| After visiting
Delhi and Agra, we spent the rest of our two weeks touring only
the state of Rajasthan. A large part of the state is covered by
desert. This arid and desolate land bred a tough race of warriors,
the Rajputs whose exploits, tales, art and architecture have left
their mark on India. As a matter of fact I think most of us
identify India with Rajputs --their turbans, their saris when in
reality, the dress, food and customs of each region of India can
be very different. Today every town in Rajasthan is renowned either
for its painters, weavers, textiles, etc.
Outside of Agra we
transferred vans and Mr. Singh, patient, accommodating, so
knowledgeable, drove and guided us through 4900 kilometers of the
fascinating state of Rajasthan.
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This is our hotel in the capital of Rajasthan--Jaipur. We arrived in
Jaipur on November 12th, Diwali, the festival of lights which celebrates
the return of the hero Rama from 14 years of exile. Marigolds and leaves
from a special tree were every where. We were the only guests as the
hotel was in the process of remodeling and all the other hotels were full
because of the holiday. We were glad to be here as we had traveled almost
400 Km from our safari at Ranthambhore Park
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Jaipur, City of Victory, is a city of 2.32 million people. Begun in 1727,
it is one of India's finest examples of a planned city. It is called the
pink city because the many red sandstone buildings give off a pinking glow
especially at sunrise and sunset. At one time it was the law to paint all
buildings pink.
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Believe it or not our first meal in Jaiput was at a local Pizza hut where
we were included in the employee's religious ceremony of praying for their
employer and the business. We were each given a bindi which is what you
see on our foreheads as we relax in a local coffee shop afterwards.
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Amit bought a box of traditional sweets and the girls and he bought
fireworks to celebrate Diwali. (Kelly)
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With the help of the staff, we ( I just watched) set off fountains, cherry
bombs, bottle rockets and ate the sweet, sugary confections.
(Maggie)
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Everyone has to write with sparklers. Even I burned one. (Amy)
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I took over 200
pictures in India. Nearly everyone of us took many of the same shots both
with digital and with still cameras. Most of the pictures on these pages
are mine, but when someone had a different shot or perspective that I
wanted to use, I have indicated who is the photographer.
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