Into The Deep - part I

into the deep of rajasthan has been a journey well worth it.

india has this magnetic pull that draws you in.. a seduction that you do not even realize has taken over you.. and most probably until much later will i feel the full effect but i can say here and now, it has seeped into me somehow, some way. you have to take it all -- and allow for the parts that may be a bit intolerable to just sit within you.. and then, somehow, some way the beauty of it all reveals itself to me like a chameleon.

india has a level of service i have not experienced before - you ask and you shall receive. a request to make a dress in an afternoon, a request to change/alter custom silver jewelry, a request to call in anything and it will come.

and then there is the people - beautiful. as we moved from one town to the next and going deeper into rajasthan, i witnessed communities and ways of life that were intoxicating in all their ways. yes simple for sure but how they did it, the way in which they do it is mesmerizing. and to deal with them all - you have to go in with all heart. the colors vivid against the muted backgrounds, the contrast stepped up - sandy flax backdrops against hot flashes of fuchsia and indigo.

on this part of the trip we covered ground on...
JAIPUR
- amber fort, old bazaar, palace of the winds, terrace nights looking over the city
NIMAJ BAGH
- orchard estate, jeep safari, village walk, guijars, nimaj palace
JODHPUR
- meherangarh fort, maharaja, on the rocks, sardar market, jain temple
UDAIPUR
- lake pichola, jagish temple, monsoon palace, city palace, monsoon rains

DELHI - mosque, bazaars, khal market, lotus temple, vasant vihar

On our last night in Udaipur, the rains came.
We were having dinner at a restaurant on the other side of the lake, sitting outside, looking at majestic city palace... and then, with all the hopes for the rains to come, they finally did. it was a downpour - fierce and stunning. we all fled to the kitchen for some time and enjoyed the company of guests and staff alike. everyone gleamed with joy - a sparkle in their eyes and a thankfulness that it finally came. they say, it had been a year of waiting for the rains - well its first mark was a magnificent one. we piled into rickshaws (ours had a box of rescued swallows in the back to keep us company) and gingerly made our way back to the hotel - through the flooding streets, dodging cows searching for shelter, everyone soaked to the bone and smiling with joy. at one point, i could not resist and lean outside the rickshaw, skim my hand along the watery streets and let the rains come down... what a perfect ending to our stay in rajasthan. we stayed up until dawn along with geese flying in formation above, while below tortoises and bats were scurrying around the garden.

it was all memorable.
the rains were very much welcomed.

the last leg of the trip was an overnight train to delhi... and i was a bit reluctant to leave rajasthan - i hope to come back to it some day. and as india has shown me so far, especially this past week, it's seduction will stay with me and seep into me much stronger with time.




Into The Deep - part II
photos to follow

northern exposure

after the formalities of crossing into india, our first destination in northern india is varanasi.

the ganges river -- what can i say -- you see it, you feel it.

i am happy i got to see it.

we went for sunrise but the most resonating was at dusk for evening prayer. the whole town with pilmgrims from all over come. all the ghats, for as long as you eyes can see are filled with people doing their daily evening prayer. we took a boat ride down the banks and saw many cremations once again. we rode back to the main area and lit floating candle/flower offerings and let them go into the ganges... we also visited sarnath to the place where buddha gave his first dharma.

then it was agra.

first stop - agra fort which was very impressive - so many beautiful details and silhouettes and massing that was incredible.

and after, we made it to the taj.

we went at sunset and i was not ready for such an influx of indians curious about us and wanting photos, photos, photos with foreigners... what a reverse. the taj is a wonder, intricate and bold both from afar and up close.

next was a 7 hour jeep drive inland to a small village called tordi garh.

what a gem.

a small village with people and children so bright with joy!

we stayed at a home but a beautiful one at that, with farm animals of all kinds and family so open and generous. it is done in shocking contrasting colors (a color palette worth reinventing at some point for sure)... the women of the household treated us to view elaborate wedding albums, saris, did henna tattoos, cooking etc... the stars were bright bright this night as you looked over the quiet homes below and we spent the night taking in this night sky whilst bollywood music played on and on... a camel ride was due too. we rode through the village, up to the sand dunes and perched above to watch the hazy sun set with masala chai in hand.

border crossing

time to meet my group for tour of Nepal and rajasthan...

i caught an early flight out of mumbai into Kathmandu and descended into the mountains for a few days. nepal is a beautiful country and the people are as well... i could feel a shift in temperament from mumbai -- everything shifted every so slightly -- a little more mellower and gentler... it was a nice ease up from the past week. we spent a couple days in Kathmandu and visited a Hindu temple were it is local custom to cremate the bodies once you die. the temple and surrounding grounds had a resounding impact on me as well as the chance the observe a few cremations whilst we were there. typically it is the eldest son/male to light the fire of the cremation and for this he has to shave his head. the whole family stays with the body until it is completely cremated which usually takes about 3 hours. the ashes flow into the river and become one with the universe again. they do keep one part of the human body intact so that it can be buried. for men, it is the heart and for women, it is the hips. the grounds were filled with sages and swamis and monkeys... we also visited a Buddhist temple, bohantan. it is a massive, grounding, white temple that cuts through the sky so vividly. all around is a small village and tea houses. the low rise wall surrounding the temple is cladded with prayer wheels. you are suggested to walk around the perimeter 3 times before entering up in the lower levels of the temple. 3 is quite an auspicious number in both Hindu and Buddhism as well as many faiths of the world. i found a smaller temple where monks were giving blessings so i quietly stepped inside and did a ceremonial blessing with the monk -- i lit an incense, knelt down whilst he poured a blessed ointment into the palms of my hands which i then let fall onto the crown of my head as he did a prayer.

from Kathmandu, we went onto the chitwan national reserve. the ride to this place was all about us against these monolithic mountains. the reserve is in a small town that felt like the wild wild west, Nepalese style. at the end of the main drag, was my favorite place. a riverbed area looking onto the rivers with elephants and camels roaming and tiny little shack cafes run by families that would live behind. at dawn and dusk, this is where you would find me. nights in Nepal, have been about world cup too -- so cool to see such a sport unite a world. chitwan was all about elephants. we did elephant rides, baths and went to the breeding center. we also saw a stick dancing performance done by about 25 young Nepalese boys - the coordination and energy was so great to see (and of course, fire sticks always mesmerize you too!)

our next stop in Nepal was lumbini - a master plan of temples and gardens that sprung from the birth place of Buddha. we took bikes and traveled into town and around all the temples and to the the birth place of Buddha. the moment you walked into the gardens of this place, you could feel an overwhelming sense of calmness come over me. a group of young women monks were praying/chanting... all dressed in a blush pink, knelt on the grass in full concentration to pray/celebrate to Buddha. i had not expected to see this place. i am very happy that i did.

next morning was an early start as we had to do the border crossing from Nepal back into India.

we walked through the small juncture and our bags were taken separately by rickshaw until we got to the India side. our time in Nepal was fantastic and the political climate had subsided dramatically since may so we were able to enjoy it without any interruptions. again, i could feel that subtle shift as soon as my feet hit the ground on Indian soil.