Out and About in Jodhpur by Kath

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Jodhpur grew out of profits of opium, sandalwood, dates and copper. I think it is still thriving on profits from these things. We went to check out the Old Fort. It was founded in the 1400s. The fort is made of red sandstone and has a great view of the city. The blue walls below looked very inviting. Will definitely go back and explore the streets there at a cooler time of the year. The audio that accompanied the tour was very, very good. It gave a good account including reminiscing about the royal family, heroic tales of sacrifice, extraordinary events, adventures, legends, etc.

We were looked after by a local lady who has some connection with the Ashram where we have been staying. She made us a magnificent feast for lunch and the hospitality of the Indian people is really something. One thing that is really noticeable here in India is the lack of fast food restaurants. The majority of families clearly still cook at home, which is almost the complete opposite to how things are in Hong Kong.

After I enquired as to whether there were any orphanages nearby, it turned out that our host’s family owns one. So we went for a look. It is an amazing set-up. They have been running the place for almost 20 years. Some of the older girls have been married off, a few have gone to families in the U.S. and Europe, though the majority have been adopted out into Indian families. The entrance had a small double door where you can anonymously place a baby in a crib which has a sensor inside that rings a bell inside the orphanage. After the baby is placed in this crib it becomes legally entrusted to the orphanage.

There were a big range of ages in the orphanage, ranging from a few months old to finished school age. All children had access to schooling, even the ones with polio or a couple who are blind. They had a good sized area for everything, including a swimming pool, a gym, a medical check up area for the really young babies, grassed play area, concrete play area with a few pieces of equipment and good sized open rooms for sleeping and eating. It was very inspiring to see the work they are doing there. The family we met also run an old age home for people who are not looked after by their children.

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