blue moon and golden brown

After wrapping up work in Udaipur, I was able to check two more places off of my "must-see" list in Rajasthan: Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.

Jodhpur, also know as the Blue City, is the second largest city in Rajasthan. The city is about the same size as Mesquite, TX with a population just over one million. It was founded in 1459, as the capital of the princely state of Marwar. The area of northwestern India was previously divided into 22 princely states that combined to form the state of Rajasthan ("Land of Kings") following independence from Britain in 1947.

Jodhpur is known as the Blue City due to the high number of buildings that are painted blue. It is believed that the blue paint was used as a way for Brahmins (priestly caste) to identify their homes. Others believe it was done because blue made the homes cooler in the summer months. Regardless of the reason, it makes for a spectacular view.

Like all major cities in Rajasthan, Jodhpur is home to a large fort with a colorful history. Mehrangarh Fort sets atop a hill overlooking the blue buildings littered throughout the city. One major difference between this fort and others is that it is still operated by the royal family of Jodhpur, and is therefore better maintained and much cleaner in comparison to those run by government entities. The interiors throughout the ages have been meticulously decorated with gold, lush carpets, mirrors, tiles, and paintings.

Because Mehrangarh is run by the royal family trust, staff are on site to show use of weaponry, pallaquins, painting techniques, and even opium!

The culture and history in Rajasthan becomes a broken record after you visit enough places, but Jodhpur offered some variety to the usual stories. The below statue (which is life size and totally creepy in person) is of Gangaur, who was Lord Shiva's consort. She is worshiped by unmarried women to ask for blessings for their future husband, and married women worship her in hopes of having marital bliss.

As with other Rajput communities, the clan living at Mehrangarh Fort also was known for committing the act of jauhar. The women would prepare themselves for the rites of jauhar by bathing in scented oils, donning their wedding dress, finest jewellery and henna on their hands and feet. As they walked to their funeral pyre, they would press their hands to the wall, leaving the marks of their fresh henna and indicating their final descent towards death. Mehrangarh has a "widow wall" to mark this place.

After leaving Jodhpur I traveled to Jaisalmer, the western most city in India. It is situated about 55 miles from the Pakistan border, hence the large military presence. Jaisalmer is often referred to as the Golden City, due to the shades of gold cast off the yellow sandstone during sunrise and sunset. The city is very small (only 2 square miles), and is home to about 80,000 people.

A lovely lake, Gadisar Lake, is situated just on the outskirts of town. It is surrounded by temples and shrines, and you can find people out in water in paddle boats. I was out there at sunset, which perfectly reflected why Jaisalmer earned the name Golden City.

Jaisalmer is home to the Golden Fort, which is India's only living fort--meaning that the fort is still inhabited by residents. It is a little surreal to be walking through a centuries old historic monument while side stepping cows and motorcycles.

The Golden Fort was built in mid 11th century, and is one of the largest in the world. Unfortunately, it is now an endangered fort (yes, that's a real thing) due to over population and water seepage. Parts of the fort have already crumbled and organizations are stepping in to aid preservation. Unfortunately, as is the case in India, innovation and infrastructure fail to keep up with population growth. It will take a large effort of repair and support to rehab the fort. 

Of course, no visit to a desert town would be complete without a ride through the sand dunes (I was certain our SUV would roll over at any moment) and sunrise camel safari. Should I have the opportunity to go back, I hope to do the overnight camel safari complete with a bonfire and camping under the stars.

beyond the sea

I am blessed to have a job that sends me to new and unusual destinations around India. This time work sent me to Udaipur, although I had a brief detour to Chittorgarh in order to visit the largest fort in India.

Chittorgarh Fort is positively massive, covering over a square mile of land. From the 7th-16th century, Chittorgarh Fort was the capital of the Mewar Kingdom until it relocated to Udaipur after siege by the Mughal Emperor Akbar.

The fort was built with 130 temples and 84 water tanks for rainwater collection. The architecture was amazing, and I was in awe trying to imagine the amount of labor and skill that went into its construction.

Although very beautiful, the most fascinating part of the fort was its rich history. Chittorgarh had 3 major sieges, each resulting in jauhar. Jauhar is the act of Rajput women throwing themselves in a funeral pyre and considered honorable act to avoid enslavement and dishonor by Muslim captures. Each major siege brought on mass jauhar resulting in the self-immolation of thousands of women.I could easily spent several more hours wandering the grounds.

