Way up North!

Day 1

I was pleased to see that we were travelling 200km up to the farm in a nice comfortable air conditioned car!   The plan was.....an overnight stay at a farm in the middle of nowhere really!  We would arrive late afternoon and some Reika tribesmen were coming out to be photographed at sunset.
Before I left for India I was thinking... very rural, talk of sleeping on the roof (Mark, Kishal, Steve and our host did) would need a torch, so that went in the suitcase. Would be completely surrounded by poisonous snakes and was wondering what I would do if I came face to face with a cobra, they spit in your eyes don't they so would my sunglasses save me and so on...so had a panic attack about that!  Why was I going!!  Because I wanted to do the photography course!  
Anyway here I was... the road was a main road but very bumpy in places.  We had been told about the motorcycle God so the plan was to stop at the temple as it is on the way.

This is the motorbike at the temple. As in all temples we had to take our shoes off before we could walk around. Kishal also paid for us to have a 'tikka' a red spot on our forehead.
I was very proud of that!

There was music at the shrine

It was very hot standing here!

This happens in Chotila village of Rajasthan where the people have also build a temple in memory of the bike’s  owner, Om Singh Rathor also known as Om Banna or Bullet Baba. Om Banna, the owner of the bike died 20 years ago in an accident while driving his ‘bullet’.

(A Royal Enfield!)

According to the devotees who wait for long hours to pay tribute to their God, every time Om’s bike was taken to the local police station, after the accident, it disappeared from there each time and was later recovered from another site

This unusual incident made people of Jodhpur to worship the bike as their God and the news about the miracle spread like wildfire.

There are sayings from the local people that if you are travel to Pali-Jodhpur and returned without stopping and worshipping the Bullet Baba you might not reach to your destination safely.

The local people also say that the motorcycle miraculously starts some time on the date and time of Om’s death.  (Taken from the internet but the same account as told us by Kishal.)

 We drove on and on, the roads getting smaller and bumpier taking us further into the countryside.

As I have to eat regularly by this time I was flagging and desperately needing to eat.  We stopped at a small village. Kishal said he had ordered me something to eat from a road stand. My heart sank, I had been so careful not to eat meat, not to drink local water, sterilize my hands etc. I couldn't refuse!  While we were waiting for them to cook (Mark wouldn't allow us to waste a minute! he was a real slavedriver! ) I'm only saying because I know he reads this! Off we went to a small alleyway where he had found these two characters!

He was hand crafting a soft rope and plastic strips to repair the seat he was sitting on.

These were just enjoying the moment!

Kishal walked over to my car and handed me a bundle wrapped in newspaper. They were spinach bargees (I think) Cooked in the lightest of batter and were delicious!

So off we bumped again and drove until we saw a man in a jeep waiting for us. This was our host. He led us onto a narrow track by a canal.  I could see our driver was getting a bit anxious that the trees were brushing against his car and I was getting anxious that he was getting closer to the canal than I was comfortable with as I was sitting that side!  However, a mile or so further on surrounded by big bushes we came to the beautiful farmhouse.   We were greeted with great hospitality and freshly made lemon water which was delicious.

My room- no sleeping on the rooftop for me!

A short rest and a cucumber sandwich high tea and then sunset was almost upon us and as the sun sets pretty quickly we had to really work fast to get our sunset photographs. The light was amazing.

Another smoke!

Sunset arrived too quickly! I pretty much missed it! although we did get a slight one, it wasn't the greatest but that's the luck of the draw.  Something I shall never forget!

Supper was served on the rooftop under a beautiful starlit sky with the brightest half crescent moon. We couldn't see the stars in Jodhpur.

Mandore Gardens,Jodhpur

Mandore is an ancient town, and was the seat of the Pratiharas of Mandavyapura, who ruled the region in the 6th century CE. The rulers of this dynasty probably became vassals of the imperial Gurjara-Pratiharas.

Jodhpur is now the capital.

Our Bubas were waiting for us at the Mandore Gardens. These are wandering religious men (They don't preach) They had been hired as our models for the time we were at the gardens.  

