The road across Rajasthan to Rohet didn’t have much to say for itself. Fortunately there was not much traffic and always some treat to feed the eyes. Turbans became more prevalent on the men and it was a wonderful picture that I missed of three men on a motor scooter. There was a turbaned driver in the center and a turbaned head on either side of his, coming straight towards us. Folks around here are a little careless about which side of the road they drive on, they just avoid each other and the stray animals.
We happened upon a lone tree dripping with fruit bats.
Where there was water it took a bit of an effort to get it to the fields. The boy behind the oxen kept them moving and turning the wheel that lifted the water in the little buckets and spilled it into a canal.
Even the least advantaged woman dresses colorfully and looked elegant beneath her load of wood. That is more than I could carry wearing jeans!
We saw a few monkeys along the way. They were mostly hanging around the road waiting for someone to toss them dinner. We also passed signs warning us to be on the lookout for leopards but we had no such luck.
Ranakpur was an oasis in the dry wilderness. This is Jain temple was built in the 15th century. Its main feature is the 1444 pillars finely carved from marble creating cool cloisters. Each pillar is unique but together they create a serene whole. The air flows around and through open arches pulling up the heat and it is carefully designed to capture rainwater.
This picture was taken looking up at the central dome.
Many of the carvings were made to instruct the congregation who could not read. Some were straight out of the Kama Sutra.
We then headed away from the towns and into the back country to look for wildlife. We spotted several Black Bucks with magnificent coiled horns like corkscrews. 
They are foraging in the cultivated land where the farmer is waiting for the season to change to plough it. There is competition for fodder from the cattle and camels that graze the area and I was surprised that we saw so much wildlife. The local Bushnoi community is famous for their conservation work and look after the wildlife. We also saw several of the Indian National bird; the peacock.
The locals also conduct frequent opium ceremonies. I am not sure about the legality of this but it seemed to be sanctioned by the authorities and the leader of the community certainly didn’t mind repeated performances. He and his compadres were very mellow.
We were welcomed into his home which consisted of a walled courtyard with a covered area around the edge and a few closed in rooms. Before we started we had to wait for the cattle to pass through.
They are foraging in the cultivated land where the farmer is waiting for the season to change to plough it. There is competition for fodder from the cattle and camels that graze the area and I was surprised that we saw so much wildlife. The local Bushnoi community is famous for their conservation work and look after the wildlife. We also saw several of the Indian National bird; the peacock.
The locals also conduct frequent opium ceremonies. I am not sure about the legality of this but it seemed to be sanctioned by the authorities and the leader of the community certainly didn’t mind repeated performances. He and his compadres were very mellow.
We were welcomed into his home which consisted of a walled courtyard with a covered area around the edge and a few closed in rooms. Before we started we had to wait for the cattle to pass through.
They assured us that this was not the bad kind of opium. (?) and we ere offered little quarter inch crystals to eat. It was bitter. Then the tribal chief poured some water of dubious clarity into a couple of strainers and we watched the liquid drip into a bowl.
Additional cattle wondered through the enclosure and our hosts smoked home rolled cigarettes and smiled and nodded at us.
Additional cattle wondered through the enclosure and our hosts smoked home rolled cigarettes and smiled and nodded at us.
Then there was the most interesting part. Some of the liquid was poured into the chief’s hand and he drank. Then more was poured into his palm which was slurped up by each member of his party and then our guide in turn. He did pour some “clean” water over his drinking hand and rub the fingers together but I was just wondering how clean his hand was when it was offered to me so I graciously sucked up the clear bitter liquid. The procedure was repeated. If it had any effect on me it was minimal. I was happy enough to start with.
We continued on our way to Bishnoi ki Dhani, a cluster of six circular mud homes with neat thatched roves that was considered a village.
We continued on our way to Bishnoi ki Dhani, a cluster of six circular mud homes with neat thatched roves that was considered a village.
This is a dry desert in which to eek out a livelihood, however, like everyone else we met they were smiling and very friendly.
Before we left we sat on outside with the head of the family. As a way of thanks I offered him a packet of watermelon seeds. He beamed with delight nodded his thanks and smiled some more. We left there feeling fine. Perhaps it was the after-glow of the opium. 20080224_06013
We slept in tents that night. But these were no ordinary tents. These were tents that were good enough for Madonna.
Before we left we sat on outside with the head of the family. As a way of thanks I offered him a packet of watermelon seeds. He beamed with delight nodded his thanks and smiled some more. We left there feeling fine. Perhaps it was the after-glow of the opium. 20080224_06013
We slept in tents that night. But these were no ordinary tents. These were tents that were good enough for Madonna.
No comments:
Post a Comment