Udaipur, is commonly known as "City of Lakes" or "Venice of the East". In keeping with Rajasthan's love of color monikers (i.e. Jaipur = Pink City, Jodhpur = Blue City, Jaisalmer = Golden City), Udaipur is also referred to as the White City. It is about the same size as Nacogdoches, TX, yet has about 600,000 inhabitants (Nac has 30,000). It was founded in 1559 and is popular with tourists and locals alike for its Rajput-era (Hindu warrior caste) palaces.

 Udaipur is remarkably clean in comparison to other parts of India, and I found it to be very safe to walk around and converse with locals. The city is absolutely picturesque, and I loved catching sunset at Lake Pichola.

I spent most of my four days in and around City Palace working. I was fortunate to grab a few hours to myself to check out some of the area. Maharana Udai Singh II built the palace after leaving Chittorgarh in the 16th century. The palace complex is considered the largest of its kind in Rajasthan, and all the buildings face east, as the Suryavansi Rajputs worshiped the sun god.

sunset view of City Palace complex from Lake Pichola

The interior of the palace was beautiful, intricate, and a stunning display of wealth.

A fun part of being in Udaipur is the boats rides to and from the different palaces on the lake. A short boat ride across Lake Pichola takes you to Jag Mandir, an island palace. This palace was built as a summer resort for the royal family and has now been converted to a space for special events. Its is only accessible by boat, and I had the opportunity to go there for an amazing dinner.

Udaipur was gorgeous, and I really hope to have the opportunity to return for less work and more play!

 

living for the city

Although November was relatively quiet in terms of getting out and about, December is looking to be more travel-heavy. The start of the month sent Nikki and me back to Delhi for a few days of work, which meant a few days of exploring.

This time around, we elected to use the metro system in Delhi. It is fairly new (about a decade old) and is reminiscent of the Parisian metro system. It is surprisingly clean and easy to navigate. Like many public places in India (i.e. malls, visitor attractions, large hotels, etc), women and men are divided into separate lines to go through security and bags are sent through x-ray machines. Little metro tokens get you in and out of the different platforms.

I don't know that I will ever get used to being in a massive metropolitan area only to suddenly find myself in a building that is older than the United States. Living in India is a testament to just how young my native country is!

One of our stops was at Jama Masjid, the principal mosque in Old Delhi, constructed between 1650-1656. It is yet another structure built by Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) using red sandstone and marble.

Outside of the gates, visitors must remove their shoes and women are required to wear burkas (without the head/face coverings) and men that had on shorts were required to wear lungis (sarong). I never thought I'd find myself in a burka, let alone a floral one!

We were lucky because it was election day in Delhi, meaning that few people were out and about. Fridays (holy day in Islam) and large Muslim holidays like EID can attract up to 25,000 people at the mosque! It was very peaceful during our visit and many were there to pray and worship.

Another stop was Akshardham, which is now officially my favorite site in Delhi. As much as I don't care for the city, I fell in love with the temple complex. Akshardham Temple is a sprawling complex (opened in 2005) devoted to the modern sect of Hinduism known as Swaminarayan Hinduism. Consider this similar to doctrinal differences we may find in denominations of Christianity.

The complex boasts large gardens, a boat ride (India meets It's a Small World at Disney), 2 films, and a musical fountain.

Upon walking into the complex, we had to surrender all our earthly possessions.. I hated having to part with my camera, but Google images has once again come to my rescue. I commented to Nikki about its similarity in intricacy to Angkor Wot in Cambodia. My research revealed that the craftsmen modeled the design after several temples including Angkor Wot (even though it is a Buddhist temple).

The main temple is incredibly beautiful, with 148 carved elephants at the base. The lake that surrounds the temple has 108 gaumukhs (water spouts), symbolizing the 108 names of God in the Hindu faith. 

Under the central dome inside, you will find a murti (statue) of  Swaminarayan and other gurus of the sect cast in gold. The architecture is amazingly intricate, both interior and exterior.

