On the way out of Jodhpur, we pass by two painted elephants, walking down the road on the way (says our driver) to a royal marriage.
We talk some about the many colors of marble that are mined in Rajasthan. Much of it is exported to Italy and France, but the biggest buyers currently are Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Baba, our driver, gets to talking more than usual. He talks about how the touring company he works for pays him 3000 Rupees a month, the equivalent of only $60 a month, or $2 a day. The company does cover all of the costs of the vehicle and road tolls, but only pays him an additional living stipend of 100 Rp for each day of driving away from home - on this extra $2 a day he must pay for food and lodging. ("Lodging" is usually a night spent sleeping in the car. However, some hotels offer the drivers showers, inexpensive meals and spaces to park their cars.)
Baba was married when he was 14 years old to a girl who was twelve years old, a not too uncommon type of arranged marriage. They did not start living together until he was 18 and she was 16, the legal age for doing so. He is now 22 years old and has a 4 year-old son and a baby girl. He was been telling us recently about calls home to find out how his girl is doing - she was not feeling well, but is now being treated for an ear infection.
On the way to Udaipur, we stop at Ranakpur temple. This is a Jain temple carved in about 1500 A.D. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankar, Adinath. As Lonely Planet says, it is "an incredible feat of Jain devotion, ... a complicated series of 29 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually engraved pillars." I found it to be possibly the most inspiring sight we see in India. The Taj Mahal is magnificent in its size and pristine beauty and symmetry. It does not fail to impress. But the exquisite carving and calming smoothness of the marble here are truly awesome. I took many pictures while I was here, inspired as I was by detailed, unique carving, living trees sharing the space with the marble, devotees leaving behind flower petals, and priests chanting their devotions. We explore the temple barefoot, and without my leather belt, as a
necessary sign of respect for the Jain's belief in ahimsa - harmlessness.
Continuing on up into the Aravalli Hills, we pass by several monkeys playing in the trees. Some are hanging around close by the road, so Baba pulls over and starts letting us throw them some crackers. I roll down the window for pictures, and to see a mother with its baby approach. One over-eager monkey suddenly jumps over, grabs the top edge of my mostly rolled-down window, and flips onto the roof of the van. I soon see a little monkey hand reach from the roof through the top of the window, begging for more treats. Not sure he will be content to stay outside the vehicle, I quickly roll up the window to keep him away (being careful not to pinch his fingers). We soon start slowly away until he jumps off and continue on our journey.
At the top of the hill, we stop for a pleasant lunch with a view of a treed valley.
On the way down, we come into view of Udaipur, sometimes called the most romantic city of India. Udaipur was founded in 1569 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the new capital of Mewar after the Mughal emperor Akbar sacked the old capital. A Maharana is recognized as one step up from a maharaja, and Udaipur is the only area sporting such a high rank of royalty.
After seeing some of the picturesque lakes that add romance to Udaipur, we take a windy dusty lane to an expansive hotel worthy of a movie set. For a while, we think we may be the only ones at Hotel Udai Bagh, but later a whole covey of teen-agers arrive to enjoy loud dance music and an exotic performance with Rajasthani musicians.
We talk some about the many colors of marble that are mined in Rajasthan. Much of it is exported to Italy and France, but the biggest buyers currently are Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Baba, our driver, gets to talking more than usual. He talks about how the touring company he works for pays him 3000 Rupees a month, the equivalent of only $60 a month, or $2 a day. The company does cover all of the costs of the vehicle and road tolls, but only pays him an additional living stipend of 100 Rp for each day of driving away from home - on this extra $2 a day he must pay for food and lodging. ("Lodging" is usually a night spent sleeping in the car. However, some hotels offer the drivers showers, inexpensive meals and spaces to park their cars.)
Baba was married when he was 14 years old to a girl who was twelve years old, a not too uncommon type of arranged marriage. They did not start living together until he was 18 and she was 16, the legal age for doing so. He is now 22 years old and has a 4 year-old son and a baby girl. He was been telling us recently about calls home to find out how his girl is doing - she was not feeling well, but is now being treated for an ear infection.
On the way to Udaipur, we stop at Ranakpur temple. This is a Jain temple carved in about 1500 A.D. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankar, Adinath. As Lonely Planet says, it is "an incredible feat of Jain devotion, ... a complicated series of 29 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually engraved pillars." I found it to be possibly the most inspiring sight we see in India. The Taj Mahal is magnificent in its size and pristine beauty and symmetry. It does not fail to impress. But the exquisite carving and calming smoothness of the marble here are truly awesome. I took many pictures while I was here, inspired as I was by detailed, unique carving, living trees sharing the space with the marble, devotees leaving behind flower petals, and priests chanting their devotions. We explore the temple barefoot, and without my leather belt, as anecessary sign of respect for the Jain's belief in ahimsa - harmlessness.
Continuing on up into the Aravalli Hills, we pass by several monkeys playing in the trees. Some are hanging around close by the road, so Baba pulls over and starts letting us throw them some crackers. I roll down the window for pictures, and to see a mother with its baby approach. One over-eager monkey suddenly jumps over, grabs the top edge of my mostly rolled-down window, and flips onto the roof of the van. I soon see a little monkey hand reach from the roof through the top of the window, begging for more treats. Not sure he will be content to stay outside the vehicle, I quickly roll up the window to keep him away (being careful not to pinch his fingers). We soon start slowly away until he jumps off and continue on our journey.At the top of the hill, we stop for a pleasant lunch with a view of a treed valley.
On the way down, we come into view of Udaipur, sometimes called the most romantic city of India. Udaipur was founded in 1569 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the new capital of Mewar after the Mughal emperor Akbar sacked the old capital. A Maharana is recognized as one step up from a maharaja, and Udaipur is the only area sporting such a high rank of royalty.
After seeing some of the picturesque lakes that add romance to Udaipur, we take a windy dusty lane to an expansive hotel worthy of a movie set. For a while, we think we may be the only ones at Hotel Udai Bagh, but later a whole covey of teen-agers arrive to enjoy loud dance music and an exotic performance with Rajasthani musicians.
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