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Published: March 23rd 2011
Hi everyone!
You mustn’t believe all I manage to write in the blog so disregard the last sentence of blog 2 If you remember what it was!), we are not in camel camp yet, that is later this week!. Udaipur was our next stop.
We are very lucky that we are in India for the second most important date in their calendar, after Dwali the whole country celebrates Holi. The legend behind this festival is again long , complex and convoluted , if I say a father/demon who wants to be a god, his son who wants to worship another, his daughter who is protected from disaster by a cloke , father tries to murder son 3 times but fails but manages to kill his daughter instead by mistake, in a fire and the demon dies. So not that you would know it but it is a happy festival, lots of smiles and more importantly coloured powder and paint throwing , culminating in lighting tree fires. Not real ones you understand but built at many street Corners. It is a time when children run the gauntlet to try and mark you with the dreaded powder. We bought Cheap clothes
, ones to throw away.! In the evening after a day of sight seeing , shopping and swimming in yet another lovely roof top pool in a charming property in the heart of the city, we took ourselves off to the main square to watch the celebrations. We sat on the temple steps and had a view of the stage below and the crowd thronging the small square (Forna comes to mind!) WE were entertained, with grown up lady boys belly dancing and a street dance troop. We stood up and sat down for the procession to go and come back from the Temple and waited patiently for the fire to be lit. I couldn’t quite understand how they were going to do this safely as there were hundreds of merry people and children packed into the square. As it happened , we didn’t stay for the finalie as hunger was knoring at our bellies . We later heard that quite a dangerous situation arose as the fire rained hot sparks all over the crowd .
The following day we moved on heading for the village of Jojawar some 80 klms away. It took much longer than anticipated as
we were on small country roads, thankfully with very little traffic, but with every approaching village there were hoards of children and young people some who had blocked the road with logs or giant stones, demanding money to pass as part of Holi- It was great fun for all, the kids were delightful and enchanting . On the way we visited the amazing and largest of the forts in Rajasthan or it may actually be in India - cant quite remember! Fort Kumbhaigarh was constructed in the 15 century high up in the Aravalli mountains ,which run right across the state and are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. It holds a strategic position , a symbol of the Mewar Kingdoms strength and is protected by a 35 klm wall not unlike the great wall of China- quite remarkable. . Paula had arranged some fun and games for us at our heritage hotel a former royal residence - this time less ostentatious than some but charming never the less. We were to have our own Holi returning to childhood and dousing each other in powder and water. Have to say it was great fun though the colours
proved difficult to Wash out , our bodies were stained and Paula and Marie’s blond hair turned a pretty orange and pink - they were not best pleased!! We enjoyed a brill trip in an open vintage jeep/truck the following day to take us to the a train station for a very local train experience. This was more like it no first class just wooden seats , lots of local people, and an engine that travelled at 19 miles an hour- watch out London transport. We also made a rather long tripette to see a Jain temple at ranakpur, built over 600 years ago, it was rather splendid with 1500 beautifully carved marble pillars holding the domes afloat. Whether it was worth the 4,5 hr round trip on bone shaking roads - I am not quite sure!!
The town of Jojawar is in the heart of Rajasthan and is a typical small town with around 15,000 inhabitants. Its roads are dusty and untarred , its main streets busy with the shops for daily living, the women dressed so colourfully in their saris most with veiled faces and huge amounts of jewellery on their arms ankles and necks- just my sort
of girls!! On a more serious note , this part of the tour has allowed us to have a sense of what life is like for ordinary people, the town itself is not marked on the map it is so out of the way!!
A little about Udiapur. It is a very pretty laid back city of just 400,000 small by Indian standards, its old town is delightful ,still busy with traffic ,cows and toot toots but some how less frantic and because of that more welcoming - my favourite place so far. It is known as the romantic city with narrow, windy streets full of shops selling tatt but some selling quite nice things , And remarkably down a little side street we found a havelis a huge house with courtyards, which now is a co-operative selling local artefacts of every description , it just went on and on with a lasting impression of a mass of colour -fabrics carpets bags marble - you name it, it was there- didn’t buy anything!! . we took a boat trip on the man made lake Pichola and skirted its shores, this lake is famous for the sumptuous Monsoon island Palace
now a hotel. In the dry season the lake dries up some what and kids can play cricket on the bed! The city has its own palace - I think you get the picture , India had a myriad of royalty , their beautiful homes are now either tourist attractions or hotels often still owned and managed by the current royals.
Our next stop is in the far north west near the pakistani Boarder Jaisalmer, I remember Vicky saying this was her favourite town - we shall see!
much love
caro
xxxxx
PS I have been trying for 2 days to post this blog internet accessis not very good at a number of destinations so will post this now if I can - there are still 30 more photos to add will try with those later!
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patricia
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Wow and more wow ....
... it looks amazing ... not like here - we are suffering a gota fria ... all night and day pouring with rain and more rain and more rain!!! Monsoon like ... not like the ones in India though ... Al's house is ok!! When are you back .. I reckon about 30th - is that right? Hugs and happy holi!!!! Is that where the word 'holiday' comes from I wonder!!! xxP