Camel safari

Don't you just love that one photo that sums up the entire holiday?  You know, the one photo that presents you as the adventurous heroine, ready to ride off into the sunset...

...like this photo of Aunty Jojo in her best "Lawrence of Arabia" pose?

Well, hold on to your horses, or in this case - your camels, here's a better picture of what REALLY happened...

Guess a picture really does paint a thousand words! :D

Gadsisar Lake, Jaisalmer

Water is a precious commodity in the middle of the desert.  This explains why Gadsisar Lake is the jewel in the crown for the residents of Jaiselmer, which is located in the heart of the Thar Desert.  For many years, it was the only reservoir supplying water to the town.

The lake is surrounded by temples and shrines, while the waters are teeming with catfish.  The local guide informed us that there's an overpopulation of catfish because they're not good for eating.  Sigh...guess it's time to move some Chinese chefs into Jaiselmer to solve that problem :)

Jodhpur

Panoramic view of Jodhpur from Mehrangarh Fort

The Blue City

Mehrangarh Fort, one of the largest forts in India

Top: King's quarters

Bottom:  Queen's quarters

Temple visits

You can be sure of one thing when travelling in India.  There will be temple visits - a LOT of temple visits.  The sheer number of gods, shrines, smells and colours, while spectacular, can get quite overwhelming.  Every village, city, peasant and king has a deity to worship, and a temple to house the deity.  One can't help but marvel at the incredible skill of the artisans and masons who built these magnificent structures.



Aunty Jo Jo at the Sas Bahu temple ruins at Nagda, Rajasthan

One of the first sites I visited was the Sahastara Bahu temple in Rajasthan, which was built and dedicated to Vishnu in the early 10th century AD. The temple is now in partial ruins because the statue of the gods were stolen in the 18th century and is presumably now on display at a museum or private art collection somewhere in the western world. 

The geometry and artisanry within the temple complex is really quite spectacular.  Walking into the round library of the temple, where sacred texts were once kept, I was amazed at the intricacy and beauty of the ornate carvings within the temple walls.

Our tour guide was also quick to point me (don't ask me why I was singled out!) to the many kama sutra carvings on the external temple walls.  Upon closer inspection, I found that most poses were the "same old same old" but a few were highly interesting and probably requires some degree of acrobatic skills to execute! :)

The magnificent Jain temple in Ranakpur, Rajasthan

This is really one of the most beautiful houses of worship I have ever seen.  Built entirely of white marble and set amongst green mountains, this 15th century complex is breathtaking from the outside but once you step into the temple, a sense of quiet and calmness envelopes you. 

Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world and the 3 main principles are Ahimsa (Non-violence), Anekantvad (Non-absolutionism i.e. truth and reality are perceived differently from different points of view) and Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness).  Mahatma Gandhi's mother was a Jain, and he incorporated Jain beliefs into the fight for India's independence, notably ahimsa or non-violence.

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View of the interior of the Jain temple

It is said that the interior of the temple was inspired by the first Thirthankara's (Great Teacher) dream about what heaven looks like.  He spent several years describing the details of his dream to the architect, Deepaka, who followed the designs faithfully.  Intricate carvings cover every pillar, wall and cupola within the temple.  Out of the 1444 pillars within the temple, no two are alike! 

Isn't that amazing?



Dancing Queen of Rajasthan

Meet the dancing queen of Rajasthan - the star of the Dharohar dance troupe.  Whilst there were other younger and prettier dancers, she was by far the most confident and skilled dancer of them all.  The audience was held spellbound by her "Water Pot Dance".  She started by balancing two, then four, then six and finally eleven water pots on her head while executing the most elegant dance moves.  At one point, she even tap-danced on a brass tray and glass!  Truly amazing. 

 

Kudos to the dance troupe owner for valuing skill and experience, over beauty and youth.  Well done, sir.

 

It was also entertaining to watch the puppet master executing life-like dance moves with puppets during one segment of the show. The magic tricks were a hit with the kids especially.



 

The Rajasthani dance show is staged at Bagore Ki Haveli, a beautiful 18th century palace built by the Prime Minister of Mewar.  It's located in the heart of Old Udaipur, by the shores of Lake Pichola.  The palace has housed lower-ranked princes, consorts and guests of the royal household.  Today, the haveli is a museum that houses tourists :)

 

 

Udaipur - the city of lakes

The romance and grandeur of Rajasthan has loomed large in my imagination, thanks to the many books by Indian writers I've read over the years.  I've always wanted to visit and couldn't ask for a better gateway to Rajasthan than Udaipur - the City of Lakes.

 

A series of man-made lakes in the middle of the desert is a beautiful setting for the historic seat of the Mewar kingdom, which is proud of its Hindu heritage and title of "Venice of the East".

 

Enjoying views of Udaipur from Lake Pichola

View of Lake Pichola from the City Palace

Lake Palace - which is a luxury hotel today

City Palace - Udaipur

 

The City Palace in Udaipur was built by 22 kings over a period of 350 years.  Most of the architecture is not only stunning, but its displays provide interesting vignettes into the lives of the kings and the their harems.  For example, the last king of Mewar was thrown off his horse as a child and his living quarters contain modern conveniences such as an elevator, private toilet and a wheelchair.  Even the queens' quarters are fully decked with swings, beds, textiles, mirrors and fabrics. To my great delight, I realized that all the mirrors in the maharani's quarters are perfectly aligned to my height!  How does that saying go again?  "Some are born great..." Ahem...

Driving around Tahoe

Fall 2014.  On the second last day of my third trip to California this year, Julie and I drove out to the mountains.  On the recommendation of a friend, we headed for the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe to check out a place called Incline Village.  It was a beautiful day with fresh snow on the ground.  The views were simply breathtaking!

Joanna and Julie "frolicking" in the snow... err...not quite

Aunty Jo Jo's winter glamour shot :)

Absolutely stunning views of Lake Tahoe