The Buba in the red turban was quite serious but the one in the white turban had a mischievous look in his eye and a ready smile.

As I pushed my way through the very stiff turnstile my heart sank when I saw the unkempt gardens and I wondered whatever we had come to! Vishal, our hotel owner and guide for the day had told us that the gardens had once been the best in the whole of Asia but had now been left pretty much unattended but I had not thought they would be so unloved.  But..... then as we rounded the bend and the beautiful sandstone buildings came into view I could forgive the slight neglect of the gardens.

The 'Mandore gardens', with its charming collection of temples and memorials, and its high rock terraces, is a major attraction. The gardens house the Chhatris (cenotaphs) of many rulers of Jodhpur state. Prominent among them is the chhatri of Maharaja Ajit Singh, built in 1793.  There is no fee to go in so perhaps if they charged a small amount they could slowly restore the gardens to their former glory.

Resting and contemplating!  We had been working him hard lifting the sacks up and down.

This is what he was contemplating! It is common practice for the religious men.

Walking through the park to the temple at the top of the hill we were hoping that there would be a wedding blessing.  We had no way of knowing and hung around for a while waiting. Luckily a couple showed up. 

Outside the temple, a lady selling flowers.

We were allowed in the temple after taking our shoes off.  We were also allowed to photograph. It was so crowded that I couldn't get any decent photographs of the ceremony but the new husband and wife take small coconuts and give them to the officiator, (we think it was the father of the bride or groom).

After the ceremony the wife is led to the small altar fire (they didn't bring the cow he was already there) and halved coconuts are put on the fire as an offering (It is said by some that coconut is God's fruit) by the wife and husband, relatives and friends.

The husband swapped hats with Steve (one of our gang!)

The new wife was a little over whelmed and shed a few tears!

I took a photograph of this old lady just to spite her because she kept poking me in the ribs in the temple when I was trying to take photographs!

It was all over within 30 minutes and our Bubas were patiently waiting for us by the Hall of Heroes.

The 'Hall of Heroes' commemorates popular folk heroes of the region. It contains 16 figures carved out of a single rock. Next door is a larger hall called "The temple of 33 crore gods" which houses images of various Hindu deities.

In their time these would have been beautiful statues but like the rest of the gardens they have not been very well looked after which is such a great shame.

Now it was time to leave and wend our way back to the car, past a few street vendors selling their trinkets and souvenirs. We passed quite a large crowd of monkeys on our way out. They had been given some food and some had young so I didn't hang around to take photographs. They have a bit of a reputation of being nosy and can be quite vicious.

Markets and Bazaars

 The week-end was manic! Tuk-tuks, motorbikes and pedestrians wandering everywhere. the constant honking of the horns, it is lively and colourful.  The children all speak and want their photographs taken. I have never had my photograph taken as many times as I have since I have been here. I am in so many selfies with the ladies and a lot of young men! 
 It is an amazing place and there is definitely an 'Indian time'. When they are ready! I'm loving it.
We have been out doing street photography and up to the Merhrangarh Fort which is huge and is on the hotel doorstep. 

A view of the 'blue city from top of fort

The musicians were helping everyone on their way up the steep climb!

I went up to the fort in tuk tuk its a very steep climb to get to it.  Coming down was the most hair raising ride I have ever had I think.  It was so busy and the road was almost gridlocked. My driver was amazing he swerved in and out of the traffic. It felt like being on a roller coaster. I think there are no laws on these roads!. After that I sat in my now local coffee shop the 'Cafe Royale' fabulous coffee but it posh it aint.  I have had my lunch there most days as I can get grilled cheese/tomato toasties!  I am playing very safe. I can't eat spicy food anyway.  I said shop but it isn't, it has room for one table and three chairs inside and various chairs (about 6) outside which is in the middle of a market.  
I whiled away a couple of hours people watching and taking photographs of the market.

The hat seller

The market barber asking Mark for 1 rupee because we took photographs

Three on a motor bike sometimes 5

Making pots

 The man next to me reading his local rag

And baby came too

The Cafe Royale

My local coffee shop

Let me take you round the streets.........