 

I know this is far from my last visit to the big city. Luckily, there are plenty of places to explore next time I'm in Delhi!

a horse with no name

All of my friends are amused with the fact that I am so enraptured with the camels and elephants traveling the streets of Jaipur. To them, it is normal to pass a slow moving elephant while riding a motorcycle. I'm too busy giggling and attempting to take pictures.

That being said, I had the opportunity to spend four days at the Pushkar ka Mela (Pushkar Camel Fair). During this time up to 300,000 people flood the town of Pushkar along with 50,000 camels! The holy town of Pushkar is situated about two and a half hours from Jaipur; alcohol and non-vegetarian foods are forbidden in the town. The Pushkar name means "lotus flower", which is considered auspicious in India due to its ties to Hindu religious beliefs. During the mela, crowds of people descend upon the town in hopes of purchasing livestock as well as taking a dip in one of the many ghats (holy baths). According to legend, the Hindu god Brahma sprung from sacred waters of Pushkar Lake, hence the popularity of the ghats.

sunrise view of the town from Pushkar Lake

The sleepy town of Pushkar (population: 15,000) becomes a whirl of activity every fall with the onset of the mela. I loved the hustle and bustle of the people and animals during my time there. The days began before sunrise (I could hear music from the mela grounds at 5:30 every morning) and lasted long past sunset. When people weren't busy surveying the livestock of the fair, they were buying goods in the market or attending one of the many carnival rides littering the town.

While in Pushkar, I was glamping--staying in luxury Swiss tents, complete with running water and flush toilets. However, I am still in India, so hot water was delivered to me in a bucket everyday for my "shower". This was really fun, even though the temperatures dropped to the mid-fifties at night.

As to be expected, the mela is very popular with tourists and photography groups. Hot air balloons are launched everyday at sunrise and sunset. Crowds of people assemble to watch the balloons inflate and take flight.

 As with anywhere I go in India, I was constantly approached by children. They would wave from the tops of vehicles and approach me in the mela, shyly saying hello. They often asked to have their picture "clicked". Although some asked for money, most were simply curious. I had one darling little girl approach me and hold my hand for about 20 minutes while watching the hot air balloons. Adults seemed more immune to the tourists, but I did have an elderly lady in the market stroke my hair and pull me into a fierce hug. She then smiled warmly and went on her way.

As you can imagine, camels are everywhere. They can be found lazing at the mela grounds, carrying tourists for safaris, and pulling carts.

The camels at the fair are dromedary, or single hump camels. They are used for meat, milk, leather, hair for textiles and as work animals. Something that surprised me was the range of hair color and size. They can grow to a height of 7+ feet tall, live to be 50, and run up to 40 mph. After wandering freely through the mela grounds, trust me when I say that you do not want to get caught in a stampede! I never saw any camels spitting, but they do bark and hiss. However, I found most to be rather gentle and unperturbed by the activity around them.

One of my favorite things about the mela was the decoration of the camels. Camels are decorated with ornate necklaces and piercings. Others are painted with geometric shapes, or have intricate designs shaved into their hair. Pushkar even boasts of having a camel beauty competition!

Outside of my obvious delight with the camels, I fell in love with the colors of Pushkar. The dress of the people is vibrant to the point of painful. Bold colors adorn men and women alike. When I wasn't busy staring at camels, I was taking in the colors of the people.

During my Pushkar adventure, I met people from everywhere imaginable: France, Japan, Austria, Israel, Hong Kong, Germany. One of the most interesting people I met was a photographer by the name of Andy VC. He hails from Colombia and focuses on shooting human rights violations. He purchased a camel (which he named Pinto) to use as an opening topic of conversation with people attending the mela. He is then better able to gain access to the subject he wishes to capture. His goal was to sell Pinto by the end of the fair. If he didn't succeed, he planned to give him to a family in need. As it would happen, Pinto was a bit of a flirt and kept leaning in for kisses.

The mela was four days of chaos and exhaustion, but I am so thrilled I had a chance to witness it firsthand!

hot child in the city

Nekibur (Nikki) and I had to be in Delhi for a few days for work, so we decided to make the most of our free time and do some exploring. Like Washington D.C., Delhi is the capital of India. Although it is similar in size to Houston, it is home to more than 22 million people. Delhi is one of the world's most populous cities, second only to Tokyo. I find the city to be crowded and overly polluted; I would much rather be at home in Jaipur. Regardless, Nikki and I took advantage of the morning hours to see some of the sights Delhi has to offer.

