The Vibrancy of India

By Ken DeLeon

While I have previously visited India on several business trips with Michael Repka, I had never before traveled there for pleasure. With Michael, I have attended real estate conferences in Delhi, and toured homes and talked to top agents in tech hubs such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Yet my clients from India said I was missing some of the most beautiful parts of the country. When the real estate market hibernates over the winter, I take my annual trip, and this time I focused on the picturesque state of Rajasthan, meaning “the land of the kings.” My first adventure was a tiger safari. Tigers, the largest and strongest of the big cats, were approaching extinction due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. Through preserving the park and other reserves, the tiger population has nearly doubled. Still, these stunning animals are hard to find, and it took days of searching until I was lucky enough to meet “Krishna,” a twelve-year-old female. With the striking juxtaposition of the most ferocious roar I have ever heard coupled with the most beautiful coat and calm demeanor of this stunning animal, this made for an unforgettable sojourn I highly recommend. Next, I traveled to Udaipur, known as the “Venice of the East.” This city alone has four palaces: a city castle with a 200,000 sq. ft. main residence built for

the Maharaj on a 1,100 acre lake; the Monsoon Palace on a summit to weather the intense rains and flooding; a lake palace that can only be accessed by boat; and my favorite, a party palace on the lake solely dedicated to lavish parties available for rental, where India’s richest man spent $100 million on his daughter’s wedding. This region is rich with five thousand years of history and culture.

From there, I viewed the worlds greatest monument of love - The Taj Mahal. With eternal love for his wife who bore him 14 children, but died young, Shah Jahan built a stunning marble monument to be a mausoleum for his wife and himself. Taking 20,000 laborers 20 years to complete (and we thought building was slow in Silicon Valley!) this scintillating testimonial of love is the most impressive manmade object I have ever seen.

After the Taj Mahal, I explored the deep history and architectural beauty of New Delhi. I enjoyed visiting the house of one of the men I admire most, Gandhi. I appreciate all of his philosophies, but particularly like his quote:

-Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

I enjoyed seeing all of the US tech companies that had large branch offices in India. I also enjoyed touring homes in Delhi and was impressed with how many new homes, particularly with contemporary architecture and its walls of glass and abundant natural light, were being built. By studying the homes my clients might be looking at in their native country such as India, China, Russia, or Japan, I can better understand their housing criteria and goals when they are looking in Silicon Valley.

While the country of India is beautiful, it is the culture and people that I love the most. Even in the face of widespread poverty, almost everyone seems content and enjoys their life as best they can. The concept of Karma, that good deeds will be rewarded in the future, and present difficulties stemming from past experiences, is pervasive, and this philosophy helps its believers accept the vicissitudes of life with positivity.

I also love how entrepreneurial the culture is and I understand why this culture creates so many successful CEO’s. As a rare male in America who loves to dance, I appreciate how integral dancing is to Indian society irrespective of gender.

While an experienced world traveler, how much I enjoyed this trip surprised me, as this was one of the best trips of my life that I would recommend to all of our great readers.

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187 Hardwick Road, Woodside

Stunning Views, Supreme Privacy in Woodside Hills

Breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay stretch for miles from this superb home of over 7,000 sq. ft. (per plans) in Woodside Hills. Offering 6 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, including a 1/1 guest home, this home presents luxurious interiors, spacious formal rooms, a chef’s kitchen, and a sparkling backyard pool and spa, all on a 1-acre lot (per county).

Listed by Michael Repka of the DeLeon Team, the #1 Team in the Nation.*

*As ranked by REAL Trends 2019 Team Volume list. Published in the Wall Street Journal in June 2019.

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For video tour & more photos, please visit: www.187Hardwick.com

Offered at: $5,988,000