Firecrackers just outside

 Last night I met up with Mark our course leader and we had dinner on the roof terrace. It was quite magical with the fireworks going off all round us) After we had eaten we were invited to the hotel owners family celebration of Dwali and we were told we could take photographs.   In the end I didn't because I was invited to take part in the ceremony which was wonderful (apart from having to sit on the floor...the knees are not what they used to be! ) 

 It was the actual day of Dwali and everywhere has to be cleaned to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi. A "Lakshmi pooja" was performed to seek divine blessings from the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi, who helps those who strive to achieve wealth. It consists of a ritual using grains, leaves, coins, and idols to prepare a ceremony. During this ritual, you can invoke the Goddess by reciting the Vedic mantras or by thinking of her being showered with gold coins with two elephants standing. The ceremony was finished with having an aarti.  A lit candle with camphor in the bottom of a small dish was put on a metal tray and everyone takes turns in circling it over the table - clockwise. The purpose of performing aarti is the waving of lighted wicks before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein faithful followers become immersed in God's divine form. It symbolises the five elements: space,wind,fire,water and earth.  It is very much a time of family love. The ceremony was finished by the sister-in-law putting a red dot on our foreheads. Celebration sweets are also eaten (which are delicious)  I was quite moved by all this and felt very privileged to have been asked.

This was the family table

Today I was at a bit of a loose end. I had slept late so it was almost lunch time before I arrived for breakfast.  The hotel was empty and one of the young lads was called back from his 'holiday' to cook me a pancake.  He  did it with a big smile. I felt so bad that I gave him a 500 rupee tip which is all of about £5.  He took that with a big smile and when I had finished my pancake he reappeared with a friend and wanted to know if I had realised how much I had given him.  I told him I had and to go and have a good time..... he ran off with an even bigger smile. Apparently to him it was a small fortune.... so good!
I decided I needed to go and do some shopping so got a tuk tuk to take around the markets, he had failed to tell me that most of the shops were closed because of the holiday! However, I found one store open and met these cheeky chappies who asked to have their photos taken.

I set off on a walk around the streets this afternoon, hence the title. 

These also asked to have their photos taken. I started off with three but by the time I had got my settings right others appeared!

Apart from these little beauties I also saw these:

The rubbish is like this all over

Food but no water!

The next Adventure-Its Dwali!

When I booked my trip to India way back in June I had no idea that I would be there when it was  Dwali. I deliberately booked it for a few days previous to my photography course starting as there are places I want to see that are not in the agenda. So........after a long journey I arrived this afternoon. My worries about having to change planes and pick up my luggage in Delhi and then catch the flight to Jodphur within 2 hours were compounded when I saw the queues at the e-visa security check in. It took 45mins to get through that. Then I had to pick my luggage up and go through check in and security (full body search in a cubicle!) . This was a bit of a nightmare. I put my luggage on conveyor and it disappeared through the curtain. My boarding pass was in my handbag. Then I got sent further down to a women only gate where the man wanted my boarding pass.  Well..long story short I ended up going back through the mens gate (which bleeped)and getting my boarding pass out of my handbag. Went back to ladies gate and got searched. Bags still waiting at other conveyor and when I went to retrieve them they emptied my case with two cameras and numerous bits of electrical gadgets and put it all through the scanner again.  Then because my laptop was in my bag they took that out and put that through again, then sent me on my way.  Of course my gate was about the furthest away but it was OK I had 10 minutes to spare!

My ride from the airport to my hotel was amazing. Because of all the crowds in the city the car could only go so far and the hotel manager who picked me up left the car just outside the old city and phoned for a tuk tuk.  I tried to take photographs but it was so manic and the roads so bumpy I didn't get many. Top...shoeshine boy. Lucky to get that one. The other is of two lady mechanics I think!

My hotel from the outside and the inside in the old part of the city.  It sounds as if the city is under seige...its not but the fireworks are so loud they sound like bombs...I have brought ear plugs with me!