Our first visit was to Qutab Minar, which is also the only site open on Mondays. Something to be noted about visiting India's historic sites: foreigners are charged exorbitant prices in comparison to Indian nationals (i.e. Qutab Minar entrance fees: 250 rupees/$4 USD versus 10 rupees/16 cents USD).

Qutab Minar is a 238 foot tall Islamic monument found in an area referred to as the Qutab complex. It is a large red sandstone and marble pillar that was constructed in 1192 covered with inscriptions from the Qur'an. An intricately carved marble mosque, living quarters, and burial site can be found on the complex grounds as well. Hindus cremate their dead, whereas Muslims bury their dead.

Day two helped me appreciate the phrase "hazy shade of winter". Obviously Simon and Garfunkel spent some time in Delhi! Winters here are equated with foggy conditions (although I'm guessing the haze is partially due to pollution). Yesterday's blue skies were replaced with a blanket of grey, which isn't very kind to snapping pictures.  Luckily Google images came to my rescue for blogging purposes (I swear, the Lotus Temple really looks like that!).

Nikki and I ventured out to the Baha'i House of Worship, more commonly known as the Lotus Temple. It is an imposing structure, although surprisingly small inside. It was built in 1986 and is open to members of all faiths as a place to come and pray. It is set in the middle of a perfectly manicured garden and surrounded by nine pools. No formal services are held at the temple, and the interior calls for complete silence so people may worship peacefully.

It is a beautiful and impressive temple, and therefore doesn't come as a shock that it has won many architectural awards and accolades.

Quite frankly, Delhi leaves something to be desired. Fortunately for us, Agra is a quick jaunt by train. And "quick jaunt" by India's terms means 2-3 hours. We caught the 6:00 am train from Delhi to Agra in hopes of escaping the chaos (and work!) for the day.

Our first stop in Agra was the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah, sometimes referred to as "Baby Taj". Incidentally this is the resting place of Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, who happens to be the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the Taj Mahal was built. After 6 years of construction, this mausoleum was completed in 1628 and sits in a lovely garden along the Yamuna River. As luck would have it, the grounds were virtually empty when we visited.

Everywhere we visited in Agra were gorgeous displays of Mughal architecture, which is known for its use of marble, semi-precious stones, and elaborate craftsmanship.

Next on our list was the Agra Fort, which is a sprawling "walled city" covering 94 acres with walls at 70 feet high. Although the site has a history dating back almost 1000 years, the current state we see it in was completed during the 1628-1658 reign of Shah Jahan (who is more widely known for his construction of the Taj Mahal). An interesting tale surrounding the fort is that towards the end of his life, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son and held at the fort. However, his son placed him in captivity where he had a view of the Taj Mahal, the final resting place of his beloved wife Mumtāz Mahāl.

 

Naturally, we ended our day at the Taj Mahal. I could hardly move to India for a year and neglect to visit one of the modern wonders of the world!

 (yes, I really took this picture...and yes, I have awesome iPhone editing apps)

The Taj Mahal was built as a final resting place for Shah Jahan's third wife, Mumtāz Mahāl. She died at age 38 while giving birth to her fourteenth child. Although his third wife, it was widely recognized that she was the great love of his life and his first two marriages were merely perfunctory.

The Taj Mahal is as beautiful in real life as the pictures make it out to be. People arrive by droves in hopes of glimpsing inside the intricate marble walls. When I wasn't busy taking pictures of my own, I was being bombarded by people asking me to take pictures with them. For whatever reason, I am constantly mobbed in India with requests for pictures. Apparently all Americans are movie stars in India. Finally, Nikki dragged me away so we could look inside. He also suggested I start charging per picture. I would've made a small fortune by now! 

Even though the Taj Mahal is wonderfully large outside, you'll be surprised to know that the interior is rather small. There is an octagonal walkway around the two cenotaphs (empty tombs), with plenty of natural light. The actual tombs are beneath the Taj, and inaccessible to the general public. No shoes (although they give foreigners ugly shoe booties) and no photography is allowed inside.

(shhh, don't tell anyone!)

With all of the running around we had been doing, it was nice to just sit and relax amidst the throng.

  A 6 1/2 hour bus ride later, and we're back to Jaipur and back to the real world.