the Taj Mahal.
"I have always been fascinated by India. It is a very interesting country," Dodge said.
He added that India has 18 official languages and English is widely spoken so there is not as much of a language barrier as it may seem.
"The hotels were cheap too, I was able to get a room for $20 a night. The people of India were incredible, and there was so many interesting temples, gardens and markets," he said.
Dodge first visited Pushkar, Rajasthan, one of the oldest cities of India, it lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. Pushkar in Sanskrit means blue lotus flower. In the Hindu religion it is believed that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth and the place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar.
"Water is considered sacred, they scatter their ashes in it, in this city they are very careful with public displays of affection," he said.
Next he was off to Odipur, Rajasthan where there seemed to be a huge difference between white collar and the underprivileged. Rajasthan is the land of colours and it encompasses most of the Great Indian Desert.
"There is a huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor in India and you can really see that. I hired a driver for nine days to see interesting temples and markets. It was great because he knew everywhere to go that I didn't and knew exactly where to go when I told him what I wanted to see," Dodge said.
Dodge also took a five day trek through the mountains of Kashmir on the edge of the Himalayas.
"The mountains were amazing, it was nice to set up camp and really see the mountains," he said.
Also on the agenda, was Varanasi, commonly known as the holy city. It is regarded as a holy city by Buddhists, and is the holiest place in the world in Hinduism as it is the center of the Earth in Hindu cosmology. Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
But on his train ride to Delhi is where he met a new friend that he still keeps in touch with today. As the train ride is 12 hours long from Varanasi to Delhi and in close quarters, Dodge said it is easy to meet people. Dodge met Dhillia, an English teacher in the slums of Dehli and had a great time on the train.
"He was born in England to Indian parents and came to India to teach because he was really interested in the country. His parents would really like him to find a wife in India as well," Dodge said. "Most people in the country have arranged marriages, they are still really common in India."
Delhi is the second largest metropolis by population in India with more than 12.25 million people.
Delhi has re-emerged and has grown to be a multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanization, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Delhi into a major cultural, political, and commercial centre of India.
Of course his trip would not have be complete without a trip to the Taj Mahal. The Taj was built by Babur, the first Mughal ruler of India, he built it for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Dodge said that he built it for her in memory as she died giving birth to her 13th son. The Taj took 20 years to construct and mostly in white marble.
"It was incredible, I took the tour at around 5:30 in the morning and was done around lunch," he said. "Oh and the food in India was amazing, so fresh all the time, my favourite dish was Hydernbadi Biryani, which is basmati rice with chicken, boiled egg, dried, fruit, cucumber, tomato and yogurt – it was amazing."
Ramblin’ around the City Palace
